Winter Activites
Written by:
Morgan Martinson, MS, OTR/L
Winter is upon us, and Arise Therapies cannot wait to tackle these winter wonderland activities! These activities can be done at home with family and friends, while also targeting therapy goals in such fun ways. Below are some common winter and holiday activities, and how each activity can target a variety of goals!
Baking Cookies
Baking Cookies:
Regulation - Kneading and rolling out the dough with a rolling pin requires lots of regulating heavy work.
Sensory Processing - Touching and manipulating a variety of textures when measuring and mixing ingredients. Exposure to a variety of smells and tastes, by smelling the cookies as they bake in the oven, and finally getting to taste them when they are done!
Bilateral coordination - Using both hands to roll out dough with a rolling pin, and using both hands to push cookie cutters into the dough.
Visual Motor Integration - Decorating the cookies with frosting, icing, and sprinkles. You can even create patterns with the cookie decorations, and attempt to recreate the patterns!
Sequencing - Following a written recipe with the sequence of steps in the correct order to ensure cookies bake correctly!
Making A Snowman
Making a Snowman:
Sensory Processing - Touching and manipulating a variety of textures and temperatures when building the snowman, whether you are using real snow, fake snow, or even kinetic sand!
Regulation - Rolling the material to form the snowman’s body provides regulating heavy work through both arms and hands.
Body Part and Clothing Identification - Identifying various body parts and accessories/clothing by using various materials to accurately place eyes, a nose, ears, mouth, a hat, and scarf on the snowman!
Handwriting - With older children, expand on the activity by challenging them to develop and write a creative story about their snowman, or simply describing their snowman!
Wrap Presents
Wrapping Presents:
Bilateral Coordination - Manipulating the wrapping paper around the present will encourage stabilizing the present with one hand while wrapping the paper around the present with the other hand. Encouraging children to use both hands together!
Fine Motor Coordination - Tearing and manipulating tape to ensure the present is wrapped securely will target fine motor coordination skills, as well as wrapping and tying a bow around a present.
Handwriting - Each present will need a gift tag to show who the present is for, so have children help write their family and friends’ names on the tags!
Decorate a Christmas Tree
Decorate a Christmas Tree:
Fine Motor Coordination - Manipulating small ornament strings or hooks to attach them to the tree requires fine motor coordination and precision.
Bilateral Coordination - Have children help string the lights, using both hands and arms to stretch out the lights and wrap them around the tree.
Sensory Processing - When decorating the tree, there is a wide variety of stimuli including the sight of colored lights, the texture of the tree and various ornaments, the smell of the tree (if it is real!), as well as Christmas music that may be playing in the background!
Visual Motor Integration - Accuracy in reaching and placing ornaments on the tree targets visual-motor integration skills - using our vision to help guide our movements!