Category Archives: Therapist Resources

Comprehensive resources, strategies, and tools designed to support therapists in delivering effective care and ongoing professional growth.

Therapeutic Recreation Activity Ideas for All Ages

Games, Motor & Movement, Therapist Resources, , , ,

Each year, National Therapeutic Recreation Week—celebrated during the second week of July—shines a spotlight on the vital role recreation plays in rehabilitation and wellness. This week is a time to celebrate and explore therapeutic recreation activity ideas that improve physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being across all ages and abilities. Whether you’re a therapist, educator, or parent, incorporating purposeful play into therapy sessions can make a lasting difference.

Why Therapeutic Recreation Matters

Therapeutic recreation combines leisure activities with therapeutic goals to enhance function and quality of life. For children and individuals with disabilities or developmental delays, recreation becomes a vehicle for skill-building, engagement, and self-expression. Using the right tools can transform everyday activities into therapeutic opportunities.

Top Therapro Products for Recreational Therapy

At Therapro, we offer a wide range of tools and materials that support meaningful recreational therapy. Here are three standout products to integrate into your practice this week and beyond:

Fine Motor Olympics

Fine Motor Olympics

Developed by Marcia Bridgeman, MHA, OTR/L, this inclusive program equips OTs to train staff, parents, and volunteers in delivering structured fine motor support. Includes a manual, screening tools, record forms, and 64 full-color activity cards featuring hand function tasks.

➡️ Explore Fine Motor Olympics

Sensational Fun

Packed with over 100 activities that incorporate movement, touch, and sound, this resource offers endless therapeutic recreation activity ideas to support children with sensory processing challenges.

➡️ View Sensational Fun

Sensational Fun
Drive Thru Menus

Drive-Thru Menus

The Drive Thru Menus: Calming & Stress Busting Kit and Attention & Strength Kit offer therapist-designed, movement-based activities that promote self-regulation, focus, and physical readiness for learning. Each set features fun, structured exercises that support emotional regulation, motor control, and attention, making them ideal for classrooms, therapy sessions, or home use.

➡️ Check Out Drive-Thru Menus: Attention & Strength Kit

➡️ Check Out Drive Thru Menus: Calming & Stress Busting Kit


Integrating Recreation into Everyday Therapy

Recreational therapy doesn’t require elaborate equipment or large spaces. Many activities can be done in clinics, classrooms, or at home. The key is to pair intentional movement and play with therapeutic goals—such as improving executive function, fine motor precision, or sensory regulation. The above tools provide structure and flexibility to adapt activities based on individual needs.

Celebrate the Week, All Year Long

National Therapeutic Recreation Week is more than a celebration—it’s a reminder to embed joy and function into our daily therapeutic routines. By using resources that support creative, purposeful activity, therapists and caregivers can make therapy more meaningful and effective.

Top Summer Reads & Webinars for Professionals

Therapist Resources, , , ,

Summer is the perfect time for professionals to focus on personal and professional growth. Summer reading can be more than just a chance to relax—it’s an opportunity to refresh your skills, explore new ideas, and gain valuable insights that can be applied in the upcoming school year. Whether you’re a therapist, educator, or caregiver, Therapro offers a variety of resources and free webinars that are both informative and practical, helping you make the most of your summer! Read on for Therapro’s top summer reads & webinars for professionals.

📚 Professional Reads That Make a Difference

Therapro’s collection of professional resources is designed to support the continuous development of therapists, educators, and caregivers. These books, grounded in evidence-based practices, provide effective strategies and activities to implement in various therapeutic settings. Consider adding these essential reads to your summer reading for professionals:

  • Debra Em Wilson’s The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning offers educators a practical guide to applying Polyvagal Theory in classrooms to foster safety, connection, and engagement, while her Resilient Learner’s Backpack provides over 60 adaptable mind-body activities grounded in neuroscience to enhance students’ focus, regulation, and resilience across all grade levels.
  • Just Right! A Sensory Modulation Curriculum for K-5 is a 206-page, evidence-based program featuring 16 flexible lesson plans and full-color handouts designed to help students build self-awareness and manage their sensory needs—ideal for Tier 1 and Tier 2 RTI implementation by teachers, therapists, or parents.
  • Is It Sensory or Is It Behavior? Second Edition equips educators and clinicians with updated, evidence-based strategies to differentiate between sensory-driven and behavior-driven challenges in children, offering practical tools like case studies, worksheets, and laminated intervention cards to support a holistic, team-based approach to assessment and intervention.
  • M.O.R.E.: Integrating the Mouth With Sensory and Postural Functions offers a comprehensive framework for addressing sensorimotor challenges by focusing on the integration of Motor components, Oral organization, Respiratory demands, and Eye contact/control (M.O.R.E.), providing clinicians with practical strategies and activities to enhance self-regulation, attention, and postural development in children.
  • Social Language Rules & Tools: A Preschool Curriculum is an engaging, developmentally sequenced program that equips educators and speech-language pathologists with multisensory, play-based lessons and carryover strategies to enhance social communication skills in preschoolers, particularly benefiting children with autism and other social language challenges.
  • Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment is a comprehensive clinical guide edited by Kelly VanDahm, MS, CCC-SLP, featuring contributions from 14 leading clinicians and incorporating the latest research and interdisciplinary perspectives to support professionals in the assessment and management of pediatric feeding disorders.
Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment i
Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment
Social Language Rules & Tools: A Preschool Curriculum of activities to improve social–ability
Social Language Rules & Tools: A Preschool Curriculum
The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning
The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning

🎓 Free Webinars to Support Ongoing Learning

For professionals seeking learning opportunities that fit into a busy schedule, Therapro’s Free Webinar Series is an excellent choice. These on-demand webinars offer concise, high-impact professional development, giving you the tools and strategies needed to excel in your practice.

Here are some must-watch webinars this summer:

Explore more and register for free: Therapro’s Free Webinar Series

✨ Pro Tip: Build Your Own Summer Learning Plan

If you’re wondering how to make the most of summer learning opportunities, here’s a simple guide to help you get started:

  1. Choose a Focus Area – Identify a specific topic, like handwriting, feeding, or sensory integration, that aligns with your professional goals.
  2. Pair a Book with a Webinar – Combine reading a relevant book with attending a webinar to reinforce your learning.
  3. Reflect and Apply – Use your summer to explore new strategies and materials, or even test them with clients or students in summer programs.

Therapro: Your Partner in Professional Growth

At Therapro, we understand the importance of ongoing professional development. Our carefully curated resources, including books and free webinars, are designed to support your growth and success. Summer learning doesn’t have to be a solitary task—use it as a chance to engage with new content and further your impact on the children, families, and communities you serve.

🔗 Visit therapro.com to explore more summer resources, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest updates.

Happy summer learning!

Smart Tips for Year-End Success

School-Based Practice, Therapist Resources, , ,

As the school year winds down, therapists play a vital role in helping students transition smoothly while supporting carryover of skills during the summer. The end of the academic year isn’t just about closing cases—it’s a strategic time to restock, refocus, and empower families with tools to maintain progress. Below are smart tips for year-end success to focus on as you wrap up your school-based therapy services.

Smart Tip #1: Reflect, Reorganize, and Reset

Use the final weeks of school to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what needs restocking. This is the ideal time to refresh your therapy materials and take inventory of frequently used supplies.

Top Items to Restock Before Summer:

Ergonomic pencil grip tool for improving handwriting comfort and control

Pencil Grips – Essential tools for grasp development and writing support. Stock up here: Pencil Grips at Therapro

Ink Refills for LegiLiners – Don’t start next year with dry rollers: Ink for LegiLiners

LegiLiner Double Solid Line 3/8' tall, Pen Style Rolling Ink Stamp
With line paper assortment by therapro

Raised Line & Highlighter Paper – Great for visual and tactile feedback: Explore Paper Options

This is also a great time to tidy your space, digitize records, and prep templates so you can start strong in the fall.

Smart Tip #2: Prepare Students for Smooth Transitions

Transitions can be especially challenging for students with developmental, sensory, or executive functioning differences. Help families support consistency and reduce stress at home by sending home visuals and tools to keep routines familiar.

Recommended Tools for Families:

Schkidules visual schedule display

SchKIDules Deluxe Collection Box Set – A visual scheduling system that helps parents establish and maintain daily routines over the summer.

Sensational Fun – A helpful resource packed with sensory-based activities to keep kids regulated and engaged at home.

Sensational Fun

You can also send home personalized routine charts, task analyses, or social stories to reinforce carryover.

Smart Tip #3: Send Home a Summer Skill Maintenance Checklist

Instead of assembling and sending home summer kits (which may not be practical for every therapist), consider offering families a simple, printable guide packed with low-cost, everyday ideas. The Ready, Set, Summer! Home Activity Guide helps caregivers turn ordinary household items into meaningful skill-building moments.

Encourage families to weave therapy into daily routines and play—because supporting development doesn’t have to mean structured lessons or expensive materials!

What’s Inside the Guide:

  • 🧺 Easy-to-find tools like clothespins, Tupperware, and sidewalk chalk
  • 🛋️ DIY obstacle course ideas using furniture and masking tape
  • ✂️ Fun ways to practice cutting, strengthening, and fine motor skills
  • 🧠 Everyday activities turned into therapy moments (like sorting laundry!)
  • 🛍️ Product recommendations including Therapy Putty and Adapted Scissors

📥 Download the Ready, Set, Summer! Home Activity Guide to share with families and caregivers today!

Smart Tip #4: Set Yourself Up for Fall

You know how hectic back-to-school season can be—so set up “future you” for success now. Clean and label bins, prep materials you’ll need in the first few weeks, and store go-to activities where they’re easy to find.

Need to upgrade your setup? Check out our Tools for Therapists, including Office Plus Everyday Wobble Chair and fidgets to promote better posture and productivity.

Smart Tip #5: Don’t Forget You

The end of the school year is a time to celebrate your hard work and impact. Make space for rest and recharge this summer. Whether you’re attending professional development, diving into a new book, or simply taking a break, your well-being is vital.

Looking to grow your skills? Therapro offers free on-demand webinars, blogs, and professional resources to support your learning all year long.

Final Thought:
 The end of the school year is a moment to celebrate progress—and set students up for success. With a bit of planning and the right tools, therapists can empower families to keep the momentum going all summer long.

Wrap-Up with Confidence

As you wrap up this school year, know that the small steps you take now can ease transitions, prevent skill loss, and give both students and therapists a strong start for the fall. From summer activity ideas to transition tools and therapy essentials, Therapro is here to support you every step of the way.

👉 Explore all of these tools and more at Therapro.com!