Goodbye, early intervention!
Ok, so forgive me for the delay!... I promised you some cheap toy ideas we did and I will deliver! :)
But before I get into that, just want to say my 12 weeks are up. They were really fulfilling and I learned so much - the kiddos were my teachers! As were my supervisors - so grateful for their patience, support, and belief in me. It meant the world.
So, if you're considering being an early intervention OT, things I'd tell you...
- Be flexible! - the scheduling, the weather, the commute between clients (if you're doing your job, you'll be late to things - it's ok!), the activities changing up 1,000 times within a 1 hour treatment session..
- Don't take it too seriously.. what I mean is kids are resilient and you can't change the world in a day, but by being a consistent source of love and kindness to these families, you are making a difference.. even on the days it doesn't feel like it!
- You gotta love kids! They poop, cry, sneeze, scream, spit up, share their germs.. But if you aren't phased by these things, they are so fun! It's really a fun field to be in.
Dollar Tree Toys!
The Dollar Tree is a life saver! I hate to break it to you, but so many toys are just expensive and junkie.. like what does a child learn from this thing with twenty buttons and 6 languages of Twinkle Twinkle? Pediatric OTs are fans of back-to-the-basics. Toys that provide fun textures. Show cause and effect. Promote problem solving. Have multiple purposes, or can be played with in different ways.. simple things. Predictable things so we learn the pattern.. did I say cause and effect toys? :) Our favorite!
1 bottle hair gel, 1 tbsp art glitter, 2 animal erasers, Ziploc bag, packing tape to seal top
This guy was good for squishing, poking, promoting language and seeing if the child will imitate you ("Zoom!" while drawing line across the bag). If left in the car, it was COLD, and some of our kids liked that. Just an attention grabber to get them centered and ready to focus. Intrigued 2 kiddos who hardly ever sit or imitate. You could make all sorts of variations of this.. shaving cream with a few drops of food coloring to swirl around or marbles to push around in it.. can draw a head on the outside and have buttons floating in the gel.. have the child make a face..
Dot Markers & Paper
For our older kids, sometimes to occupy them so you can write your progress note. They are thick, which is developmentally appropriate for 2 year olds learning how to grasp a writing utensil.
Uses: Identify colors. Imitation (Watch me. You do!). Promote language (Zoom! Red. Smile! Face. Press down. Dot dot dot. Circle!...). Imagination (what did you make??).
Eggs Galore!
Version 1: Animal eggs, animal erasers, gallon Ziploc bag
Version 2: regular Easter eggs, mardi gras necklaces (cheap beaded necklaces)
Uses: Fine motor skills (opening a zip lock bag & opening the eggs). Identifying colors and animals. Shaking them to make noise (the eggs filled with beads make a great sound).
Sorting - putting the like animals/colors together.
Recycle your Parmesan or Talenti ice cream containers!
The holes in the Parm container are great for pushing pompoms through!
Not pictured here, but I drilled 5 holes in the top of a Talenti ice cream container and cut pipe cleaners into 1'' segments. The kids enjoy the challenge of poking the pipe cleaners into the holes and watching them drop to the bottom! Fun to shake!
This is not for children who still mouth objects!
Pipe cleaners are fatter and sturdier than yarn or string. A great learning tool with large beads.
Play Dough!
Sensory toys bring out language! Kids who made very little noises would transform into chatty Cathys sometimes when using playdough or a bean bin. Poke. Pinch. Roll. Mash. Scoop. Squish...
Zippers and Ziplocks!
We put puzzles and toys with many pieces in these laundry bags - you can find at most Targets, Walmarts, Marshalls.. - for organization.. but also for the children to learn how to zip. Could be used at home.
Lastly... Melissa and Doug Toys...
Melissa and Doug are genius. I wish I was them. If anyone wants to partner with me... Amy and ____. Or _____ and Amy. Lots of wooden toys that engage children and make them think.
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