Summer Vacation

School is out and it is vacation time!  We Care’s occupational therapist has some great ideas for traveling with children.  Try a few, or if it is a long trip, maybe all of them.

1. Purses and containers with Velcro, snaps, zippers, etc. are not only fun but can help with fine motor skills.  Fill a purse or container with snacks or toys and let your child find the “treasures.”
2. Get two or three view masters with a variety of your child’s favorite character ‘films’.
3. Arrange cotton balls, small toys, or other smaller items on a tray and let your child use small tongs or clothespins to pick them up.
4. Pack your child’s backpack with small books, a magna doodle, crayons, paper, stickers and their favorite small toy.
5. Get some thick string or a shoelace, different types of cereal that can be threaded and let them make an edible necklace.
6. Do ‘arms up high – touch the sky’ – deep pressure hugs – finger/toe pinches (not too hard – playful) – blowing on pinwheels plus stretching and breathing (have your child take a deep breath and then blow out the imaginary candle) can give a welcome break.
7. Get a deck of ‘Go Fish’ cards. Tape one set of some of the pairs on the bottom of a tray and put Velcro dots on all of the cards. Have your child stick the matching card on.
8. Get small flash lights and hide under the airline blanket or a blanket you have brought. Also, you could get ‘glow in the dark stickers’ to put on arms and legs.
9. Get a small DVD player with headphones for movies and songs.
10. Have extra baggies of fun things to do in your backpack to switch out when your child gets bored.

Have a wonderful trip!  Don’t forget calming music (for the kids and for you!)