FESTIVE FUN Get your younger clients into the festive spirit by theming some popular therapy activities with a Christmas twist
W
ith the festive season just around the corner, we take a look at how you can transform the occupational therapy activities you conduct with your younger clients. From winter-themed sensory sensations, to Christmas baking and biscuit decorating, it’s time to harness the magic of Christmas and combine it with the power of OT.
PLAYDOUGH SNOWMEN You may have some readymade white playdough in your OT toolkit already, but if you need to whip up a batch of your own, it couldn’t be easier. You just need flour, salt, water and oil, with the optional addition of glitter if you want to make your snow look twinkly. There are many recipes for making playdough online to give you the correct quantities depending on much you need, you can also colour it with food colouring to make a whole rainbow of colours. Once you have your playdough, it’s time to set to work on those snowmen. Kids will enjoy making the body and head for the snowman by rolling the playdough in their hands to make circles, working on their hand strength and coordination. They can then work on their fine motor skills by making the eyes and carrot nose, and using buttons to decorate. The end result will look great and you can create a whole family of snowmen of all different shapes and sizes.
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CHRISTMAS BAKING Find a simple biscuit recipe to prepare (BBCGoodFood.com is always a good place to look for this), look out some Christmas cookie cutters and set out an array of sprinkles for kids to work with. Rustle up some icing by using icing sugar and a little water, adding to make the right consistency for letting kids spread over the biscuits. Using a range of Christmas biscuit shapes, from trees and baubles to bells and presents, you can encourage little ones to get creative and try some intricate details by picking up silver balls individually to place on or use small tongs to pick up larger sprinkles and edible decorations. The best thing about this activity is that you all have a tasty treat to enjoy at the end.
