Blowing bubbles is a simple activity that helps children who drool or have low oral motor strength by working on lip rounding, breath control and jaw coordination. A fun twist on this activity is pour bubbles into a bowl, give your child a curly squiggle straw and have them blow into the bowl and watch the bubbles grow.

Strengthening the hand muscles improves fine and gross motor skills needed for self care tasks and success in the classroom. Some fun activities to work on strengthening the intrinsic muscles in the hand are:

-Soak sponges in water and have your child squeeze them.

-Give your child a spray bottle and have him/her help you water the plants.

-Using PlayDoh, have your child create a ball and utilize one hand to roll the ball creating a skinny worm on a surface.

-Do art projects utilizing pom poms but instead of having your child pick them up with his/her fingers, use tweezers which require greater fine motor control.

-For preschool and lower school aged children, use a visual schedule so your child sees what is expected of him/her and gives him/her an opportunity to mentally plan for each activity in advance.

-For toddlers, use “First and Then.” FIRST get dressed, THEN you can play a game. FIRST eat chicken, THEN you can have a cookie. This method allows the child to understand sequence and be more amenable to do the less desired activity if they know the desired activity/task is to follow.

The Therapy Gym, owned by Dr. Elisheva Fuchs, is the leading pediatric therapy center in Bergen County. The Therapy Gym provides physical, occupational, speech, behavioral and aquatic therapy as well as many classes for kids. Only the best, highly skilled and trained therapists work at the gym to help each child reach his or her potential. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development, call The Therapy Gym at 201-357-0417 or email [email protected]. You can also follow The Therapy Gym on Instagram and Facebook to learn more tips.