Five Friday Features

It's officially October and Halloween activities are everywhere. Here are a few I think are worth checking out (plus a few other things worth reading this week).

1. Last October I posted a recipe for pumpkin spice playdough (you can see the pumpkins I made above!). Mom Not a Pro has come up with another fun way to use pumpkin playdough - put it in baby food jars to create little pumpkin favors! What a cute idea! And squishing, rolling and pinching playdough helps to develop fine motor skills.

2. Miss Mancy has a fun twist on the usual sensory bag. Check out how she encourages fine motor skills with a fun Halloween sensory bag.

3. Last week, I mentioned the app review by OT's With Apps of the Wet-Dry-Try app and the incorporation of manipulatives with the app. Well, Your Therapy Source tried out the use of a sponge and reports that it really does work! Which further inspired me to try using a sponge, and indeed, it really does work! Yay! I'm so excited about this discovery! {That's a photo of me using a sponge on the LetterSchool app, if you were wondering}

4. With the arrival of October, that also means that it is almost time for World OT Day and the OT24Vx. This is a free 24 hour virtual exchange containing live speaker presentations and discussions from the international world of occupational therapy. I think I'll try to actually listen in on a few this year. Or at least catch them on the archives if I don't want to stay up all night or skip work :)

5. The American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org has just released a new publication, Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know. Through October 14th, you can download a free 83-page excerpt and the entire publication is 30% off through the end of October. I've briefly skimmed through the free 83-page excerpt (the entire thing is 300+ pages!) and it looks like a great resource for parents and therapists. You do have to register on the HealthyChildren.org website to gain access to the free excerpt, but I'm sure as with all websites that you can opt out of being on their email list if you don't want to be hounded by them.