Motor Planning Archives - Therapy Fun Zone

Activities, activity printable, child, Craft, elementary school age, fine-motor, Free Printable, in-hand manipulation, Motor Planning, OT, Printable, tween - middle school

Perler Beads

Perler beads are tiny plastic beads that you place on little spikes on a board in order to make a design. They are quite small, so they require precision and care to get them placed on the design board. Once the design is finished, you then…

Activities, child, elementary school age, Gait, games, gross motor, hand strengthening, lower extremity strengthening, Motor Planning, motor planning, OT, PT, Trunk strengthening, tween - middle school, upper extremity strengthening, visual perceptual

Using a Water Gun to Propel a Ball

Water guns are a great finger strengthening tool, and when it gets hot, water is a welcome part of therapy. I had used water guns to fill up a cup with water and make a ping pong ball rise. I was trying to think of other activities that use…

Activities, bimanual, Craft, Craft, fine-motor, Motor Planning, OT, scissor cutting, Shapes, visual perceptual

Scissor Cutting Shapes: Pizza

When working on cutting skills, it is fun to create something out of what you cut. This week I had some of my students make some pizza. I made a template for the shapes needed to make the pizza, and they traced the shapes, cut them out and glued…

Activities, ADL, adult, buttoning, child, Craft, felt, fine-motor, hand strengthening, Motor Planning, OT, pipe cleaner, spring

Make Button Flowers

Flowers make a great spring time activity, and there are so many ways to incorporate flowers into therapy to work on fine motor, visual motor, and coordination. I have many flower activities, such as ones that use clothes pins, but today we…

Activities, bimanual, child, elementary school age, fine-motor, hand strengthening, Motor Planning, OT, preschool, scissor cutting, visual perceptual

Slowing Down With Scissor Cutting

I recently was doing an evaluation, and the student was just snipping at the paper as fast and furiously as she could. When I tried to help her position the paper or the scissors better, she just pushed me away and kept snipping. She gave…

Activities, adult, bimanual, child, Crossing Midline, elementary school age, games, gross motor, lower extremity strengthening, Motor Planning, motor planning, OT, preschool, PT, Range Of Motion, Sensory, teenage, toddler, Trunk strengthening, tween - middle school, upper extremity strengthening, visual perceptual

Balloon Volleyball

Balloon Volleyball is such a simple game to play that is fun for young and old. It can be played standing up or sitting down, although when sitting down, someone will need to retrieve the balloon when it is out reach. I don’t think I need…

Activities, bimanual, child, Crossing Midline, fine-motor, Motor Planning, OT, Reach and grasp, Sensory, sensory motor, upper extremity strengthening, visual perceptual

Using Gel Clings in Therapy

We have a guest post written by Kristi Rapp, COTA. When it comes to finding items to work with that are therapeutic, budget friendly, and versatile it can sometimes be a challenge to find just the right item to use. I have found a hidden…

Activities, bimanual, child, christmas, Craft, elementary school age, felt, fine-motor, holiday, in-hand manipulation, Materials, Motor Planning, OT, season, visual perceptual, winter

Felt Christmas Tree

Here is a fun little Christmas activity of decorating a Christmas tree with felt ornaments. I got a styrofoam cone from the craft store and wrapped green felt around it. I then cut out some ornament shapes from different colored felt. You could…

Activities, ADL, adult, bimanual, child, dressing, fine-motor, Motor Planning, OT, preschool, Therapy techniques, visual perceptual

The Visual Motor Aspect of Buttons and Zippers

Buttoning Progression When you are good at fastening buttons, you can do it with your eyes close, and probably don't look at all when fastening your pants. It takes some time and practice to get to the point of being able to button completely…

Activities, bimanual, child, Craft, Craft, Crossing Midline, elementary school age, fall, fine-motor, Free Printable, Handwriting, holiday, in-hand manipulation, Motor Planning, OT, Paper, pencil template, Printable, scissor cutting, Scissor Cutting, season, Shapes, Thanksgiving, visual perceptual

Scissor Cutting Turkey Template

Making Turkeys for Thanksgiving is a great time to incorporate a lot of skills into your therapy session. I love that the feathers are perfect for writing on and being able to create a thankful craft. Cutting with scissors is a skill that works…

Activities, child, Chopstick activities, Clothespin Activities, elementary school age, fine-motor, hand strengthening, Handwriting, Motor Planning, OT, Pom Poms or cotton balls, visual perceptual

I Love Using Color Pop

I love using the color pop game in therapy. Ever since I created it, it has become my go to for many therapy sessions because it is so basic, and can be so easily modified to work on so many different areas that I want to address. Since I…

Activities, child, elementary school age, equipment, equipment, gross motor, lower extremity strengthening, Motor Planning, motor planning, OT, preschool, PT, sensory motor, teenage, toddler, tween - middle school

Making a Crash Pad

A crash pad is a big foam filled squishy mat that you can fall onto and you land on the squishy foam. Crash pads are great fun for kids who like a lot of movement and body input since they can roll around in the big foam nest. Kids need to always…

Activities, activity printable, child, Clothespin Activities, elementary school age, fine-motor, Free Printable, games, hand strengthening, Motor Planning, OT, Printable, Reach and grasp, visual perceptual

Flower Garden Fine Motor and Visual Motor Challenge

I was looking for an activity that would give a good challenge to the visual motor system as well as challenge fine motor control. I wanted quite a bit of visual motor reaching and grasping while in prone. In one school that I work in, I have…

Activities, Animals, bimanual, child, Craft, elementary school age, fine-motor, Free Printable, Motor Planning, OT, Paper, Printable, scissor cutting, Scissor Cutting, visual perceptual

Visual Motor Skills and Cutting With Scissors

Being able to cut with scissors requires many skills, starting with the physical motor ability to sit at a table, the fine motor ability to hold the scissors, and the strength to open and close the scissors. In order to follow lines and shapes…

Activities, ADL, bimanual, buttoning, child, Craft, dressing, elementary school age, felt, fine-motor, Motor Planning, OT

A Fun Summer Buttoning Ice Cream Cone

I have been working on a bunch of different buttoning activities and thought I would share the ones that I made this week. I made some bananas that you can unbutton from the bunch, an ice cream cone to button the scoops on, some pancakes with…

Activities, activity printable, ADL, bimanual, buttoning, child, dressing, elementary school age, favorite toys, fine-motor, Free Printable, games, Motor Planning, OT, Printable

New Button Pizzas and Patterns to Make Your Own

The button pizza, sandwich and oreo are so great for working on fine motor and motor planning skills in a fun way. I ran out of the button food available in the shop quite a while ago, and have found it difficult to find a sewing manufacturer…

Activities, bimanual, child, Crossing Midline, elementary school age, hand strengthening, Motor Planning, OT, sensory motor, tween - middle school, visual perceptual

Developing Visual Skills and the Playground

Annie, don't slide down the slide head first! I could hear a mother yell to her child as the little girl went down the slide on her back head first. I told the mom that it was actually good to slide down this way as it gives her body a new experience…

Activities, bimanual, child, elementary school age, fine-motor, Fun Foam, games, hand strengthening, Handwriting, Motor Planning, Munchy Ball, OT