From Hopscotch to Home Runs: The Basics of Mature Motor Skill Development
Infant Sounds: From Coos and Babbles to First Words
Ensuring Their Safety While Letting Go: Advice for Parents as Children “Go it Alone” Socially
Posture and Position Matter… WHEN U R YR’D UP
Featured Sites for Family Fun
April 2008 TidBits
August 2007 TidBits
Early Edition Resource Guide
Family Fun
Featured Sites for Family Fun
Recreation Therapists and Technicians from Children’s Hospital recommend the following websites and activities:
“This is a great website for anyone planning children’s activities of all ages. It has both educational and fun activities including arts & crafts, story books, calendars, trivia, activity sheets, coloring pages, etc.” - S. Michelle Palik, Recreation Therapy Technician
Paper Plate Flowers
-Trace a child’s hand on colorful construction paper, at least 10 times.
-Cut out hand tracings.
-Glue or staple a circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outward) around the outside of a paper plate. The fingers are the flower’s petals.
-Glue or staple a 2nd circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outward) just inside the first circle.
-Glue or staple a 3rd circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outward) at the center of the plate.
-Glue a small paper circle in the center of the flower to complete the project.
Note: While there is an option to join the site with a paid subscription, there are many activities and suggestions available for all visitors to the site.
Recreation Therapists also recommend the following activities from FamilyEducation.com:
For Toddlers and Up:
Water Colors
Soak an old sheet in water then hang on a clothesline or drape over a fence. Encourage children to use various tempera paints and applicators – sponges, paintbrushes and squirt bottles, for example – and go at it creating pictures, tic-tac-toe grids and colorful designs. You can also mute and mix colors with a water-filled spray bottle.
For Ages 4 and Up:
Crystal Rock Garden
Bring a cup of water to a boil, then add 2 ounces of alum (found in the canning or spice sections of a grocery store), stirring until the alum is dissolved. (Note: Be cautious around children as water will be hot.) Pour the solution into a clear glass bowl filled halfway with assorted clean rocks and pebbles. Within hours you should be able to see alum crystals forming as glass-like squares. Within several days there should be a number of crystals to look at.