Bringing OT Home: 7 Fun and Effective Ways to Continue Therapy Between Sessions
Occupational therapy (OT) is a vital tool for helping children develop the skills they need for daily living, social interaction, and school readiness. As a pediatric occupational therapist with over 15 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand the difference it can make in a child’s life. But the work doesn’t stop when your child leaves the clinic. In fact, the most successful therapy often involves continuing the work at home.
Therapy at home can be a fun, engaging, and low-stress way to support your child’s progress. The goal is not to replace your child’s formal OT sessions but to complement and reinforce the skills they are working on. Here are seven creative ways to integrate OT strategies into your family’s daily routine:
1. Incorporate Sensory Play into Everyday Routines
Sensory activities are a key part of occupational therapy, especially for children who have sensory processing challenges. The great thing about sensory play is that it’s easy to incorporate into regular playtime and daily routines. Activities like playing with sand, water, rice, or sensory bins filled with different textures can help your child explore and regulate their sensory system.
You can also involve sensory play in chores, like baking, where your child can touch, knead, and feel different textures. This doesn’t just help with sensory regulation—it’s also great for building hand strength and fine motor coordination.
2. Create a Home Obstacle Course
Occupational therapy often involves working on gross motor skills, such as balance, coordination, and strength. A great way to keep your child active and engaged is by setting up a simple obstacle course at home. Use pillows, chairs, and blankets to create a course that encourages crawling, climbing, balancing, and jumping. This is a fantastic way to practice motor planning and body awareness while having fun.
Be sure to change up the course regularly to keep it interesting, and consider using a timer for a friendly competition—kids love trying to beat their own times!
3. Focus on Fine Motor Skills through Crafts
Arts and crafts are an excellent way to sneak in fine motor work without your child even realizing they’re “doing therapy.” Activities like cutting with scissors, gluing, threading beads, or coloring require hand strength, coordination, and precision. These tasks help your child improve the small muscles in their hands, which are essential for tasks like writing, buttoning clothes, and using utensils.
Consider starting a simple craft project that can be worked on over a week, like making a scrapbook or building a model. This way, your child will practice their fine motor skills while creating something they can be proud of.
4. Use Games to Improve Attention and Focus
Many children who participate in occupational therapy benefit from improving their attention, focus, and executive functioning skills. You can work on these areas at home by incorporating games like Simon Says, Red Light/Green Light, or simple board games. These games teach your child how to follow instructions, stay focused on a task, and practice impulse control—all skills they’ll use in school and everyday life.
If your child struggles with attention, try starting with shorter games and gradually increase the time they spend playing.
5. Practice Life Skills During Mealtime
Mealtime offers an excellent opportunity to practice both fine and gross motor skills, as well as independence. Encourage your child to participate in meal preparation by allowing them to mix, pour, and stir ingredients. These actions help build upper body strength and hand-eye coordination.
You can also involve your child in setting the table, cutting food (with supervision, of course), and cleaning up after the meal. These are all life skills that your child will need as they grow older, and they can help build confidence and independence.
6. Incorporate Heavy Work Activities for Regulation
For children who benefit from proprioceptive input (sensations from muscles and joints that help with body awareness), heavy work activities can be especially helpful. These activities involve pushing, pulling, carrying, or lifting and can help regulate your child’s sensory system.
At home, heavy work can be as simple as pushing a laundry basket full of clothes, carrying groceries, or pulling a wagon. You can also try having your child help with gardening, such as digging or raking, which provides excellent sensory input.
7. Make Learning Fun with Educational Apps and Tools
Incorporating technology into OT at home can be a fun way to help your child learn and grow. There are several apps designed specifically for children in occupational therapy that focus on fine motor skills, handwriting, or cognitive skills. Apps like “Dexteria” (fine motor skills) or “LetterSchool” (handwriting) turn learning into a game, keeping your child engaged while they practice essential skills.
When using educational apps, be sure to set a time limit to avoid screen overload, and try to balance technology-based learning with hands-on activities.
Continuing the work that happens in occupational therapy while at home doesn’t have to be a chore. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routines, you can support your child’s progress in a way that’s both fun and meaningful. Remember, the goal is to create opportunities for practice in a low-stress, engaging environment. With a little creativity, you can turn everyday moments into powerful learning experiences that will benefit your child’s development.
If you’re ever unsure of what to work on or how to adjust activities for your child, don’t hesitate to ask your child’s OT for personalized recommendations. Together, you can ensure that your child continues to thrive both in and out of therapy.
