Table Time Activity: I Can See Book
Skill Check
This week your child should be able to attend to a book, participate by pointing to pictures (Find ____). This goal helps to increase participation, engagement, and discrimination skills!
Growing My Skills
Have the child label pictures they see in the book, receptively identify by pointing based on an item on the page by the feature (wheels), function (you drive), or class (vehicle).
You can work on filling in the blank (e.g., Greenlight means___) or answering WH questions (Who drives the school bus?).
Floortime Play Activity: Transportation Play
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to spend time together in a playful, imaginative way. There should be limited structure and a lot of pretending.
Growing My Skills
Sit down with your child and explore each item.
Begin moving the transportation toy around the floor.
Encourage your child to do the same.
Explore where that vehicle is going, what are they doing, etc.
Relaxation Time Activity: I AM Meditation
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to practice using positive messages as an everyday relaxation tool.
Growing My Skills
Read the book together.
Point at the pictures and emphasize those things that help you and your child feel loved.
Label different things in the picture that interests your child the most.
Say “I am LOVE” mantra to your child throughout your day to focus your attention on the here and now.
Discuss with your child the different things that help them feel loved.
Creative Time Activity: Chalk Time
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is for your child to think about different places they go or want to go.
Growing My Skills
Help your child make a list of places they go/want to go.
Go outside and draw!
Movement Time Activity: Obstacle Course
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to create an obstacle course using the items in your house! You could crawl over couch cushions, over a chair, and jump into a box.
Growing My Skills
Use the obstacle course as a way to practice taking turns, dad can crawl too!
Increase the amount of obstacle course challenges: walk a tightrope line, jump over a pillow, crawl under stools.
Try doing the obstacle course walking backward or on tiptoes!
Reverse reverse! Challenge your child’s memory to do the course the complete opposite way!
Try doing the obstacle course outdoors too.
Jump over a stick, kick a ball, walk a tightrope on the curb!
Mealtime Activity: Using a Spoon
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to promote oral motor skills needed to eat from a spoon. Some children may be working on flexibility, in accepting contents of a pouch being presented in a bowl or from a spoon.
Growing My Skills
Start by allowing your child to eat from the pouch-like they normally do.
Before they finish, present the bowl and model squeezing your pouch into the bowl, discuss the color or smell.
Assess your child’s response to this sensory experience, if they seem interested, move to the next step of scooping with a spoon, working up to tasting from the spoon and eventually them scooping/eating with a spoon.
If your child appears aversive or upset to any of the steps above, you can take a step back and model play or food exploration.
Language Time Activity: Go! Go! Go! Stop! By Charise Mericle Harper
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to provide an opportunity for your child to increase use, expand, and improve understanding of language through play.
Growing My Skills
Make playdough or shaving cream “roads” on the table, then play “stop/go” with transportation toys.
Use a “ready, set….. go!” phrase at first, then allow for completion of the phrase by leaving off the last word (i.e., “Ready… Set …..”)
This activity allows for focus on joint attention, engagement, following directions, and simple language output.
Provide simple language model to describe the car (e.g., Fast car! Car goes down!)
Take turns being the “stoplight” and let your child be the one saying “stop/go.”
Take the play scheme a step further and create crashes!