at home with PTN

4 Activities That Allow You to Spend Quality Time Together as a Family
4 Activities That Allow You to Spend Quality Time Together as a Family 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

At PTN, we understand the importance of spending quality time with your little ones. That’s why, throughout September, we want to highlight the significance of family and togetherness, starting with sharing 4 activities that allow you to spend quality time together as a family. There is truly nothing like spending time with your loved ones and partaking in activities that allow you to strengthen your bond. We can’t wait for you to try out these fantastic activities with your kiddos – let’s make the most of these special moments together!

1. Make Homemade Pizza: A really great (and delicious) way to spend some time with one another is to have a homemade pizza night. Gather your ingredients, find a good spot to work, and get ready to have some fun! Sit together and begin to carefully roll out the dough, spread the sauce, place the toppings on your pizzas, and get them in the oven. When the pizzas are out of the oven and cooled off, enjoy eating your creations!

As a tasty bonus, use the ingredients to make funny faces on each of your pizzas!

2. Play Charades: Charades is a classic game that families have enjoyed playing for many years. Not only does it allow you to get moving and be a little silly, but it also lets you spend that oh-so-important quality time with each other. To begin, work together to come up with 10 different things that you can act out, and write them on pieces of paper. Then, take turns picking a piece of paper, act out what’s on it, and see if the other people in the room can correctly guess what you are trying to imitate.

3. Go on a Nature Walk: Being outside together as a family and enjoying the nature around you is something very special, and can strengthen the bond between you and your kiddos. That’s why we suggest going on a nature walk. Get outside, walk around, and enjoy the beauty of the world around you. See what you and your children can find along the way, and try to spot out as many flowers, plants, birds, and animals as you can. Don’t forget to bring some water and healthy snacks along with you!

4. Play Balloon Volleyball: This last activity is one of our favorites, as it gets you up and moving, and is also a whole lot of fun! Take a sheet and tie it to two chairs to use as your volleyball net. Then, blow up a balloon, and get ready to play. Divide your group into 2 teams, and have each team stand on one side of the net. Then, hit the balloon back and forward over the net, and see how long you can keep it up in the air! As a bonus, to introduce some friendly competition, keep track of your points and celebrate with a healthy and delicious treat!

Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all September as we highlight the importance of family bonding by sharing activities, tips, resources, and more! Further, please feel free to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Therapy and Back to School Routines
4 Tips For Incorporating Your Child’s Therapy Into Their Back-to-School Routine
4 Tips For Incorporating Your Child’s Therapy Into Their Back-to-School Routine 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

It’s almost time to get your kiddos ready to go back to school! Making the transition from being in the summer sun to heading back to the classroom can be tough on your child, and it’s important to try and ease them back into their school time routine. Though, we understand that for parents, creating a routine that also incorporates your child’s therapy can be somewhat challenging. But that’s where we come in! We’re here to help give you 5 wonderful tips for incorporating your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine. Our hope is that these tips can help make the transition of sending your children into the new school year a little easier.

1. Work With Your Kiddos to Make Lunch: An easy way to incorporate your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine is to make their lunch together. After your family sits down for dinner, ask your child to help you prepare their school lunch for the next day. You can ask your child to do things such as peeling an orange, spreading jelly or jam onto a sandwich, or using a cute cookie cutter to turn slices of fruit into fun shapes. Your child will love being your little helper!

2. Fit Therapy Into Your Child’s Morning Routine: There are so many opportunities to fit your child’s therapy into their morning school routine. In fact, your child is probably doing many of these tasks already! After your child has woken up and eaten breakfast, get them into a simple routine that they can follow day after day. For example, you can have your child brush their teeth, help pick out an outfit and get dressed, do some light stretching, make their bed, and help pack their school bag. This will make mornings go a whole lot more smoothly for both you and your child.

3. Make Time For Play: Being away from home and working hard at school all day can be tiresome for your kiddos. This is why it’s important to try and incorporate play when they get home! Not only will this give your child a chance to relax and work on their therapy, but it also allows you to spend some quality time with one another. Some easy ways to engage in play therapy with your little ones include:

  • Turn on some music and show off your best dance moves.
  • Have your child draw a picture of their day and explain how it makes them feel.
  • Get outside with your kiddos and enjoy a game of Simon Says. 
  • Try an easy family workout to get you and your children moving. 

4. Read a School-Themed Book at Bedtime: Last but certainly not least, we suggest ending the day by reading a book with your child. There are many books that relate directly to going back to school, that we just know you and your child will enjoy. If you aren’t sure where to begin, some of our favorite school-themed books include:

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout August as we continue to celebrate your little ones going back to school! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Parent Appreciation Day 2024
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Parents are true superheroes; they are also some of the most incredible people in the world. However, even “superheroes” need a break, especially when tasked with handling so many day-to-day demands. From taking care of your children, going to work, and balancing everything else in between, it can be overwhelming at times. The PTN team is here to help take some of this stress off your shoulders by sharing some relaxing activities that allow you and your child to unwind during Parent Appreciation Day (July 28th) and beyond. We hope that you enjoy partaking in these peaceful activities with your little ones!

Have Spa Time
This does not have to be complicated and can be an easy way to relax any time of day. You can really have fun with this idea (and get some time to unwind, too). For example, run a bath and add some essential oils or bath salts. Lavender is a scent that is known to be particularly calming. Then, sit with your little one and soak your feet together. You can use this time to relax and also as a time to “catch up” with your child.  

Make Popsicle Stick Pictures
Creating silly art pieces with your little ones is a fun and relaxing way to show off your creativity. One craft we think you’ll love is creating popsicle stick pictures! Gather some popsicle sticks, glue, paper, and markers, and find a cozy and quiet place to sit. Now, work with your child to create the perfect popsicle stick picture. Then, once your artwork is complete, hang it on the fridge for everyone to see, or frame it and hang it on the wall.

Have a Tea Party
Children love having make believe tea parties with their stuffed animal friends. So, why not take part in a real tea party together? Tea parties are very calming, and have numerous benefits, such as allowing your child to use their imagination. To begin, grab some cups and plates, and have your child set up your tea party. Ask your child to “invite” their favorite stuffed animal friends, then, come together to make some healthy snacks and drinks, and serve them at your tea party.

Go Stargazing
One final activity to help you unwind is stargazing. Wait for a night with mild weather, grab your favorite blankets and a few pillows, and head outside. Once you set up your cozy spot, lay with your child and stare at the beautiful stars in the night sky. Stargazing is very peaceful, and is great for sparking your child’s curiosity and wonder. As a bonus, print out a star constellation map, and work with your kiddos to try and identify as many constellations as possible.

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout July as we continue to celebrate our incredible PTN parents with activities, tips, resources, and more! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Kid Summer Safety Tips
3 Tips to Help Your Kiddos Stay Safe While Outdoors This Summer
3 Tips to Help Your Kiddos Stay Safe While Outdoors This Summer 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

The start of summer is just around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited! With the sun shining and the weather starting to warm up, it’s the perfect time to go outside and make some memories with your family. And though we can all agree that there is truly nothing like the magic of summer, it’s important to take precautions to keep your little ones safe while playing outdoors.

That’s where we come in! We want to make sure that you and your little ones have a fun and safe summer, which is why we wanted to share some important tips that will help your kiddos stay protected while enjoying the outdoors. Let’s get started! 

1. Use Sunscreen That’s Safe For Your Kiddos: UV rays are typically very high during the summer, and it’s crucial to protect your child’s skin. Frequently applying sunscreen is a very effective way to keep your little one safe from the sun’s rays, but it’s equally as important to ensure that you’re using sunscreen without harmful chemicals. One sunscreen brand that we recommend for your kids is Thinkbaby. Not only is their sunscreen water resistant and dermatologist recommended, but it’s also safe for sensitive skin and is free of those dangerous chemicals.

2. Have Your Child Wear a Helmet (and Decorate It, Too!): Riding bikes, scooters, and going roller skating are great activities to try together as a family. But you’ll need to ensure that you and your little ones are staying safe by wearing a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. These items will protect you and your child from getting hurt if you fall, and help keep you as safe and healthy as possible. As a bonus, get your child even more excited about wearing their helmet by helping them put some fun and colorful decorations on it!

3. Find Ways to Keep Your Little Ones Hydrated: It can get really hot outside and your kiddos will use a lot of energy when playing, which means that they will also need to stay hydrated. But we understand that getting kids to drink water isn’t always the easiest task. Luckily, there are some unique ways to keep your little ones hydrated this summer. For example, you can make homemade popsicles to enjoy, have your child snack on juicy watermelon, or use water flavoring drops to encourage your child to drink more water.

We hope that you have a wonderful (and safe) summer! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for more summer safety tips, resources, toys we love, and more! Further, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

National Speech Therapy Month
4 Fun Speech-Based Games to Try as a Family
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May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, and we’re ready to get the celebration started! This month is the perfect opportunity to work on your child’s speech and language skills, and we think that one of the best ways to do that is by playing games together. Fortunately, there are so many games out there that not only promote speech development but also allow you to create lasting family memories.

Ready to embark on a journey of playful learning? Let’s get started! From the “Favorites” Game to The Category Game and more, here are 4 delightful suggested activities for your family to enjoy during this special month and beyond.

1. Name the Opposite: This game is fantastic for helping your child learn about opposite words. To begin, write down words on small pieces of paper and place them into a bowl. Next, have your child choose one piece of paper at a time, read the word, and then ask them to try and come up with the opposite of that word. Once you have gone through all of the pieces of paper in the bowl, have your child try to come up with more opposite word pairs on their own!

2. “Favorites” Game: This game is a wonderful way to get to know a little bit more about your child’s favorite things. To begin, sit down and take turns asking each other questions such as, “What’s your favorite color?”, “What’s your favorite animal?” or “What’s your favorite type of ice cream?”. After each question, write down your child’s answers on a piece of paper, and have them draw pictures of their favorite things!

3. Guess Who? Animal Friends: The next game puts a fun twist on the classic board game, Guess Who? To begin, you and your child will each secretly choose an animal. Next, you will need to take turns asking questions to try and figure out what the other person’s mystery animal is. Keep going until you each guess the correct animal, and then play again! This is an excellent way to help your child work on their speech, and you can both get a little silly by making the noises of each animal. 

4. The Category Game: Our final game is fun for the whole family and will allow you and your little ones to be creative. Start by thinking of a category that you and your kiddos know a lot about. For example, you could choose animals, colors, fruits, etc. Now, go around and take turns naming different things in that category. Once you can’t think of anything else that fits into that specific category, move on to the next one!

Happy National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for tips, resources, toys we love, and more! Further, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

4 Tips For Reading With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month
4 Tips For Reading With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Reading is essential to learning and growing and opens up a world of imagination. Taking time to read with your child is a great way to spend quality moments together and helps your child fall in love with books. In this blog, we will be sharing 4 tips for reading with your little one in honor of National Reading Awareness Month. We hope these tips will help make reading fun and engaging for your child while also helping them develop essential skills that will benefit them for years to come. 

1. Start Slow: When you first start to read with your child, you do not need to read the book word for word. Instead, begin by flipping through a few pages and see how your child’s tolerance is. You can do this by starting with just a few minutes of reading at night and then working up to 10-15 minutes. It’s important to understand that kids have limited patience and can only handle so much reading at a time.

2. Tell the Story Using Pictures: Young children may have a tough time following along with the story in the book you’re reading. To help with this, try to tell the story the picture is sharing. For example, you could point to the picture on the page and describe it by saying things such as, “Uh oh, he looks like he’s hurt, and his mommy is going to give him a kiss on his owie to feel better.”

3. Choose Books With Animals: There are many great children’s books out there, and it can be challenging to decide which books to get for your kiddos. But some of our favorite types of books to purchase are books that contain animals. When you read animal-based books to your children, they can work on identifying and making the sounds of each animal. One book we love is the Touch and Feel Farm Animals book, which contains cute animals and multiple textures for your child to touch.

4. Have Your Kids Point Out Things On the Page: One easy way to get your child involved during story time is to ask your little one to point out things on the page. For example, you can ask your child, “Where is the ball?” let them point, then model back to them by saying, “Ball.” You can also have your child identify shapes and colors and count objects on the page. The possibilities are endless!

Happy National Reading Awareness Month! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month for more reading tips, books we love, and more! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Stress-Free Ways to Incorporate Your Child’s Therapy Into Your Daily Routine
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Parents work so hard to juggle numerous hats. Between going to work, taking care of your little ones, and managing everything else life throws your way, finding time to work on your child’s therapy goals can be challenging. That’s why we always recommend you try to incorporate your child’s therapy into your daily routine. In doing so, not only will you be able to reduce your stress, but you’ll also get the opportunity to help your child improve their developmental skills. Our hope is that fitting your child’s therapy into your everyday life will make it easier on you and take some of that added pressure off your shoulders. 

Have Your Child Help Clean Up the House

Asking your child to help you clean up the house teaches them the importance of helping others and gives them a sense of responsibility. Here are some easy ways to incorporate therapy into your cleaning routine:

  • Have your child bend down to pick up their toys and toss them into a basket.
  • Ask them to sort laundry into bins and then push the laundry bins across the room.
  • Have them climb up onto a chair or step stool to help you wipe down tables and counters or wash some dishes.

Work On Your Child’s Skills During Bathtime

Bath time is an excellent opportunity to work on your child’s fine motor and language skills. If you’re interested in incorporating your child’s therapy into their bath time routine, here are some activities you can introduce to your child that we know they’ll enjoy:

  • Incorporate nesting cups into your bath routine. Have your child practice pouring water from one cup into another cup or stack them on the side of the tub. 
  • Place different colored ducks on the edge of the bathtub and ask your child to count them and identify the color of each duck.
  • Make art together! Draw on the bathtub walls using bathtub markers. 

Read a Bedtime Story Together

When your little one is ready to go to sleep, perform their nighttime routine, let them choose a book, and tuck them into bed. Then, as you read the book, stop occasionally and ask your child to identify different objects on the page. Once you are done with the story, ask your child some questions, such as how the story made them feel and what their favorite part was.

Here are some wonderful book recommendations that you can enjoy reading with your little ones.

Happy New Year from Pediatric Therapy Network! Keep an eye on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all January long for more recommendations on stress-free ways to work on your child’s therapy during your daily routine. We will also be sharing tips, activities, resources, and more! Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. We’re here to support you and your kiddos in any way we can.

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Although we are always so appreciative of our PTN parents, we love getting the opportunity to show our gratitude for each of you on Parent Appreciation Day. This year, Parent Appreciation Day is on July 23rd, and to celebrate, we wanted to share some activities that you can partake in with your children that also allow you to relax and unwind. From trying family yoga to gardening together and more – here are some relaxing activities that also work on your child’s skills. Enjoy!

Family Yoga

An excellent way to relax and get moving is to partake in family yoga. Yoga is a great way to exercise while relaxing your mind, body, and soul. Not to mention, yoga is perfect for working on your child’s gross motor skills and balance. If you have done yoga in the past, fantastic! Use your knowledge to guide your child through some simple yoga poses. But if you’ve never done yoga, this family yoga video is easy for your whole family to follow.

Play a Board Game

Another easy way to relax while working on your child’s skills is to play a board game together. Board games are a great way to spend quality time with one another, and believe it or not, many board games are great for working on your child’s skills. Although there are many board games to choose from, one we highly recommend is Candy Land. Candy Land helps your child work on color recognition and counting, and also allows them to work on their fine motor skills when rolling the dice and while moving their game piece around the board. 

Garden Together

One final activity to do with your little ones is to get outside and garden together! Gardening is very calming and a great way to bond with your kiddos. First, get a pot, fill it with some dirt, and dig a hole in the dirt. Now, have your child use their fine motor skills to grasp the seeds and place them into the hole, and then ask them to use their gross motor skills to pick up the watering can and water the seeds. Now, you and your little one can watch the plant grow and appreciate your hard work!

We wish you all a very happy Parent Appreciation Day! Be sure to follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all July long as we continue to celebrate our amazing PTN parents and share some fun activities, tips, and more! Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Our Favorite Books to Read With Your Kiddos During National Reading Awareness Month
Our Favorite Books to Read With Your Kiddos During National Reading Awareness Month 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

National Reading Awareness Month is celebrated throughout March and helps families understand the importance of reading to their children consistently. To get the celebration started this year, our team of therapists carefully selected some fantastic books you can read with your little ones during National Reading Awareness Month and beyond. These books have fun illustrations and meaningful messages and will also help your kiddos work on their therapeutic skills in the process. Enjoy!

Where is Baby’s Belly Button: As you and your child read this adorable book, your little one will need to use their fine motor skills to lift the flaps and identify specific body parts. After reading each page,  you can then ask your child to point to their own body parts. For example, the book may ask, “where’s the baby’s nose?” Once your child lifts the flap and points to the baby’s nose, you can then ask them to point to their own nose!

First 100 Words: First 100 Words is actually a book that contains no words (only images), which helps caregivers use simple language and sounds when engaging with the book. As your child gets a little older, you can begin to talk about the actions that the pictures in the book perform, so that your child is exposed to verbs and can expand their vocabulary.

Peek-a-Who?: We just know that your little one is going to love Peek-a-Who. While reading this fun and interactive book, your child will have to guess what object or character is hiding under the flaps while learning simple rhyming words in the process. One other great thing about this book is that it’s predictable, which helps kids anticipate and learn the routine of the book. 

Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions: This is the perfect book to help your little one start learning and understanding expressions and emotions. While reading the book together, you can teach your child emotion words while practicing those words with emotions. For example, being silly and naming it silly, being sad and naming it sad, being sleepy and naming it sleepy, etc. This is a simple way to emphasize early social-emotional skills.

Keep an eye on our social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest) all month long as we share more books we love. Additionally, if you would like to discuss if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. We are here to support your family and child in any way we can.

Celebrating International Play Therapy Week With At-Home Activities
Celebrating International Play Therapy Week With At-Home Activities 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

February 5-11 is International Play Therapy Week, and we cannot wait to celebrate! Children thrive when they learn through play, and in fact, it’s been proven that people learn best from experiences that are joyful and that connect play to their lives. Additionally, play therapy is an excellent way to have some fun with your kiddos while also working on their therapy goals in the process. Ready to get the party started? From building a wooden block house to playing stuffed animal doctor and more – here are some at-home play therapy activities that we know you and your little ones will love.

Superhero Search

Your child’s stuffed animals are missing, and it’s their job to find them! First, you will need to go around the house and hide each stuffed animal (make sure they are in places your child can reach!) Now, it’s time for your kiddo to be a superhero and save the day! Your little one will have to use their balance and gross motor skills to crouch down and reach up high to save their furry friends. Once they’ve found each stuffed animal, switch roles and have your child hide the stuffed animals for you to find!

Stuff Animal Doctor (we recommend the Doctor’s Kit Play Set from Melissa & Doug for this activity)

For this activity, your child will have to use their gross motor skills to treat their stuffed animal using items from the Doctor’s Kit Play Set, while also utilizing their speech to tell you how their patient is feeling. If your child says that their stuffed animal is scared, this could indicate that your little one may be afraid of going to the doctor. In this case, you can explain to your little one why going to the doctor isn’t scary and that doctors are there to help people feel better.

Build a Wooden Block House

For our final play therapy activity, you and your child will need to work together to build a wooden block house for their toys. Have your little one use their fine motor skills to pick up the blocks and carefully stack them on top of each other, and once the house is built, they can use it to play pretend with their toys. Furthermore, you can work on your child’s speech by asking them to identify each letter or number on the blocks.

Happy International Play Therapy Week! Be sure to check out our social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest) all February long as we share activities, toys we love, and so much more. If you would like to discuss if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. We are here to support your family and child in any way that we can.

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