OT Approved Toy | Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is a classic toy that OTs love. Why do we love this toy? Because, as MamaOT points out, it is such a versatile toy that can be used to facilitate so many skills. Grasping, body awareness, bilateral coordination...the list goes on and on. You know what else is great about this classic toy? Kids love it! That a win-win! Speech therapists love Mr. Potato Head, too!

 
Best for ages: 2 - 5 years

Skills addressed: 

• fine motor
• hand eye coordination
• bilateral coordination 
• body awareness
• pretend play

 

Where to buy:

Mr. Potato Head (and Mrs. and many other varieties, too!) can typically be found anywhere that toys are sold. You can also find a wide selection on Amazon.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

OT Approved Toy | Pop-Up Toy

A pop up toy is a classic baby toy that is a favorite of therapists. It's even in Natalie's PT toolbox! As an OT, I like this simple toy because it works on fine motor skills, as well as cause and effect. Babies like pushing the animals down and then as they get older, they develop the skills to manipulate the buttons and knobs. It can also be a motivating toy for encouraging kids to crawl, cruise, or walk!
 
Best for ages: 6 months - 2 years

Skills addressed: 

• fine motor
• cause and effect
• animal identification

 

Where to buy:

This is one of those toys that you can find fairly easily at yard sales and second hand stores, but if you don't have time to hunt for one you can always order it from Amazon.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

OT Approved Toy | Plastic Rings

Plastic rings are such a simple toy, but they provide a great amount of entertainment for babies. Rings are great for reaching, grasping, and tactile exploration. Attach them to the car seat or stroller for toys that can't be thrown while on the go! These rings are also great to attach to a baby gym for extra opportunities to reach and grasp. I especially like the plastic rings that are textured and babies usually like them too-for feeling with their hands and with their mouth!
 
Best for ages: newborn - 12 months

Skills addressed: 

• reaching
• grasping
• hand eye coordination
• tactile exploration
• oral exploration

For more toy ideas for babies, check out Holiday Gift Guide for Babies and Mama OT's 15 Toys for Baby's First Year.

 

Where to buy:

These can be found at most stores that sell baby toys, including the dollar store! If you prefer, you can order them from Amazon.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

OT Approved Toy | Wooden Lacing Beads

Wooden lacing beads are classic, simple and sturdy. What more can you ask for? Oh, and they're great for developing fine motor skills, too! Wooden beads come in so many shapes and colors, you're sure to find something that matches your child's interests! To add in an educational component, you can also use the beads for sorting and counting. Or hide the beads in a sensory bin for some fun tactile exploration.

 
Best for ages: 2 - 5 years

Skills addressed: 

• fine motor
• hand eye coordination
• bilateral coordination

 

Where to buy:

I personally like to pick up Melissa and Doug toys at Michaels when I have one of those infamous 40% off coupons. It's hard to beat that deal for such high quality toys! If you prefer (and for a wider selection) you can order wooden beads from Amazon. If the selection is too overwhelming, I personally like these ones and you can find the farm animal beads pictured above here.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

In My Therapy Bag | Deborah from North Shore Pediatric Therapy

Please welcome Deborah Michael from North Shore Pediatric Therapy! Deborah is a pediatric occupational therapist and the founder of North Shore Pediatric Therapy. With four locations in the Chicago area, she and her colleagues help each child blossom to their ultimate potential.

What's in my therapy bag?

One fabulous tool for your occupational therapy toolbox is theraputty. This tool is a resistant play dough that works on strengthening the small muscles of the hands and fingers. Theraputty can be used in a variety of ways to improve hand strength, while also being highly motivating for children.

8 Fun Ways to Use Theraputty to Develop Hand Strength:

1. Hide marbles or buttons in the putty, and have your child go on a treasure hunt to find the items.
2. After your child finds the objects in the putty, have him hide them in the putty and give the putty to a sibling to go on a treasure hunt.
3. Hide plastic alphabet letters in the theraputty. When your child finds one, have him practice writing the letter or words that begin with that letter. 
4.  Use theraputty as a fidget tool or squeeze ball. Form the theraputty into a round ball and have him squeeze it multiple times.
5. Use theraputty as play dough during play time. Have your child create animals, shapes or other creatures out of the putty. 
6.  Practice feeding utensil skills by cutting theraputty with a fork and knife. 
7.  Hide coins in the putty. What your child finds, he can keep! 
8.  Hide game pieces in putty (i.e. Checkers pieces, pawns for Sorry!) before family game night. Your child has to find the pieces in order to play the game.

These activities using theraputty develop your child’s hand strength, which will facilitate fine motor skills, handwriting and the ability to independently complete tasks.

Connect with North Shore Pediatric Therapy:

Website: www.nspt4kids.com
Blog: www.nspt4kids.com/resources/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NSPT4kids
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/nspt4kids
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nspt4kids

Be sure to check out all of the other great posts in this series to find out what must-have items therapists have in their therapy bags!!

Do you have an item in your therapy bag that you'd like to share? I'd love for you to share it in an upcoming post! Just send me an email, AbbyPediatricOT {at} gmail {dot} com for more information. Open to all therapists! You don't have to be a blogger to participate!

OT Approved Toy | Musical Book

This musical book is engaging and motivating for babies. Babies love the colors and lights, and of course, the music! For busy babies who aren't willing to sit and look at a standard book, this can be a good alternative. As an OT, what I really like about this musical book, is that the animal on the edges work as tabs for babies to grab onto to help turn the pages. Another bonus, this is a very durable toy!

Best for ages: 6 months - 2 years

Skills addressed: 

• fine motor
• bilateral coordination
• cause and effect
• pre-literacy

 

Where to buy:

I believe this toy (or similar) is available at most big stores, like Target or Toys R Us, or you can always order it from Amazon.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

OT Approved Toy | Spot It

I love, love, LOVE  Spot It! This is one of those games that is an OTs dream! Between any two cards, there is only one matching symbol. Be the first to spot it and you win! Spot It! helps develop visual skills, which are critical for reading, writing, and academics in general. Oh, and speech therapists love Spot It!, too!

Best for ages: 6 - 10 years

Skills addressed: 

• visual discrimination
• visual perceptual
• visual scanning
• matching
• cooperative play

 

Where to buy:

You can find Spot It! at most stores that sell games or you can order it Amazon. I have the classic version of this game, but there are so many versions of this game to choose from. A few that look interesting to me are Spot It! Junior, Spot It! Alphabet, and Spot It! Numbers and Shapes. Any Frozen fans out there? There's even a Spot It! Frozen.


For more OT Approved Toys, be sure to stop by my Toy Page.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.