The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Bean Bin Sensory Play

Posted on February 28, 2018October 13, 2018 by myumbrelladay@aol.com

Sensory play activities are not only fun but also great learning opportunities for young children. There are so many different manipulatives that you can incorporate into hands-on play tasks.

Who

So who should engage in bean bin sensory play? Everyone! I love these play times for ALL kids because everyone can benefit from the social engagement and language.

What

Use a large plastic container with a lid to house your beans. Use black beans for “planting” tasks, brown beans for general purpose sensory play. Buy some white beans and dye them a variety of colors for different holidays. Place objects into the beans for your child to explore. Use themes–animals, letters, or dinosaurs, for example. Provide different colored cups and have your child find a variety of items in different colors, sort them into the cups.

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Speech vs Communication: Part I: What is the difference?

Posted on January 30, 2018February 1, 2018 by myumbrelladay@aol.com

Part I: What is the difference?

When it is recommended that your child begin speech therapy or early intervention services, it may be because your child is not yet talking or socializing with others. If you have a toddler or preschooler, you may be experiencing this right now. It is important to understand the difference between speech and communication as you move forward and begin therapy. There is an important element that is often ignored, socialization. Being social and intentional is the difference between speech and communication.

Communication is the broad term. Speech is a form of communication. However speech can occur without a social component, intent, or meaning. Parents that I work with often tell me that they just want their children to talk. I know that what they really mean is that they want them to communicate their wants and needs.

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Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere!

Posted on October 28, 2017November 20, 2018 by myumbrelladay@aol.com

Pumpkins! Gotta Love this Time of Year!

Looking for some fun activities for the fall season? Here are a few ideas that you may find interesting!

Pumpkin Hunt

Find a fun pumpkin patch. Go on a pumpkin hunt to choose your pumpkins. Talk about: large, small, behind (the tree), next to (the basket), “Oh, I like this one! Wow, that pumpkin is big. Look at this pumpkin, oh, it’s so heavy. This pumpkin is_______. (smooth, bumpy, colorful, round, dirty).

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DIY therapy tool: Tea Party Table Cloth

Posted on September 30, 2017November 19, 2018 by myumbrelladay@aol.com

Please don’t shut down when you see “DIY therapy tool”! For those of you who think you are not crafty, think again. This is a beginner craft and fun therapy tool that you can make yourself!

This cute tea set is a good example of an activity that can be used to meet many therapy goals. Of course it’s great for pretend play, but also for:

fine motor
social engagement
matching
labeling
imitation
sequencing
using both hands to pour tea or wash dishes
following directions, and many more.

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Who

What

Part II: Why is social engagement important?

Part I: What is the difference?

I hope everyone is ready and looking forward to a wonderful year of discovery and great engaging play. Sometimes when we have many new toys and activities, like after the holidays or a birthday, little ones get overwhelmed. There are different reasons that this may happen:

Pumpkins! Gotta Love this Time of Year!

Looking for some fun activities for the fall season? Here are a few ideas that you may find interesting!

Pumpkin Hunt

Find a fun pumpkin patch. Go on a pumpkin hunt to choose your pumpkins. Talk about: large, small, behind (the tree), next to (the basket), “Oh, I like this one! Wow, that pumpkin is big. Look at this pumpkin, oh, it’s so heavy. This pumpkin is_______. (smooth, bumpy, colorful, round, dirty).

Social engagement is such a challenge for so many children.

Please don’t shut down when you see “DIY therapy tool”! For those of you who think you are not crafty, think again. This is a beginner craft and fun therapy tool that you can make yourself!

Do you spend a lot of time telling your child what not to do?