JD the Pediatric OT

04/29/2026

This isn’t just driving a car… 🚗

We turned painter’s tape into a racetrack, and suddenly this simple activity is building the foundation for so many important skills 🧠✨

Following the path = early pre-writing ✏️
Staying on the line = visual motor control 👀
Navigating turns = motor planning 🔄
Vertical play = shoulder strength 💪 (needed for handwriting endurance)

And the best part?
They think they’re just playing 😌

Try this at home:
• Make straight lines → beginner ➡️
• Add turns + corners → challenge motor planning 🔁
• Add “stop/go” or “parking spots” → builds listening + impulse control 🚦

Play-based. Brain-based. Intentional OT. ✨

04/27/2026

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTk4trR1h/

Check out jd.the.pediatric.ot’s video.

04/27/2026

STNR reflex activities 🧠

The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) is an early reflex that helps babies transition into crawling.
If it remains active, it can impact posture, coordination, and the ability to sit still or focus.

These activities support integration by encouraging the upper and lower body to work together while the head moves.

Activities shown:

• 🐻 Bear position cone slide
• 🐱 Cat–cow reach and place
• 🥜 Peanut ball crawls + reach and place
• 🐻 Bear position reach and stack
• ⚽ Ball under chin crawls

Targeting:

• 🤲 Bilateral coordination
• 🧠 Motor planning
• 💪 Core strength
• 📍 Postural control
• 👀 Visual-motor integration

Why this matters:
When the body can move together in a more coordinated way, it supports attention, posture at the table, and overall movement efficiency.

Play-based. Functional. Intentional OT. 💛

04/23/2026

Play doesn’t have to look exciting to be effective ✨

Sometimes it looks slow.
Sometimes it looks repetitive.
Sometimes it looks… kinda boring 😅

But that’s actually where the magic is.

Dropping the same block 20 times 🧱
Driving a car in circles 🚗
Opening + closing lids over and over 🔄

That’s not “just play.”

That’s:
• motor planning
• attention + focus
• problem solving
• cause & effect
• brain wiring 🧠

We don’t need to entertain every second.
We don’t need to switch activities constantly.

We let them stay in it.

Because repetition = how skills actually stick.

Let. Them. Do. It. 👏

04/21/2026

Whole body learning 🔤⚡

This isn’t just a letter activity…
we’re working the brain AND body at the same time 🧠💪

Standing on unstable surfaces (BOSU + wobble disc) challenges balance, core strength, and body awareness — which actually helps kids stay more focused and regulated ✨

Then we layer in letters + spelling (“cat”) to target attention, memory, and sequencing 📚

👉 movement = better learning
👉 play = more engagement
👉 full body = stronger skills

This is why therapy doesn’t always happen at the table 😉

Skills being worked on:
• Core strength
• Balance & body control
• Body awareness
• Visual scanning
• Coordination
• Memory & sequencing

from a peds OT 💜

grossmotorskills

04/20/2026

Washing dishes through play 🧼🍽️

Before kids can help with real dishes, they need the skills behind the task.

Drawing “dirt” with a dry erase marker and wiping it clean gives them a fun, hands-on way to practice the motion and build independence.

This activity targets:

• 💪 Hand strengthening (gripping + wiping)
• 🤲 Bilateral coordination (one hand stabilizes, one cleans)
• 🔄 Motor planning (how much pressure + where to wipe)
• 👀 Visual-motor integration
• 🧠 Task sequencing (dirty → clean)

It’s not just play — it’s preparing for real-life skills.

Play-based. Functional. Intentional OT. 💛

04/18/2026

Brushing teeth through play 🪥✨

If brushing teeth feels like a struggle, start here.

Turning it into a fun, hands-on activity helps kids understand the routine before it happens in real life.

Making the teeth “dirty” and brushing it clean gives them a visual + motor experience at the same time.

These activities target:

• ✋ Hand control + coordination
• 🔄 Motor planning for brushing patterns
• 👀 Visual understanding (clean vs. dirty)
• 🧠 Task sequencing
• 💪 Endurance for self-care tasks

Practice through play → carryover to real routines.

Play-based. Functional. Intentional OT. 💛

04/17/2026

Not just a throwing game 👀

This is what’s actually being worked on 👇

🧠 Following directions
🧠 Working memory
🧍‍♂️ Motor planning
⚖️ Balance & coordination
🎯 Hand-eye coordination
✋ Graded control (just enough force to hit the target)

He’s listening, remembering, moving his body to the right spot, and then controlling his throw…

All in one activity.

That’s full-body learning + brain work at the same time.

This is what helps kids with:
• following directions in class
• staying engaged in tasks
• coordination during play + sports

Play-based therapy = intentional skill building.

Try this at home:
• Call out colors or locations
• Change distances for throwing
• Add more steps to challenge memory

Simple game. Big skills.

04/14/2026

Parallel play is real play 👏

Your toddler doesn’t need to be “playing together” yet… and that’s okay.

Ages 1–3, play is supposed to look like:
👉 sitting next to each other
👉 doing their own thing
👉 occasionally noticing each other

That is social development.

When they play side by side, they’re learning:
• social comfort 🤍
• co-regulation
• shared attention 👀
• the foundation of turn-taking

You don’t have to force sharing.
You don’t have to make them interact.

Instead:
✨ sit nearby
✨ match their toy choice
✨ copy one small action

That’s how connection starts.

This is the beginning of playing with others… not a delay.

Save this for when you start to worry 👇