Spring 2016 Newsletter
Spring sensory play ideas
Spring scented water table (from fun-a-day.com)
Materials: Warm water, flower-scented shampoo, funnels, water table or large bin
Set up: Fill the sensory table or bin with warm water, then add a dash of scented shampoo. Set scoops and funnels in sensory bin and let the children play!
Herbal Playdough (from theimaginationtree.com)
Ingredients: 1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, 1.5 cups boiling water, 2 tbs oil, a few drops of fresh lemon juice (this works in the same way as cream of tartar) and fresh herbs: ex. Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, mint (anything that smells nice and is not an irritant)
Set up: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a metal spoon. As soon as it is cool enough to touch, start kneading until it becomes soft, stretchy and pliable. Mix in the herbs.
Worms and Dirt sensory play
Ingredients: Dirt, Left over spaghetti noodles, Magnifying glass, bug house, tweezers, small shovels
Set up: Pour dirt in bin and mix in spaghetti noodles, have children explore the dirt for the worms!
Outdoor Activities
Play Garden
Materials: Large bin or area of yard to create “garden”, plastic vegetables or flowers, small shovels, small flower pots
Set up: Provide child with area in yard to create garden or fill large bin with dirt. Have child “plant” and “harvest” vegetables and flowers in garden or in pots and explore in the garden!
Mud Kitchen
Materials: Small table or stand , bowl or bins filled with dirt, pitcher or bowl filled with water, spatula, spoons, mixing bowls, cups, plates, pot, pans, etc. Set up: place all materials on table or stand and allow child to experiment and explore with dirt and water!
Mud Dough
Ingredients: Dirt, water, vegetable oil, cornstarch, large plastic bin, cookie cutters , sand shovels
Set up: Add one cup of water and one cup of vegetable oil into a large plastic bin. Go outside and scoop up some dirt. Mix in dirt (around 6 cups) until everything is incorporated nicely. If the dirt very wet mix in cornstarch to help dry out a little.
Swimming Pool Activities
Continual resistance to every move made. Water offers more resistance than when you exercise on land. Also, water exercise is an excellent way to build up arm and leg strength. Swimming is an excellent exercise that works on every body part and muscle without causing strain on your body. Water disperses heat, so there is less change of overheating as the water continuously cools the body. As little as 20 minutes 3 times per week can have a positive health effect. For non-swimmers there are a variety of good water exercises to choose from:
Walking: move forward, backwards, and sideways. Use regular, short, quick or long steps in waist deep water
Strength training: quick arm and leg movements in the water are a form of resistance training that can help build muscle strength and endurance
Balance: waist deep water allows a person to build up strength and work on balance. This is a safe way to work on coordination as the buoyancy will prevent falling over.
Spring into Speech and Language!
Spring fever is in the air! Here is a spring-themed activity you can do with your kids that is sure to please.
Get a bucket and fill it with springy things; you can make a trip to the dollar store or find objects you already have laying around the house.
You could also print spring themed pictures from your computer. Here are some suggestions: Eggs, Flowers (fake or real), baby animal figurines or pictures, a baggie full of green grass, baggie with soil, packet of seeds, small shovel, gardening gloves, a flip flop, picture of a butterfly or other insects, etc.
Blindfold your child or have them turn around. Pull something out of the bucket and describe it to the child. They have to guess the item.
Try to include as many senses as possible...what it looks like, smells like, feels like, and in some cases sounds and tastes like.
Pull out three of the items from the bucket and make up a short story using those items.
Ask your child yes/no, wh-, and open ended/discussion questions about the story (e.g., “Did the bunny plant flowers?”, “What type of animal was in the story?”, “What would you plant if you had a whole garden to yourself?”).
Have your child choose items out of the bucket and explain them to you without you looking. Encourage them to use as many senses as possible.
Have your child choose an item out of the bucket and hide it somewhere in the room, then have them give you three clues about where it is using full sentences.
Have your child pull three items out of the bucket and help/encourage them while they make up their own story about the three items.
Have your child retell the story.
Give your child some crayons and brainstorm with them all the things they love about spring.
They can draw pictures or write words. Then have them use full sentences to tell you all the things they love.
Source: www.home-speech-home.com
May is Better Hearing & Speech month, a month long celebration sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Be on the lookout for special activities and information during the month of May. Events: - Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Musical (Sensory Friendly Performance) @ Children’s Theater Company - Friday, June 3, 2016 7:00PM Metro Therapy is now using Great Lakes Medical Billing for all insurance billing. You will receive statements mid-month from them. Below is their contact information should you have any questions about your statement. Our front office will continue to collect all payments. Great Lakes Medical Billing Ph: 877-692-5484 Fax: 866-227-0063 Email: billing@greatlakesmb.com
Events
Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Musical (Sensory Friendly Performance)@ Children’s Theater Company Friday, June 3, 2016 7:00PM
Updates
Metro Therapy is now using Great Lakes Medical Billing for all insurance billing. You will receive statements mid-month from them. Below is their contact information should you have any questions about your statement. Our front office will continue to collect all payments.
Great Lakes Medical Billing
Ph: 877-692-5484
Fax: 866-227-0063
Email: billing@greatlakesmb.com