Brain Waves Occupational Therapy

You can support your child’s praxis development through fun, step-by-step activities that encourage planning, sequencing, and adapting movements.

Movement and Play Activities

• Obstacle courses: Set up a series of obstacles like pillows, chairs, or cones and encourage your child to plan and navigate their way through. They can climb, jump, crawl, or go under and over objects.
• Simon Says: This game encourages children to listen, plan, and carry out different movements. Start with simple actions and gradually increase complexity.
• Dancing or follow-the-leader: Encourage your child to follow dance steps or mimic movements in a sequence.

Fine Motor and Coordination Activities

• Lacing and beading: Stringing beads or lacing cards helps with fine motor planning and visual coordination.
• Puzzles and building blocks: These encourage children to think through and organize pieces to create a desired outcome.
• Drawing or tracing shapes: Activities that involve copying or tracing shapes and letters help develop planning for writing and drawing.

Multi-Step Tasks and Activities

• Cooking or baking together: Following a recipe encourages sequencing, planning, and organizing actions.
• Gardening or planting seeds: This involves simple, sequential steps like digging, planting, covering, and watering, supporting motor planning in an outdoor setting.
• Craft projects: Simple crafts that involve multiple steps, like folding, cutting, and gluing, help with planning and completing tasks in a set order.
• Board games and cards games: Uno, Sorry, and Go Fish are all great choices!

Self-Care and Routine-Based Activities

• Practice dressing skills: Work with your child on dressing and undressing in a step-by-step way, like putting on socks and shoes or zipping up a jacket.
• Brushing teeth or hair: Break down grooming tasks into smaller steps, letting them complete each part to build confidence in following routines.
• Setting the table: Involve your child in setting the table for meals, requiring them to think about the placement and order of objects.