Category Archives: Motor & Movement

Trunks

Adapting Trunks®: Inclusive Strategies for Play and Therapy

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Trunks® is an engaging, interactive game developed by Diane Long, EdD, MOTR/L  and published by Therapro. Adapting Trunks® is easy to do and allows for gameplay for all abilities!

How Do You Play Trunks®?

In this game, players move their bodies, make sounds, and perform actions from memory! Gameplay involves picking an Action Memory Card and performing the action depicted. Six categories of actions are involved:

  • Musical You: Encourages creativity with motor actions that produce sounds.
  • Animal Sounds: Players mimic animal sounds.
  • Animal Motions: Players move their bodies and demonstrate how animals move.
  • Sound Like: Players recall and reproduce commonly heard sounds.
  • Pretend To: Encourages imagination as players pretend to be like someone else.
  • Show How: Involves a step-by-step demonstration of an action requiring the player to create an original sequence.

Trunks involves remembering and performing motor sequences. Players draw a card, look at the given action from the six categories previously mentioned, turn the card over and perform the action from memory. There are visual pictures as well as words on each card. On their next turn they would draw an additional card and perform both actions in their memory sequence, without looking at the cards. When an action is performed correctly, the player gets to keep their card and continue to work toward building a “trunk” (a series of 4 cards that, when combined, create an elephant’s trunk). 

The ability to perform individual actions may differ from child to child. Furthermore, the ability to memorize subsequent actions or sequences may vary as well. For this reason the game was created with many variations that afford enjoyable game play for all ability levels.

What Skill Area Does Trunks® Target?

Working Memory! Working Memory is a necessity for engaging in a variety of everyday occupations, including learning, socializing, and task completion. Sequencing naturally falls under the broader category of working memory.  Inherent to the game is the pairing of multi-modal forms of input (visual cues, reading cues, motor engagement, etc.). Read on to learn how to adapt and modify this game to target other skill areas! 

How Can Trunks® Be Adapted?

Preschool. Adapting Trunks® for this age group is easy to do! Trunks® can be used to target motor planning development for kids in preschool. Choose a card from the deck and ask the kids to complete the action. Things like pretending to lift weights, leap like a frog, and pretend to lick a drippy ice cream cone are good activities to choose. You can also use the Sounds Like cards for the kids to use their voices to participate. This is also a great option when working on oral motor and language skill. What does a train sound like?, snort like a pig, and hoot like an owl are sounds that preschool kids should be able to perform. Having their peers guess the sounds and or actions turns it into a whole group game everyone can participate in. Pro Tip: Pre-picking cards targeting the specific skill or development level of the group is always a good idea! 

Early Elementary Age. Working memory develops as kids age. Building a trunk of 2-3 trunk cards can make the game achievable for the younger crowd. The pictures on the trunk cards are helpful for the non-readers at this age (which many of them are)! Again preselecting cards can be key. If you are working with students who are nonverbal, take the sound cards out. If you are working with children who have limits in mobility, take the jumping and balance cards out. Pro Tip: For students struggling with motor planning, pre-teach and practice the actions on the cards prior to the whole group activity to help bolster confidence!

Later Elementary and Beyond. Target teamwork, this can be a difficult skill for some! Have the kids build the entire trunk, working in teams or as a whole group. Pro Tip: If you need an additional challenge, have the players remember the sequence both forwards and then backwards!

Other Helpful Tips

  • Use as many trunk pieces or make as many trunks as you have time for! For a 10 min group use 2-3 pieces or just complete one trunk. If you have a longer amount of  time, make multiple trunks!
  • Use the extra action cards or don’t! You know the players best. Is the extra challenge needed or will it be too much?
  • Playing the game Trunks is a great opportunity for co-treatments! Physical therapists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and teachers all have skills that can be worked on during this game!

Trunks is a great option for targeting many key skill areas. It’s versatility makes it a great choice for a wide range of ages and ability levels. Check out Therapro’s handy guide, Gear Up for Games, for more great game adaptations and modifications. 

Sarah Glovasky, M.S., OTR/L

Incorporating Yoga Into Everyday Activities

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Yoga offers a holistic approach to support individuals in achieving functional independence and improved well-being. By incorporating yoga into daily routines, occupational therapists can address skill areas like balance, motor planning, bilateral coordination, self-regulation, and so much more! Thinking outside of the box allows you to incorporate simple yoga poses into everyday activities like break time!

Yoga postures are a great break choice activity because of their versatility.  Yoga poses can be done seated, standing, in small spaces, or in big rooms. Most poses require no equipment, and best of all, there is minimal crashing and yelling involved! In the classroom or in your designated “mindfulness corner,” try displaying visuals with 3-5 yoga poses. Direct students to complete the pose during the designated ‘brain break’ time, during transitions, or when students need a quiet moment to regroup.  Here are some quick tips for success:

  • Poses requiring head inversion are great when needing to increase the energy level. 
  • Poses that incorporate deep pressure or proprioceptive input are great when needing to re-focus, such as after a recess break! 
  • Use the same yoga poses for just the amount of  time that students need to build mastery but be sure to change up the poses often enough for students to stay engaged.     
  • Choosing the “just right” set of  poses is a great opportunity for teacher- therapist collaboration! 
  • Performing yoga poses can also be used as “waiting helpers” to keep active students engaged while waiting their turn.
  • Readily available yoga products make incorporating yoga into everyday activities simple! These products depict yoga poses in easy to display format. Try- Yoga for Small Spaces, Yoga 4 Classrooms, and Yogarilla: Exercises And Activities 55 Card Yoga Deck. 

Be sure to check out all of the great yoga products available at therapro!

Yoga for Small Spaces card deck- makes incorporating Yoga Into Everyday Activities easy
Yoga 4 Classrooms
Yogarilla

Adding Movement to Everyday Activities

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A quick web search will unearth a vast number of articles, books, and research supporting the notion that movement is critical to so many life functions, including a child’s ability to attend and engage in learning activities. Cold winters, limited daylight hours, and the current COVID pandemic have all played a significant role in limiting access to movement opportunities.  However, there are still some great ways to move within the confines of these restrictions! Check out these ideas!

Obstacle Courses

Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses can be big, small, built indoors, or built outdoors.  There is no set of specific materials needed, just a little imagination!  At home, obstacle courses are a great rainy day activity. Use couch cushions, blankets, pillows or whatever else is readily available around the house.   In the classroom, obstacle courses make a great option for indoor recess.

Simple modifications can help everyone get in on the fun!

  • To help learners still working on motor planning, establish a starting and end point, and/ or identify materials to use for the course.
  • Make it more complex by adding game rules such as “the floor is lava” and cannot be touched!
  • Get creative juices flowing by establishing a challenge. Can you make it from your desk to the pencil sharpener using only three materials? Can you make it from the couch to the kitchen without touching the floor?

Check out Sensation Fun and Therapro’s free resources for ways to enhance obstacle courses with sensory exploration!

Alternative Seating

Alternative Seating

Swapping out traditional chairs for something that allows for wiggling is a great way to add movement experiences to traditionally sedentary activities! Be sure to supervise those with decreased balance!

Some Ideas Include:

  • Sit on a jacket, blanket, pillow, or air-filled cushion.
  • Sit on an upside-down water jug, chair with wheels, rocking chair, ball chair, or Kore Stool!
  • Place an air filled wedge between a student’s back and the back of the chair or under the feet (also great to support posture and positioning!).
  • Use a ready made Foot Fidget or tie exercise bands to chair or desk legs.

For more alternative seating ideas, check out Therapro’s Blog, Setting up Your Seat for Virtual Learning Success!

Games!

Trunks Memory Game

Games are engaging at all ages and are a great resource for movement.  Some games come with built-in movement opportunities like the Yoga Spinner Game, Trunks, or Letter Treasure Hunt. For games that are traditionally sedentary, table games, a few tweaks can add a dose of movement!

Try These Ideas:

  • When game setup allows, spread game pieces out.  For example, when playing a memory game, place cards in different spots in the room (across multiple desks, across the living room floor, or even taped to the wall!)
  • Use sticky notes or small stickers to cover game board spaces with a movement activity.  For example, take a traditional board game and add movement cues (“10 jumping jacks”, “run in place”) to several of the game’s squares.  When a player lands on this square, they would perform the movement prescribed.
Little Treasure Hunt

Be sure to check out Therapro’s Gear Up for Games Handy Guide for more game modification ideas!

Movement Breaks!

More and more classrooms are adding movement or “brain breaks” into the daily schedule. A simple stretch break can do wonders for changing a student’s level of alertness and their ability to attend. These mini breaks don’t have to be restricted to the classroom; they are perfect for homework sessions, online learning activities, or even Saturday morning cartoon sessions!

Try These Ideas:

  • Get students involved. At the beginning of the day, assign a movement activity to each student. During the designated movement break time, students take turns leading classmates through their assigned movement.  Make it super simple by distributing movement cards at the beginning of the day (for example, Fun Deck cards or Yoga Cards) for students to use as guidance!
  • Keeping a visual near spaces where sedentary activities usually occur helps to provide reminders to move. Try Move Mindfully Poster Strips, simple cutouts from favorite magazines, or Drive Thru Menus.
  • Create a movement corner near learning spaces to help students have quick and convenient access to movement opportunities without getting off track! These can be quick and easy to create; try using a small yoga mat or towel, some weighted balls or filled water bottles, and/ or a therapy ball.
Move Your Body

Be sure to check out Therapro’s Tap Into Tools For The Body Handy Guide for more ideas!

Small amounts of movement will quickly add up.  Providing the space, tools, and opportunities to access movement experiences will help students attend, focus, and better access their learning environments. In addition, these early, positive experiences with movement will help to establish lifelong health habits!