During the holiday season, parents often ask for good gift ideas for their kids.
Have you found yourself wondering which gifts not only bring joy but also help your child's sensory and motor development, and learning?
Good news! As a paediatric Occupational Therapist, this is one of my favourite topics. I can't ever walk by a toy shop without going in to see what's new.
I'm excited to share some of my favourite toys that nurture children's foundational skills for writing.
Before we dive in, let's chat about the step by step journey kids take in developing writing skills.
There's this fantastic resource, the Pyramid of Learning by Taylor/Trott (1991), that maps out the order in which kids acquire the skills for reading, writing, and learning.
Picture reading, writing, and learning at the top, and all the steps that come before writing below that.
The first step is sensory processing which helps tells you about your child's body's position, movement, and more.
Then, it's core strength, which stabilises the body allowing more precise upper extremity coordination.
Following that, pressure control to regulate how soft or hard one's force is with their hands. Then comes fine motor skills, the ability to grasp and manipulate objects. Finally, eye-hand coordination which brings us closer to reading and writing.
See the pattern? It's a journey from whole body skills (i.e. sensory processing and core strength) to hand skills (i.e. fine motor skills), and finally, eye-hand coordination.
This week, let's explore some whole-body activities that develop body awareness, core strength and coordination, which make a huge impact on kids' writing skills.
(And being a small business myself, this year I will only be sharing links to other small businesses too so we can all support each other.)
1. BOSU - You can find in sports shops, and oftentimes, second hand selling sites.
- Fun Fact: BOSU stands for both sides up
- Enhances body awareness, activates the body, and boosts core strength and balance.
- Offers sensory feedback to the whole body, helping kids feel their body—crucial for writing.
2. Gorilla Gym
- It's basically a super strong bar suctioned in your doorway to attach swings and trapezes from.
- I can hear you asking me, what on earth swings have to do with writing? Lots.
- Swinging activates the vestibular or movement system, developing body and spatial awareness, core strength, balance, crossing the midline of your body, using both hands together, and even eye-hand coordination.
www.gorilla-gym.com
3. BIG Beanbag
- Personally, I love the Yogibo MAX beanbag. I have to say not all beanbags are created equally. This one is light, your body moulds into it, its cozy and snuggly, and holds its shape without you feeling like you're sinking into it. I have one in my clinic, and one in my own room. It's the MAX which is the best for us.
- Great for calming deep pressure input, calming, and for building body awareness, balance, and coordination.
www.yogibo.com
4. Balance Board
- These balance boards are a lovely open ended toy. They can be used as a bridge, stepping stone, rocking chair, balance tricks, or simply drive cars under. And I love that they have different variations for younger kids too which I didn't know existed till now.
- These are great for balance, activating both sides of the body, core strength, and developing hand dominance.
(Another week I will share more about how the vestibular (movement) system really impacts on writing.)
https://www.familyoffive.co.uk...
All these types of whole body toys and activities build the most foundational skills needed for writing.
And remember this: building these foundational whole-body skills of body and spatial awareness, core strength and coordination will have a knock on effect on your child's writing skills. So rather than do rote writing practice and drills, think whole body first.
Have you introduced whole-body toys to your child?
Stay tuned for next week when we explore holiday gift ideas focusing on the next level of the pyramid—hand activities!
And if you want to keep up with other gift ideas and the rationale behind them, follow along in the Helping Kids Write FB group.
