Meghan Corridan, Pediatric Occupational Therapist

08/18/2025

Handwriting is a whole lot more than just learning how to write letters. There are so many executive functioning skills that are needed for handwriting. Kids need to be able to understand and follow the directions for the handwriting task, plan out what they are going to write, maintain their focus and attention to the task, possibly in a noisy and chaotic classroom, and must be able to self-regulate their behaviors, feelings and emotions (especially if the task at hand is tricky). To learn more about the impact of executive functioning skills on handwriting, be sure to check out this great article from The OT Toolbox.

Executive function skills and handwriting are connected. Use these tips to help with executive functioing that impacts writing.

08/15/2025

Appy Friday! Come back each Friday for an educational app recommendation. This week, as kids start heading back to school, I am going to share my FAVORITE handwriting app: LetterSchool. This is hands down my favorite writing app and totally worth the price tag that goes along with it. I have found that not only is using an engaging and fun writing app motivating it is also great for younger kids learning how to correctly write upper and lowercase letters and numbers. Each letter or number has three steps to writing: first tap the lines of the letter/number, second you drag the lines of the letter/number and third you practice on a chalkboard with no lines available. What I love about using an app with younger kids is that they can’t move onto the next step if they don’t do the previous one correctly so they learn to self correct without too many verbal prompts from me which helps them learn better and faster. Two things I do whenever I use LetterSchool with my kids is that I always use a stylus (the cosmonaut stylus is the best) when practicing the letters/numbers and always practice with pencil and paper immediately after to help with generalization.
For some more app recommendations, be sure to check out my most recent blog in the comments below.

08/14/2025

As you prepare for the upcoming school year, it's great to have some tools to help your child during tricky moments. The beginning of the school year can be challenging for all kids, but it can be especially difficult for kids who have sensory challenges. All of the changes and transitions, no matter how exciting, can feel really scary and overwhelming and you might see that your child comes home and seems "out of control". Often times, sensory sensitive kids keep it together the best they can at school because it's whats expected and as soon as they come home, they unravel. I love this infographic from The Inspired Treehouse because it provides you with very easy proprioceptive activities to do at home that will help calm your child down during those tricky times. Proprioceptive input has many benefits including it can have a calming and organizing effect on the nervous system, helping children self-regulate their emotions and behaviors

08/13/2025

I am obsessed with this circuit busy board! I was in a restaurant last week and saw a toddler playing with it and was amazed at how long it was keeping his attention and even more amazed by what a great toy it is to work on the development of fine motor skills. This busy board has all kinds of switches and k***s that make sounds, turn lights on and so much more. In addition to working on fine motor skill development, it's a great toy to work on improving focus and attention, problem solving skills and cause and effect. It's so nice to see something other than a tablet keeping kids so engaged for such a long time. If you want to get your hands on one of these, search for circuit busy board for kids on Amazon and you will see all the different ones they have.
If you are looking for some more ideas for keeping your kids busy the final few weeks of summer (and beyond), be sure to check out my most recent blog linked in the comments.

08/12/2025

It's been a minute since I have blogged but with a slower summer I figured it was time to start up again. While many kids around the country are heading back to school, there’s still a few weeks of summer vacation for kids in the New York City area which means there’s a lot of vacationing and downtime for many kids.This is also the time of summer that parents start to panic that they need to start getting their kids ready for the upcoming school year. So to make my dive back into blogging, I am going to share some great games, toys, craft kits and apps that will help pass time during vacation and get your kids ready for school. I have tried to share ideas for kids of all ages and was also mindful of the toys and activities I chose were not big and bulky making it easier to throw into a travel or beach bag.

While many kids around the country are heading back to school, there’s still a few weeks of summer vacation for kids in the New York ... Read More

07/31/2025

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to emotions in healthy ways and can have an impact on every part of a child's life. Many of the kids I work with have a lot of trouble with this so it's important to work on identifying and naming emotions and coming up with strategies when they are experiencing big feelings so they can have more successful social interactions, experience greater success in school, especially when challenged, and show more empathy for others when they are experiencing struggles.

07/30/2025

Many of the kids I work with who present with sensory challenges can be sensory avoidant and that can sometimes be misinterpreted by others as a kid who has behavioral problems. There is a big difference between a child who is being bad and one who actually feels stressed out, scared and nervous about being in situations where they might experience unexpected noises, avoid certain foods, run out of crowded rooms/parties or are highly sensitive to smells.

07/29/2025

Happy Summer! It's been a while but with the summer flying by, I thought I would start sharing again. I recently discovered a new educational app by Originator....Paw Patrol Academy. I have found that my kids are highly motivated to practice learning how to write letters using a good app and since so many of my kiddos are obsessed with Paw Patrol so this has been a huge hit. The game features the following activities:
Learn spelling and vocabulary with Chase’s ABCs
Practice ABCs and letter-writing with Rubble
Master numbers with Marshall
Uncover shapes with Rocky
Explore art and colors with Zuma
Make music with Skye
Complete challenging missions with Ryder
As you can see, I always use a stylus with my kids, especially when doing any letter writing games and immediately follow up with hands on practice.

12/19/2024

It's just a week away from Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah and today's gift recommendations is Fat Brain Toys Inny Bin. The Inny Bin is a sensory toy for babies and toddlers, which is essentially a cube with elastic bands around its openings where children can push and fit chunky, uniquely textured shapes through, encouraging tactile exploration, fine motor skill development, motor planning, coordination skills and hand eye and bilateral coordination skills.

For more gift ideas, be sure to check out my most current and past gift guide blogs: https://macandtoys.com/blog-2/

12/18/2024

On this 5th day of Christmas and Hanukkah gift recommendations I choose the game Perfection from Hasbro. There have been many variations over the years but the most current one is my favorite. This edition of this fun kids' memory game lets players customize the trays: rotate them, flip 'em over, and swap them around…there are over 250 different combinations! Race against the clock before the pieces pop in Single-Player Mode, or players can race against friends in Multi-Player Mode and be the first to finish and press the pop button themselves. Play without the timer so that it's easier for younger players or for kids who have fine motor, grasping and manipulating challenges.

For more game gift ideas, check out last years Board and Family Games Guide: https://macandtoys.com/board-and-family-games-gift-guide-2023/

Hasbro Games eeBoo TENZI Games

12/17/2024

Day 4 gift idea....the best weighted stuffed animal out there, Hugimals! I discovered Hugimals a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love with them. Not only are they the cutest weighted stuffed animals I have seen, I love that you can remove the weights from inside so you can clean them when necessary. The way they were designed, you actually feel like you are getting a hug from your stuffie. Each of the animals weight 4 1/2 pounds and offers calming input that can help with focus, attention and decreasing anxiety for kids and adults. Weighted stuffed animals can provide several benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, enhancing focus, offering deep pressure stimulation, and providing comfort and security, particularly for individuals with sensory processing issues or autism, as the gentle weight can mimic a calming hug-like sensation.
For more ideas like Hugimals, be sure to check out last years Sensory, Mindfulness and Social Emotional Gift Guide.

https://macandtoys.com/sensory-mindfulness-and-social-emotional-gift-guide-2023/

12/16/2024

Day number 3 of gift ideas....Stomp Rockets! I love stomp rockets for many reasons but more importantly, the kids love them and don't realize that they are working on a lot of developmental skills while they are playing with them. The biggest benefit of stomp rockets is they are a great way to work on improving gross motor skills such as jumping, running, motor planning and coordination skills. Because the rockets themselves are made from foam, it is safe to use inside. There are so many different stomp rocket sets to choose from now but I think my favorite is the Dueling Stomp Rocket because you can add a social component to playing with it. Be sure to check out Fat Brain Toys for their large selection of stomp rockets to find the one that is perfect for your little one. In addition to working on gross motor skills, stomp rockets are good for improving hand-eye coordination, problem solving and can be used to improve social skills such as cooperative play and taking turns.

For more gift ideas, be sure to check out my gift guides on my blog: https://macandtoys.com/blog-2/

Looking for something specific for a special kid? Don't hesitate reaching out to me and I will help you out!