Month: July 2020

Calming strategies to help your child RETURN to the Green zone

Breathing Techniques

1.  Lazy 8 Breathing – begin with your finger on the star. Trace around the left side of the eight slowly while breathing in. Then trace around the right side of the eight while breathing out.

2.  Star Breathing – Begin at any point of the star. Trace your finger along the edge of the star and follow the      sequence: Breath in for 2 beats, pause and hold 1 beat, breath out for 2 beats. If your child is unable to read, read the prompts aloud for them as they trace along the edge of the star.

Sensory Techniques

1. Squeeze Lemons – Use your hands to squeeze pretend lemons or a stress ball 5-10 times slowly.

2. Take a break! – Go to a quiet space in your home, like your room or in a child size tent to take a break. Help your child create a calm space by placing pillows, a weighted blanket, weighted lap pad, or a regular blanket into the corner of their room or in a small tent. They can practice other calming strategies here as well!

3. Drink through a straw – Drinking water through a straw is a great way to help calm down one’s body. Or you can use a water bottle with a resistive lid to drink through.

4.  Close your eyes and count to 10 slowly

 

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It is important to know zones of regulation to help with self regulation and self calming. This little one is using coloring to calm his body! Not only does this help him calm his body, but coloring is also working on his fine motor skills! #TuesdayTip #pediatrictherapy #sensory #OT #finemotorskills #development

A post shared by ABC Pediatric Therapy (@abcpedtherapy) on Mar 24, 2020 at 1:47pm PDT

For more information, please visit http://www.abcpediatrictherapy.com

These strategies require no special equipment, just your imagination and household items! All of these strategies can be used for increased sensory processing, self-regulation, calming, and attention.

Animal Walks

1. Crab Walk
2. Bear Walk
3. Penguin Walk
4. Tall Giraffe Walk
5. Frog Jumps
6. Bunny Hops

• Have your child walk like an animal to weight bear through all four limbs for increased calming and self-regulation.

Obstacle course

• Create an obstacle course around your house with your child using whatever you have! Set up couch cushions on the floor to hop across, crawl under a table, do an animal walk, or jump over a pillow!
• Your child will get plenty of input by running, jumping, and will also work on their problem-solving skills.

Wheelbarrow Walks

• Have your child put their hands on the ground and hold their legs up off of the ground so they are able to walk on their hands. If your child has trouble holding themselves up, try holding closer to their knees or thighs. If this is too easy for your child, hold closer to their ankles. You can make this activity extra fun by making it into a race, seeing how far they can go, or by putting this activity into an obstacle course!
• This weight-bearing through their arms is a great way to get extra input.
• (https://www.google.com/search?q=animal+walks&sxsrf=ALeKk00T2KdefN5ylbmOIZrR7GerFmvQdQ:1587756330386&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpu7-g5YHpAhUbLs0KHX60BFEQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=mk2weTIDrLW1gM)

Blanket Burritos

• Spread a blanket flat onto the ground and have your child lay on one end of it. Then, roll them tightly up into the blanket, making sure it is a snug squeeze (but not too tight)! This gives them extra regulating pressure across their entire body to help them calm down.
• (https://synchronyot.com.au/2018/02/08/8-simple-activities-that-provide-body-awareness-input/proprioception-hot-dogs/)

Swinging

• If you have a swing set available to you, swinging is a great way to get vestibular input with your child. Otherwise, two parents or adults can hold a child’s hands and swing them into the air.
• (https://www.google.com/search?q=swing+set+clipart&sxsrf=ALeKk03bY4b34Cdu5l4tvHLm86a-maucqA:1587758573393&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQ2IXO7YHpAhXCX80KHTomBe0Q_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=kZs0Sav_gNmP9M)

Shaving Cream, Play Dough, or Finger Painting

• Decrease tactile sensitivity in your child by playing with anything messy, like shaving cream, play dough, or finger paint! This is a fun way to get exposure to different textures and consistencies. If this is too overwhelming at first, have them touch the material with a q-tip or utensil and work your way up to using a finger!
• (https://www.google.com/search?q=finger+painting&sxsrf=ALeKk01GXFkwjmWpZcoVaSpAaU1jLpbdIQ:1587758705685&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpqpCN7oHpAhXJB80KHaVbAtkQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=7npp4i_snY00-M)

Listening to Music

• This can either be a calming or alerting strategy. To use it as a calming strategy, play slow, quiet music to help a child relax. To use it as an alerting strategy, play your child’s favorite song or an upbeat song to have a dance party to!
• (https://www.google.com/search?q=listening+to+music+kid&sxsrf=ALeKk03LIOIoLzXyKxVaOfx7lM7KMO1rhA:1587759535405&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQseKY8YHpAhUQVc0KHRzfBVIQ_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=_N1Z9gMmrzUIOM)

Yoga

• Yoga is a great tool to work on body awareness and to help calm and regulate a child. See if your child is able to get into the pose and hold it for 5-10 seconds at a time. You can help them as needed, but let them try themselves first! This is a fun activity to do together! Some good links to different poses to try are below:
• https://www.kidsyogastories.com/kids-yoga-poses/
• https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-for/kids

For more information, visit http://www.abcpediatrictherapy.com