Tag Archives: parent resources

Child development resources for parents are essential for supporting learning, behavior, and everyday routines at home. This tag offers practical tools, expert tips, and trusted information to help parents navigate motor skills, communication, sensory needs, and more.

Sensory Exploration with Pumpkin Carving

Fine Motor & Hand Skill Development, Sensory, ,

It is October, and it’s time to harvest not only pumpkins and apples, but also the sensory exploration this time brings. Have you ever broken down all the sensory input that the simple task of carving a pumpkin can provide? If you have the opportunity to go to a farm to pick your own pumpkin, take advantage of it. The experiences that you and your child will share stay with you forever.

Read on for all the ways a trip to pick your own pumpkin is sensational fun.

pumpkins on a fence ready for carving and sensory exploration

Pumpkin Carving Sensory Experiences

Senses

At the Farm

At Home

Visual
  • The leaves changing colors
  • The bright orange pumpkins
  • The roots and vines through the pumpkin patch
  • The blue sky
  • The animals at the farm
  • Browsing through different designs for the pumpkin
  • Tracing the design unto the pumpkin

Tactile
  • Feeling the breeze
  • Touching the Leaves

 
  • Feeling the grooves on the pumpkin
  • Scooping the pulp
  • Sifting through the pulp to separate the seeds

Auditory (hearing)
  • Shoes crunching the dead leaves and dry ground
  • Tractor on the farm
  • Hearing other people talking
  • The animals making noises
  • Singing Songs as you prepare to carve the pumpkin
  • Listening as the carving tool cuts through the pumpkin

 

Olfactory (smell)
  • The smell of the hay
  • The smell of the grass
  • Baked goods at the farm
  • The smell of the pumpkin pulp
  • The smell as you bake the pumpkin seeds or other desserts

Proprioceptive
  • Carrying the pumpkin from the patch to the car
  • Climbing up the ladder to go on the hay ride
  • Carry the pumpkin to the table
  • The feeling of carving the pumpkin (this must be done with adult supervision and using the appropriate tools)

Vestibular
  • Going on a hay ride
  • Sitting on a rocking chair while enjoying some of the baked goods

Gustatory (Taste)
  • If the farm has a bakery, get some of their delicious baked goods
  • Bake pumpkin seeds (see recipe below)

Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

  1. Separate the seeds from the pulp.
  2. Rinse and dry the seeds (sometimes they have to dry overnight).
  3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
  4. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle to taste with the seasonings of your choice. For sweet seeds use Cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar, for salty seeds use garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  5. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Larger seeds may take longer.

For more seasonal activities get Therapro’s Hats Off and On to Scissors Skills– you get to practice scissor skills and make hats for every season. Below are pictures of a Pumpkin Time Hat.

Also see our seasonal writing readiness workbooks and our Pre-writing curriculum enrichment series!

Please share other ideas and ways you can have sensational fun this fall.
pumpkin2
pumpkin3

Straws Galore Fine Motor Activity: Free Activity of the Month

Fine Motor & Hand Skill Development, ,

If you’re searching for cost-effective, hands-on ways to build hand skills, look no further than Therapro’s Second Hand Therapies cards. This versatile set of 40 activity cards features creative tasks using recycled materials, including the engaging straws fine motor activity, Straws Galore. With each card highlighting hand functions, difficulty levels, and needed materials, they’re perfect for therapy sessions, classrooms, or home use. Straws Galore encourages scissor use, bilateral coordination, patterning, and more—all through the fun of making colorful straw jewelry.

Below is a sample of Straws Galore, one of the activities in Second Hand Therapies.

When using straws to make jewelry, not only are the kids using fine motor skills, they are practicing their scissor skills, eye hand coordination, color recognition, size differentiation, counting, learning patterns, and so many more skills.

Materials:

  • Straws of varying sizes and colors
  • Yarn, pipe cleaners, or embroidery thread
  • Tweezers
  • Medium-Sized Bowls

Directions:

  1. Hold the straw with your non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to cut the straws into small to medium-sized pieces. Collect the pieces in a bowl.
  2. String the straw pieces onto yarn or pipe cleaner as though they were beads.
  3. Practice removing the straw pieces using tweezers for pinch strength development.

Variations:

  1. Instead of jewelry, make letters with the straws. Have the child spell his name.
  2. Get creative and make animal silhouettes.
  3. Give the child a challenge. What can you make with 3 pieces of straw?
  4. Sprinkle glitter on the bowl containing the straw pieces for an added color fest!
  5. Use different scissors, such as scrapbooking scissors, for different edging on your straw pieces.

What did you make with your straws?
A Spider made from straws, and example of a Straws Fine Motor Activity
Name spelled with straws, and example of a fine motor activity that can be done with straws
A animal shape made with straws

👉 Explore Therapro’s Second Hand Therapies and bring purposeful play to your practice.

Whether you’re a therapist, educator, or caregiver, this resource empowers you to creatively support fine motor development using low-cost, easily sourced materials. The Straws Galore activity is just one example of how these cards combine fun and function. Start building engagement, independence, and essential skills today—one recycled material at a time.

Bullying: Understanding the Basics

Events & Conferences, , ,

On May 17, 2014, Therapro concluded its Spring Saturday Seminar Series with a compelling presentation by Iris Leigh, CAGS, OTR/L, Assistant Clinical Professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Her seminar, titled “Bullying: Understanding the Basics,” offered valuable perspectives on identifying and addressing bullying behaviors in educational settings.​

Understanding the Basics: Defining Bullying and the Core Components

Iris Leigh began the session with an interactive anti-bullying quiz, sparking thoughtful discussion among attendees. She emphasized that bullying is a deliberate “power game” characterized by three key elements:​

  • Intent to Harm: The bully aims to cause physical or emotional distress.
  • Power Imbalance: The bully holds more power, whether physical, social, or psychological, over the victim.
  • Repetition: The harmful behavior occurs repeatedly over time.​

Such behaviors often manifest during unstructured school times, including lunch, recess, bathroom breaks, and bus rides.​

The Broader Impact of Bullying

A critical takeaway from the seminar was the recognition that bullying affects not only the direct victim but also bystanders and the overall school environment. Witnesses to bullying can experience feelings of fear, helplessness, and anxiety, highlighting the need for comprehensive prevention strategies.​

Strategies for Prevention and Support

Iris Leigh provided attendees with practical tools to support children who are targeted by or witness bullying behaviors. While understanding the basics of bullying is key, she stressed that preventing bullying is a collective responsibility, requiring active involvement from educators, therapists, professionals, and caregivers. Implementing clear policies, fostering open communication, and promoting inclusive activities are essential steps in creating a safe and supportive environment for all students.​

Attendees, including teachers and occupational therapists, praised the seminar for its practical strategies and insightful resources:​

“Very well put together – easy strategies.”

“Applies to work…and life.”

“Lots of good resource info – this lady knows her stuff!”​

For more information and resources related to this seminar, visit Therapro’s official website.

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

May 17, 2014