The
Potato Counter
This
activity from otplan.com offers many areas of growth for your child. By doing this
activity your child may grow in areas such as fine motor control and
visual perceptual skills. These are both important areas of growth for
children with Down syndrome.
Supplies:- - 3 potatoes, sliced in half
- toothpicks
- A piece of cardboard
- A black marker
- toothpicks
- A piece of cardboard
- A black marker
Steps:
1.Create a chart with 2 rows of 6 horizontal boxes as shown in the picture.
2. Number each box on the bottom row 1-6.
3. Place a potato slice on each of the boxes in the top row.
4. Have the child identify the number assigned to each potato, and place that number of toothpicks in the correct potato.
*Once the child has mastered this activity, it may be graded up by placing the numbers out of sequence.*
Therapy Snowman
This activity, also from otplan.com, involves similar skills. Fine motor control, visual perceptual, and visual motor are all incorporated while creating the therapy snowman. Below are the supplies and the steps to doing this activity:
Supplies:
1. A Circular Stencil
2. A variety of colored construction paper
3. Scissors
4. Markers
5. Glue stick
*Optional additions: craft eyeballs, tissue paper, stickers or pipe cleaner*
Steps:
1. Have the child trace three circles with the stencil, on white construction paper.
2. The child will then cut out the three circles (they may use adaptive scissors as a compensatory technique if necessary).
2. Allow the child to glue the three circles onto a larger piece of colored construction paper in the shape of a snowman.
3. The child may then design his or her snowman in their own unique way using the makers, stickers, and any other crafts that may be available.
*This activity may be graded up by instructing the child to write a short story about the snowman. This will work on their cognitive functioning as well as their hand writing skills*
Go Fish
This classic card game may not seem therapeutic to most people,
however, it requires a great deal of auditory short term memory skills, as well as fine motor and grasp skills. This game is helpful for auditory short term memory, because the child will be required to listen carefully to what the caregiver is asking, and remember what card they asked for, as he or she is looking through their hand of cards. Not only is this game working on their auditory short term memory, but their communication and socialization skills by interacting with others. This game also works on a child’s fine motor and grasp by picking up and sorting the small cards. If the child’s fine motor skills do not enable them to hold the cards properly, the game may be graded down by using larger, thicker cards.
Click here for step by step directions for playing Go Fish!
Rhythm Game
This activity will focus mainly on a child’s auditory short term memory.
The goal is to clap your hands in a specific pattern and then encourage the child to copy the same pattern. The caregiver should start simple and easy and then gradually get more complex with the pattern. Once the child masters this activity, roles may be reversed, and allow the child to be the initial clapper. The caregiver, in turn, will repeat the clapping pattern the child has created. Another way to grade this activity, is to incorporate a drum, a bell, or any other noisy object to the pattern. (Barbara Dunlap, 2010)
Simon Says
Simon Says is another classic game most individuals would not identify as therapeutic. This game, however, is great for a child’s auditory
short term memory. The caregiver will instruct the child a simple command such as “touch your nose”. The child should, in return, touch his nose. Once the child becomes comfortable with doing this game, it can be graded to become more complex. The caregiver may tell the child, “touch your nose with your right hand and stand on one foot”. When the activity is graded in a way such as this, it may also work on balance and postural stability. (Barbara Dunlap, 2010)
1.Create a chart with 2 rows of 6 horizontal boxes as shown in the picture.
2. Number each box on the bottom row 1-6.
3. Place a potato slice on each of the boxes in the top row.
4. Have the child identify the number assigned to each potato, and place that number of toothpicks in the correct potato.
*Once the child has mastered this activity, it may be graded up by placing the numbers out of sequence.*
Therapy Snowman
This activity, also from otplan.com, involves similar skills. Fine motor control, visual perceptual, and visual motor are all incorporated while creating the therapy snowman. Below are the supplies and the steps to doing this activity:
Supplies:
1. A Circular Stencil
2. A variety of colored construction paper
3. Scissors
4. Markers
5. Glue stick
*Optional additions: craft eyeballs, tissue paper, stickers or pipe cleaner*
Steps:
1. Have the child trace three circles with the stencil, on white construction paper.
2. The child will then cut out the three circles (they may use adaptive scissors as a compensatory technique if necessary).
2. Allow the child to glue the three circles onto a larger piece of colored construction paper in the shape of a snowman.
3. The child may then design his or her snowman in their own unique way using the makers, stickers, and any other crafts that may be available.
*This activity may be graded up by instructing the child to write a short story about the snowman. This will work on their cognitive functioning as well as their hand writing skills*
Go Fish
This classic card game may not seem therapeutic to most people,
however, it requires a great deal of auditory short term memory skills, as well as fine motor and grasp skills. This game is helpful for auditory short term memory, because the child will be required to listen carefully to what the caregiver is asking, and remember what card they asked for, as he or she is looking through their hand of cards. Not only is this game working on their auditory short term memory, but their communication and socialization skills by interacting with others. This game also works on a child’s fine motor and grasp by picking up and sorting the small cards. If the child’s fine motor skills do not enable them to hold the cards properly, the game may be graded down by using larger, thicker cards.
Click here for step by step directions for playing Go Fish!
Rhythm Game
This activity will focus mainly on a child’s auditory short term memory.
The goal is to clap your hands in a specific pattern and then encourage the child to copy the same pattern. The caregiver should start simple and easy and then gradually get more complex with the pattern. Once the child masters this activity, roles may be reversed, and allow the child to be the initial clapper. The caregiver, in turn, will repeat the clapping pattern the child has created. Another way to grade this activity, is to incorporate a drum, a bell, or any other noisy object to the pattern. (Barbara Dunlap, 2010)
Simon Says
Simon Says is another classic game most individuals would not identify as therapeutic. This game, however, is great for a child’s auditory
short term memory. The caregiver will instruct the child a simple command such as “touch your nose”. The child should, in return, touch his nose. Once the child becomes comfortable with doing this game, it can be graded to become more complex. The caregiver may tell the child, “touch your nose with your right hand and stand on one foot”. When the activity is graded in a way such as this, it may also work on balance and postural stability. (Barbara Dunlap, 2010)