Tag Archives: product spotlight

Featured therapy products highlight tools and resources that improve fine motor, sensory, language, gross motor, self-help, functional skills, and so much more. Learning about featured therapy products helps select effective solutions.

RAPPER SNAPPERS AKA POP TUBES in purple, red, green, and blue

Therapy Activities On A Budget: Rapper Snappers

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

Rapper Snappers are a multi functional therapy tool perfect for creating fun, budget friendly therapy activities! In this post, Physical Therapist and creator of The ABCs of Movement, Laurie Gombash, PT, M.Ed, shared five different ways to use Rapper Snappers (also known as Pop Tubes) as a therapeutic tool.  Be sure to check out her video below!

Demonstration of rapper snapper activity: pulling a pink rapper snapper open

Arm Strengthening

Place hands on either end of the Rapper Snapper and pull! Work with the arms overhead to target shoulder strength or work with arms away from the body to target core strength. Target different muscles of the upper body  by pulling in different directions. Try holding the rapper snapper in one hand, at hip level, and using the other hand to pull up and across the body. Alternatively, hold the rapper snapper at shoulder level and uses the other hand to pull down and across the body.

Pro Tip, using the fingers to scrunch the Rapper Snapper back to size is great for finger strengthening!

Self Regulation

Rapper Snappers are a fun way to learn about self regulation.  Help kids visualize concepts like fast breathing or rapid heart beat by opening and closing the Rapper Snapper rapidly. Alternatively, demonstrate slow or rhythmic breathing by slowly pulling apart  or closing the rapper snapper.

Pro Tip, the sound made by the Rapper Snappers as it is opening and closing provides great auditory feedback!

Demonstration of rapper snapper activity: squeezing a pink rapper snapper closed

Fine Motor & Motor Planning 

Looking for a fun and engaging activity? Use Rapper Snappers to make a marble run!  Bend and twist the Rapper Snapper to make a maze, drop the marble in, and let it run through.  Using two or three fingers to grasp the marble and inserting it into the Rapper Snapper’s narrow opening is a great way to get the small muscles in the hand working.  Planning a successful maze for the marble to run through takes planning abilities!

Pro Tip: This activity can be done holding the Rapper Snapper and moving the marble through or you can use Velcro or other adhesives to adhere Rapper Snappers to a wall or other vertical surface. 

Demonstration of rapper snapper activity: blowing into a pink rapper snapper

Oral Motor

Shape the Rapper Snapper like a smile and try to imitate it with your lips, now flip it upside down to make a frown!  Purse your lips, give a big blow, stick out your tongue!  There are so many ways to use a Rapper Snapper to help build and strengthen oral musculature! 

Academic Skills

Use the Rapper Snappers to build shapes, letters, and numbers. Connect multiple Rapper Snappers for bigger numbers or shapes. Work as a team to build a giant letter on the floor!  

Rapper Snappers are a small, easy to transport, budget friendly tool that can be used across multiple settings and to target a variety of treatment goals making them the perfect tool when creating therapy activities on a budget!

Watch the Video!

ASHA 2021 Conference Highlights

Events & Conferences, ,

ASHA 2021 marked Therapro’s first return to large scale conferences since the start of the COVID pandemic. There were some major differences between ASHA 2021 and conferences of the past but the one thing that remained the same was all of the great professionals who came to visit the Therapro booth! One question always asked is “what are the favorite products this year?”. In case you were not able to attend ASHA 2021 in person,  we summed up the top conference favorites for you! 

  • Big Feeling Pineapple.  This one sold out on day one! Conference goers compared Big Feeling Pineapple to “Mr. Potato Head” because the expressions were interchangeable similar to Mr. Potato head pieces.  Conference goers loved the smaller size and soft but firm feel.  They also loved that there were two sides allowing for endless uses like matching expressions, using it as a prop while reading stories, and as a jumping off point for discussing feelings.  
  • Balloon Car Racers: Another sell out! A comment often heard about Balloon Car Racers was that they were a great tool for working on oral motor strength.  Another highlight was that there were two to a pack allowing for peer interaction. 
  • Lion In My Way. This one is an oldie but still very much a goodie. Lion in my way is a conference staple and no matter how many we bring, we never have enough! Conference goers often remarked about the way Lion In My way approaches collaborative problem solving. It was also noted to be a great tool for tapping into imagination and flexible thinking.  
  • NOVENOPS. Another conference staple and another one that never fails to disappoint!  A huge draw of NOVENOPS has always been its compact size especially for professionals who travel from building to building or even room to room.  Conference goers appreciated the many opportunities for ‘WH’ questions that NOVENOPS offers. 
  • Choose your Chew Handy Guide: Our handy guide isn’t really a product but the many copies of our Choose Your Chew Handy Guide that we brought were gone before we knew it! Therapro is known for the many varieties of chews that we offer but selecting the right chew can be daunting. Conference goers appreciated the ease that our handy guide made in the selection process.  
  • Feeling Heads: Not only were these a hit but they also got a good laugh from many conference goers! They remarked that not only were they soft but also the perfect size for little hands.  Conference goers had so many great ideas for ways to use these heads including as props while reading stories, as a tool for discussing emotions, and as a communication aid when words are not available.
  • Smart Games:   The Three Little Pigs Game made its conference debut at ASHA 2021 and was a big hit.  In the age of COVID, conference goers appreciated that the pieces were made of easy to clean plastic.  They also remarked that these and other games were a great way to target early executive function and language skills in a fun way.  
  • Wind-Ups.  No conference would be complete without some fun windups! As many conference goers noted, wind-ups are a big motivator and a great way to target language areas like asking for help and asking for more.  
  • Spark Cards. With so many options to choose from, Spark Cards were very popular.  Conference goers appreciated the wide variety from complex cards to simpler versions as well as options for larger cards that could be used on the floor.  Another big draw was that these cards are dry erase marker friendly, making it easy to emphasize key areas.  
Balloon Car Racer; a favorite at the ASHA 2021 conference
Balloon Car Racers
Smiley face windups three displayed; a favorite at the ASHA 2021 conference
Wind Ups
Therapro Games Bundle: Letter Treasure Hunt, Novenops, and Trunks
Therapro Games

It was great to meet  everyone at ASHA 2021, thank you all for sharing your great ideas. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at ASHA 2022!

Getting Into the Learning Zone with Sensory Tools!

School-Based Practice, Sensory, Therapist Resources, , , ,

The “optimal” zone of regulation is crucial during learning activities. The optimal learning zone is characterized by the just right amount of  attention, focus and processing speed to allow learning to take place. Outside of this optimal zone are two zones that are characterized by decreased or heightened levels of arousal.  The appropriate use of sensory tools and strategies may help students maintain an optimal state of alertness during learning activities.  

The low arousal zone is characterized by low energy levels and decreased alertness. This zone may be optimal when we are winding down from a long day but it is not a great zone to be in when learning needs to take place! In the learning environment this state of decreased alertness can make concentration and processing difficult.

The high arousal zone is characterized by increased levels of alertness. Heightened states of alertness are optimal during times of real or perceived danger but is not optimal for learning. In a learning environment this heightened state of arousal will lead to distractions and difficulty with focus.  

Schkidules visual schedule display

Posted Schedules.  Posting the daily schedule can have a tremendous impact on the student with an over-responsive sensory system.  Posting the schedule allows the student to anticipate what is coming up next and prepare their systems for the sensory experiences that the next event will bring. This helps the student to attend and focus rather than be distracted by the anticipation of what will be happening next. The simplest solution is to write the daily schedule on the board!  For early or nonreaders, a visual schedule (like Schkidules) may be easier to understand.  

Lighting:  Harsh glare and the flicker from fluorescent lights can be distracting for some students. When possible, turning off overhead lights and relying on natural lighting is a great solution.  However, natural lighting is not always available or optimal; in those cases light filters offer a great way to reduce the harsh glare emitted from some types of overhead lighting! 

Patterned Fluorescent Light Filter; a great sensory tools for getting in the learning zone.
Low Set Behind the Head Earmuff; a great sensory tools for getting in the learning zone.

Noise Reduction. Classrooms can get noisy! The typically responding sensory system may be able to handle the fluctuations in noise levels with expected reactions like covering the ears.  For the student with the over responsive system the rise in noise level (or the anticipation of a rise in noise level) may be distracting or be a source of anxiety.  Rugs and curtains can help to absorb some noise. Chair Socks are a great option for chair legs; they help to minimize the sounds created by chairs moving across the floor.  Access to noise-cancelling headphones may be another option for students with significant sound sensitivity.  

Alternative Seating.  Levels of regulation fluctuate throughout the day.  For students who are in a state of low arousal, movement is a great way to bring the system back into a more  optimal state.  Alternative seating allows for movement input while still engaging in the learning activity. Alternative seating options can range from the subtle input that comes from a textured seat cushion or air filled wedge to the more intense input received from sitting on a stool or ball chair.  Another option is to not sit at all and use a standing desk instead! 

Fidgets.  There are many fidget options available. Fidgets can bring arousal levels up or provide input that is calming all depending on the specific characteristics of the fidget.  Fidgets that provide light touch input (like the Tactile Tiger) tend to help bring arousal levels up while fidgets that provide deep pressure or are resistive in nature ( like the Thera-band hand exerciser) can help calm an over responsive sensory system.  For more information on fidget check out Therapro’s Find Your Fidget Handy Guide! 

Access to the right sensory tools in the learning environment can make a significant difference in a student’s ability to learn and attend.