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Outdoor Occupational Therapy Activities to Try This Spring
Outdoor Occupational Therapy Activities to Try This Spring 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

April is National Occupational Therapy Month and we are thrilled to start celebrating! Occupational therapy helps children and adults alike who have issues performing cognitive, physical, or sensory tasks, work towards being able to perform everyday tasks and activities on their own.

We’ve found that one of the best ways to work with your child on their occupational skills is to take part in activities as a family, and now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to take some of those activities outdoors. As flowers bloom and the sun shines, we love to see our PTN families enjoy the nice weather, which is exactly why we wanted to share some fun activities that you can try this spring (and beyond) that your whole family will love – enjoy!

Rock Painting

Painting is a great way to work on your child’s fine motor skills.  To start, go on a nature walk and collect all sorts of interesting rocks. Decorate them with paint pens, chalk pens, or acrylic paints, depending on how messy you’d like to get. You can use Modpodge to seal your rocks so they last for seasons to come.  Once your rocks are dry you can add them to your garden or play hide and seek with them. 

Gardening

Gardening is an awesome family spring activity and provides great opportunities for messy sensory play, problem solving, and strengthening! Include your little ones in on the fun by asking them to help decide what flowers to plant and having them scoop and fill the containers.  Once the flowers are planted, use a spray bottle to water the flowers and grass instead of a hose. A spray bottle requires fine motor strength and coordination to operate. 

Hopscotch

Odds are you’ve tried hopscotch once or twice as a child, and for good reason! This is a wonderful activity to help work on your child’s balance and coordination while also helping them learn their numbers at the same time.

To begin, allow your kiddos to get creative by letting them help you draw a colorful hopscotch board using chalk. Drawing outdoors with chalk is a fun way to work on your child’s fine motor and handwriting skills.  When the board is complete, shout out a number that your child will need to hop to, and watch them hop, skip, and jump over to their number. Repeat over and over again until you’ve called each number at least once.  Wrap up the game by using your spray bottle to clean off the chalk from the sidewalk. 

Happy National Occupational Therapy Month!

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for more occupational therapy tips, resources, and activities. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support both you and your child in any way that we can.

Tips For Promoting and Keeping Positive Sleeping Habits in Kids
Tips For Promoting and Keeping Positive Sleeping Habits in Kids 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Promoting positive sleeping habits in children early on is crucial to their mental and physical health. In fact, it has been proven that getting an inefficient amount of sleep can have a negative impact on a child’s happiness, cognitive performance, mood, learning, memory, motor skill development, and so much more. If you’ve found that you’re having a hard time getting your kiddos into bed on time, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, many parents struggle to help their children form positive sleeping habits, due to the fact that they just don’t know where to start.

That’s where we come in. Our incredible PTN therapists have put together some insightful tips to share with you this month in honor of Sleep Awareness Week (March 14-20), that can help promote and keep positive sleeping habits in your kiddos moving forward. From practicing consistency to using visual schedules – here are some of our favorite tips to help your little ones form positive sleeping habits:

Establish a Consistent Bedtime and Naptime

Consistency is key when it comes to promoting healthy sleeping habits. When you put your child to bed or down for a nap at the same time each day, they eventually become familiar with their schedule and will be able to fall asleep more easily. It’s important to create a routine that works for you, your child, and any caregivers that are helping you out. One last thing that you’ll want to keep in mind when setting a sleep schedule is to ensure that your child is meeting the recommended amount of sleep each night (by age), according to the National Sleep Foundation:

  • 0-3 Months Old: 14-17 hours
  • 4-11 Months Old: 12-15 hours
  • 1-2 Years Old: 11-14 hours
  • 3-5 Years Old: 10-13 hours
  • 6-13 Years Old: 9-11 hours

Use Sleep Cues That Target Different Sensory Systems

Another great tip from our therapists is to use sleep cues that focus on different sensory systems. There are certain things that you can do to relax your body simply by targeting your senses. For example, for auditory you can turn on white noise, for tactile cover up with a soft blanket, for visual you can hang black out curtains to block out any light, for olfactory you could use lavender lotion on your skin, for vestibular you can rock your child while they’re falling asleep, for proprioceptive you can swaddle your child or have them use a weighted blanket, and for oral you could have your child drink water from a cup using a straw before bed.

Implement Visual Schedules

Our final tip to promote positive sleeping habits is to use visual schedules as a part of your child’s bedtime routine. Visual schedules can help toddlers establish a clear understanding of bedtime routine and what expectations are in place. For example, your child’s visual schedule should focus on the routine that they’ll follow when getting ready for bed. Some items you may want to include as part of their schedule are taking a bath, putting on PJ’s, brushing and flossing, reading a bedtime story, and finally, going to bed. 

Happy Sleep Awareness Week! 

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for more helpful sleep tips, or feel free to contact us at any time to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. As always, our team is here to support both you and your child in any way that we can.

Family Fun Activities to Try During National Play Therapy Week
Family Fun Activities to Try During National Play Therapy Week 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

National Play Therapy Week runs February 7th through the 13th and we are super excited to celebrate it! Learning through play is one of the most fun and effective ways to help your child work on their development, which is why we always incorporate play into our pediatric therapy sessions. When your child learns through play, they will be motivated to work toward their goals while also engaging in activities that will bring them joy and better their overall mental and physical well-being. 

If you’re looking for some ways to celebrate with your kiddos this week but aren’t sure where to begin, don’t fret.  We’ve put together a list of fun, family activities that you can try during National Play Therapy Week and beyond – enjoy!

Astronaut Scavenger Hunt: Put on your spacesuit and get ready to blast off! It’s time to save the universe in this outer space-themed scavenger hunt. Get together with your family and do your best to draw all of the planets, each on a separate piece of paper. Once you’ve finished, have your little ones go to their bedroom and shut the door – no peeking.

Hide each planet in different spots around the house where your child may have to crouch, squat, or go on their tippy toes to find. Now, explain to your kiddos that it’s their job to save the universe by finding and collecting each planet. They’re our only hope!

Pretend Bake Sale: Have your child round up all of their favorite dolls, action figures, or stuffed animals, and tell them that their toys will act as the customers for your pretend bake sale. Use fake money and divide it up between each one of your child’s toys so that they can use it to purchase some of the delicious goods that you’re about to bake. Then, decide on one or two items that you want to make, and get baking! Let your kiddos help add the ingredients, stir the batter, and decorate. Your child will love being able to “sell” their completed products to their pretend customers The best part? You get to eat all of the leftovers!

Create Rock Friends: Gather up your art supplies and create some colorful rock friends! This is the perfect play therapy activity to get those creative juices flowing. To begin, bundle up, go outside, and find some flat rocks that you can paint on. Then, wash any dirt off of the rocks, dry them, and get painting! You could make a ladybug, bumblebee, turtle, or simply glue some googly eyes onto the rock and paint a smiley face – the possibilities are endless!

Happy National Play Therapy Week! 

If you’re looking for some ways to spread the word about the positive effects of play therapy, the Association for Play Therapy has some incredible resources including images that you can share with your friends and family on social media. As always, if you think that your child could benefit from pediatric therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

New Year’s Resolutions – Ways to Work On Your Child’s Development Without the Pressure
New Year’s Resolutions – Ways to Work On Your Child’s Development Without the Pressure 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Happy New Year from all of us at Pediatric Therapy Network! The new year is the perfect time to reflect on the past year while also setting goals and resolutions for the year ahead. The most common New Year’s resolutions that we typically hear from our PTN parents is that they would like to make more time to work on their child’s therapeutic goals in order to support their development, but struggle to find the time during their busy day to day lives.

2020 brought a new and unique challenge to this equation as work and school moved to virtual platforms and everyone was at home together.  Working from home while also helping your child with their virtual learning and therapy can be overwhelming – trust us, we get it! Parents have a lot on their plates, which is why the therapy team at PTN tries to provide therapeutic strategies that can be easily incorporated into families busy schedules. Believe it or not, many physical, occupational, and speech therapy activities can be incorporated into your daily routines, allowing you to work on your child’s development without the pressure. 

With that said, here are some of our favorite ways to work on your child’s development without becoming overwhelmed or stressed out:

Get Your Child Involved in Cooking Meals

There are so many opportunities for your child to get involved while you’re cooking!  Cooking together is a great way to help support your child’s development and they’ll love being your sous chef. Some ways to get your child involved include asking them questions about the food that you’re cooking such as, “what item is this?” or “what color is this?”, allowing them to help mix and measure ingredients, or having your little one grab the ingredients that you need – the possibilities are endless!

Burn Off Some Energy

During your next workout, get your kiddo involved and have them do their own “mini workout” in the process. One way to do this is to set up an obstacle course for them with items around the house such as buckets, pillows, and hula hoops, and have them try to beat their best time over and over again until your workout is complete.

Another option would be to turn on a fun music playlist or video that features fun songs for kids, and have a dance party together! The best part about this activity is that it will allow your child to burn off some of their energy in the process. 

Clean Up Around the House

We’ve found that little kids love to help with chores. It gives them the chance to feel grown up and they love the fact that they get to work alongside their mom/dad. Some easy tasks you can give them that include sweeping, wiping down the table, sorting silverware, feeding the family pet, vacuuming, or cleaning up their toys. Our favorite part about this activity is that it will take some stress off of you now that you’ll have an extra pair of hands to help.

Times are tough for many families right now, and the last thing you want to do is put more stress on your shoulders. After all, you truly are doing a wonderful job! 

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for more suggestions on ways to work on your child’s development without the pressure, or feel free to contact us at any time. Our team of pediatric therapists are here to support both you and your child in any way that we can.

Toy Takeover 2020 – 5 Fantastic Learning and Development Toys
Toy Takeover 2020 – 5 Fantastic Learning and Development Toys 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

December is here!  Can you believe it?  When people say “the year crept up on them”, it really rings true for 2020.  While there was a ton of instability this year, one thing that remains stable is our annual tradition of our December Toy Takeover. There are many wonderful toys that are designed to help with your child’s learning and development, including five we really love for their versatility.

Not only will these five particular toys provide hours of endless fun for your little ones, but they will also help to work on all areas of your child’s development from gross motor and fine motor skills to speech and cognition. The best part? All of the toys featured in our December blog can be purchased at local small businesses in the Chicago area.  At PTN, we believe that shopping local matters and we encourage everyone to support as many small businesses as possible. This especially applies to this year as many of these businesses have struggled during the pandemic.

We’ve decided to feature two local stores in this year’s blog – Building Blocks Toy Store, and Timeless Toys. If you’re interested in purchasing from Building Blocks Toy Store, below is a promotion that they’re currently having for $5 local Chicago deliveries:

With that being said, let’s get onto the list:

Squigz

Squigz are one of the most versatile toys on the market. Not only can your child suction cup them to basically any surface around your home, but they’ll also be able to channel their creativity as they build cool structures and unique objects by connecting the Squigz together. Your kiddos will love gripping, sticking, creating, and separating their fun new toy, and you’ll love the fact that Squigz are safe and easy to clean.

Shape Sorting Cube 

We love to use this toy during therapy sessions and now your kiddo can use it at home, too! This vibrant shape sorting cube is wonderful for helping your child learn their shapes, colors, and sorting, while also working on developing their fine motor skills and gripping. You can even start early with this toy by removing the top and having your child practice putting objects in and out of a container.

The set features 12 colorful shapes that your child will enjoy dropping into the provided wooden cube over and over again. Once they’ve figured out where each shape goes, simply have them dump out all of the pieces and repeat the process.

LED Hula Hoop

Did you know that there are plenty of things that you can do with a hula hoop besides actually hula hooping? Yes, really! Here are some of our favorites:

  • Hold onto the sides and sing, Ring Around the Rosey (the hoop can assist with side stepping, weight shifting or transitions to and from the floor if that is a goal for your child).
  • Turn the hoop so that it is standing straight up to create a tunnel that your child has to squat down and walk through.
  • Make a choo-choo train by having the leader in the hoop while others hold the back and take your train for a spin through the house.
  • Create a “pit” to jump or step in and out of.
  • Make a bean bag toss game and use the hoop for your target.
  • Go on a scavenger hunt and place all of your collected items in the hoop.
  • Have a dance contest and incorporate the hoop into your dance routines.

Stomp Rockets

Get ready.. Get set.. Blast off! Stomp Rockets are the perfect gift for those kids who are always full of energy.  Your child will love setting up their glow in the dark rocket onto the launch pad, stomping as hard as they can, and then watching as it soars over 100 feet in the air. They’ll be entertained for hours on end as they keep trying to send their rocket higher up into the sky than the time before, while also working on their coordination and balance in the process.

Fubbles

Bubbles that have a no-spill design and come in a travel sized container? Count us in!  The container is designed so that the Fubbles will not spill out, even when tipped upside down so you can let your kiddos blow bubbles indoors without worrying about the mess! Pop the bubbles by pointing, reaching, clapping, or stomping, and practice counting and turn-taking along the way.  Each set of Fubbles comes in either a red, yellow, or blue container, and contains a bubble wand and non-toxic bubble liquid.  


Believe it or not, we’re just getting started with our Toy Takeover recommendations this holiday season. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter for more great toy ideas, and be sure to follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) as we’ll be sharing even more suggestions throughout the entire month of December.  On behalf of the entire team at PTN, we wish you and your families the happiest of holidays!

An Attitude of Gratitude Amidst 2020’s Challenges
An Attitude of Gratitude Amidst 2020’s Challenges 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

2020 has been a year of extreme highs and lows for most of us. For the first time in our lives, we’ve had to navigate a global pandemic that, even now, remains unstable. We’ve seen uncertainty every which way we’ve looked. From dear friends and family members being hospitalized due to Covid, to the small businesses we frequent having to close their doors. Now, we’re struggling to figure out schooling and what the rest of the year will look like as flu season nears. What will 2021 look like?

Perhaps the hardest part is being steadfast for our children. Our kids count on us to have everything under control, to provide them with a deep sense of security, and to show them by example that “everything is OK.”  Even when it’s not.  We’ve seen so many of our families bravely take on this pandemic and make dramatic changes almost overnight.  As if being the parent of a special needs child isn’t challenging enough, we’ve had to throw into the mix virtual therapy, completely new routines, and an entirely new way of living life.

The PTN team deeply empathizes with the challenges our parents and families have had to navigate.  We know this time has not been easy.  We know that each of you are trying your very best when the world seems like it is at its very worst.  We know that you’re tired, losing sleep, emotionally exhausted, and looking for hope anywhere you can find it.  We know this because we are navigating challenges too… but our plan is to navigate every obstacle with you!  

One way in which we hope to overcome the struggles of 2020 is by cultivating an attitude of gratitude.  We want to find the light wherever we can and we want you to know that our team experiences so much joy and sees so much light every time we work with you and your children.  Thank you!

“It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude, it’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” – Unknown

These words are powerful and they are true.  With this message in mind, and the hope of bringing those who mean the most to us a moment of joy, we want to take this time to express our deep gratitude:

Thank you PTN Kids!

First and foremost, we are grateful during this holiday season to be able to continue working with such incredible children. The positive outlook and hard work they bring each and every day is inspiring, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of their growth.  We are so proud of how they have overcome so much during this past year and believe they are the epitome of resilience.  

Thank You PTN Parents: We Could Not Do This Without You!

Not only are our PTN kids special to us, but our PTN families are equally as important. We couldn’t do our job without your support.  We truly value the relationships we have with you as we work toward shared goals.  We know these times have been difficult and we know you may feel like the world is on your shoulders.  We want you to know we recognize all the sacrifices you’ve made and think the world of you.  

Thank You to Our Incredible Staff!

Our PTN therapists are truly the best! Thank you for coming together as a team to support one another as you have had to learn how to navigate entirely new situations, like providing therapy virtually or in masks and face shields.  Your willingness to adapt and your desire to serve children is awe-inspiring.  Know that you’ve had such an impact on the lives of so many children and your dedication has not gone unnoticed!

Thank You to Family & Friends!

We want to say thank you to our own family members and friends for helping us get through 2020.  Your support and guidance have been invaluable (even if over FaceTime).  Thank you to our immediate family members for sharing your space with us as we have had to adjust to working and learning from home together.  We feel so lucky to have you in our lives!

As we move toward the end of the year, we want to assure you that we will continue to do our very best to provide not only exceptional care to every child and family we work with, but also emotional support.  We will get through this together!

The Benefits of Physical Therapy: Improving Your Child’s Development in a Home Setting
The Benefits of Physical Therapy: Improving Your Child’s Development in a Home Setting 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Physical therapy has been used for many years to help both adults and children with items such as treatment and rehab for chronic conditions, preventative care, injuries, and so much more. It has the power to change so many lives in a positive manner, and it can truly make a difference when it comes to helping your child improve strength, stability, and confidence in order to meet their motor milestones and engage with family and friends. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families whose children work with a physical therapist have had to make the transition from in-person therapy to teletherapy which is new for a lot of people. If you’re considering telehealth services but  are nervous that  your child isn’t going to get the most out of these therapy sessions there’s no need to worry! With a focus on parent education and coaching, our teletherapy sessions have been very successful and can be just as effective as in-person therapy.  Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more!  

With that said, and seeing as October is National Physical Therapy Month, we wanted to share some of the benefits of physical therapy for your child (especially while working on their skills in a home setting), along with some fun physical therapy related activities that you can do with your kiddos:

What Are Some of the Benefits of Physical Therapy For Children?

Though there are many benefits of physical therapy for your child, here are some of the main benefits:

  • Strengthens muscles
  • Builds endurance
  • Improves balance and coordination
  • Increases range of motion
  • Supports achievement of motor milestones and overall mobility skills 

How Can a Physical Therapist Help a Child Who is Demonstrating Developmental Delays?

A physical therapist will be able to assess your child’s physical development to determine if gross motor delays are present. They will explain what factors are contributing to these delays and work with you to come up with a plan to improve these areas. In addition to a detailed evaluation, this plan will include activities that you can incorporate into your child’s daily routine to help support their development.  

How Can Therapy in a Home Setting be Beneficial to Children? 

Children thrive in their skill development when they are in a place that they feel safe, happy, and comfortable. For most children, this place is usually their own house. They tend to be more focused, determined, and excited to improve their skills while at home because they are familiar with their surroundings, and they are around the people they love most – their family! It is also easier for caregivers to carry out home exercise activities when they are incorporated into their daily routines. 

What Are Some Fun Gross MotorActivities That I Can Do With My Child At Home?

  • Bean Bag Toss: This is an activity that your kiddos will love. Holding and then throwing the weighted bean bags will help to work on your child’s strength and coordination as they try to get their bean bag into the target hole. If you don’t already have a bean bag set, we suggest this set that’s made just for kids.
  • Fly Like Superman: This activity works on your child’s core strength and coordination and allows your child to use their imagination in the process. Have your child lay on their tummy and tell them to try and lift their arms and chest off of the ground so that they’re “flying like superman”. To make this activity even more fun, try it on a swing or give your child a cape and tell them that they’re flying to go save the world!
  • Painter’s Tape Balance Beam: Get some painter’s tape and create three “balance beams” on your floor. You can have one balance beam be in a straight line, one in a zig-zag line, and one in a circle shape. Have your child try to walk on each beam without falling off to the side to work on their balance and coordination.

If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate this month and spread the word about the benefits of physical therapy, the American Physical Therapy Association has great resources that you can check out, including graphics that you can use on your social media as your cover photo or profile picture.

At-Home Therapy Activities That Use Your Child’s Favorite Stuffed Animal
At-Home Therapy Activities That Use Your Child’s Favorite Stuffed Animal 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

When you were a kid, what was the one item that you always had to have with you? Was it a blanket? A toy? Well, for a majority of our staff here at PTN, our special item was a stuffed animal. It’s very common that children have a favorite item, and more times than not, you’ll notice that this item is indeed a stuffed animal. This is because stuffed animals bring on a sense of comfort and joy, and they make it easier for children to express themselves, which makes them the perfect learning tool during therapy sessions.

Using your child’s favorite stuffed animal during at-home therapy can be extremely beneficial as it will keep your kiddos motivated and excited to develop their skills. The best part? Your little one will be ecstatic to be learning with their best stuffed animal friend, by their side.

With that said – and in honor of September 9th being National Teddy Bear Day – we wanted to share some of our favorite at-home therapy activities that use your child’s favorite stuffed animal. Enjoy!

Create a Story 

This activity gives your child the opportunity to be creative while working on their speech development. Sit down with your kiddo and ask them some questions about their stuffed animal such as, “What’s your stuffed animal’s name? Where does your stuffed animal want to go? What’s your stuffed animal’s superpower?”. 

As they’re telling you the answers to the questions, write each answer down on a separate sheet of paper. Once you’re all done asking questions, get ready to help your child create their very own book. Your child will be able to work on their grip strength by coloring each answer page with an image that fits the text, and once they’re done, they’ll have their very own book based on their stuffed animal!

Partake in Sensory Play 

Another great way to use your child’s stuffed animal is for sensory play. Kids (especially toddlers and babies) love to explore different textures, and most stuffed animals have numerous textures on them. For example, if the stuffed animal is a cat, it may have prickly whiskers, soft or fuzzy fur, and hard eyes. Let your child touch each texture one at a time while you ask them to describe what it feels like – soft, hard, fuzzy, rough, bumpy, etc. 

Play Dress Up

Your child will absolutely love being able to use their imagination while dressing up their stuffed animal, and you’ll love this activity because it works on your child’s fine and gross motor skills. You and your kiddo can make up stories about where their stuffed animal is going, and then, they’ll dress up their stuffed animal to fit the story. For example, if you both decide that the stuffed animal is going to a ball, your child could dress their furry friend in a dress or suit, and if you both decide that the stuffed animal is going to a beach, your child could dress their furry friend in shorts and a t-shirt. Your child will have so much fun looking through all of the clothing options and will be entertained for hours on end.

You can find dress up clothes that will fit your child’s stuffed animal on Amazon, at toy stores, or, you can make them yourself!

Let Your Child Be a Caretaker

Allowing your child to take care of their stuffed animal will bring out their nurturing side, and will allow them to work on their fine motor skills, speech, and gross motor skills. You can have your child feed their stuffed animal, give them a pretend bath, place a bandaid on any owies they may have, or put their furry friend to bed – the possibilities are endless! The best part about this activity? Your child will learn responsibility and compassion in the process. 

Be sure to keep an eye on our social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest) all month long as we share additional activities.

Fun Family Activities That Will Help Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills
Fun Family Activities That Will Help Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

With all of the uncertainty in the world right now, it’s nice to know that there’s one thing that you can always count on – your family. Through all of the ups and downs that life brings, your family will always be there for you no matter what, and if there’s one positive thing that has come out of these uncertain times, it’s that parents and their children have really gotten to reconnect and spend more time with one another.

With that said, we understand that many of you have had to get creative in finding ways to entertain your kids while also helping them improve on their fine motor skills. If you feel like you’ve run out of ideas, we’re here to help! One of our favorite holidays is celebrated in August – Family Fun Month – so we thought we’d share some activities that your whole family will love, and that will also work on your child’s fine motor skills. 

From q-tip painting to friendship bracelets, here are some fun family activities that will help improve your child’s fine motor skills:

Q-Tip Painting

What you’ll need: Q-tips, paint, paper, stick-on magnets, your imagination!

Our first fine motor activity lets your child’s creativity shine! For q-tip painting, you’ll need to get some q-tips, paint, paper, stick-on magnets, and your imagination. First, you’ll want to sit down with your kiddos and talk about what you’re both going to paint –  the possibilities are endless!

Once you’ve decided on what you’re going to create, use a q-tip as a brush, dip the cotton section of the q-tip into the paint, and then start painting with your q-tip on a plain piece of paper. Once you’re done, you can put stick-on magnets on the back of the paper, and hang your artwork on the fridge, or place your art in a frame to hang around the house. 

Friendship Bracelets

What you’ll need: String, scissors, beads, penne noodles, food coloring dye.

Who doesn’t love a cute friendship bracelet? We know we do! For this next activity, you and your kiddos will get to make some adorable jewelry that you both will love. All you need is some string, scissors, colorful beads, penne noodles, and food coloring dye. Before you begin, grab a couple bowls and fill them with some water and food coloring. Next, soak the penne noodles in the food coloring for a few hours in order to dye the noodles. Now, it’s time to create your jewelry! Help your kiddo out by cutting them a piece of string for their bracelet, and show them how to thread on the noodles and beads. Once you’re both done, you’ll have cute friendship bracelets to show off!

Spray Chalk Art

What you’ll need: Spray bottle, water, washable tempera paint, dish soap. 

Our final activity let’s you and your kids get outside and enjoy the warm weather. Spray chalk art is easy to make and will keep your children entertained for hours on end. To create your spray chalk paint, place a drop of washable tempera paint into a spray bottle along with a cup of hot water and a squirt of dish soap. Shake the bottle well, and get ready to create some art! Show your kids how to use the spray bottle to create unique designs/art on the sidewalk or driveway. When you’re all done, you can simply wash off your art with some water.

5 Reasons Why Parents Deserve a Huge Pat On the Back (Including You!)
5 Reasons Why Parents Deserve a Huge Pat On the Back (Including You!) 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Happy July, everyone! We can’t believe that 2020 is already halfway over – what a crazy ride it’s been so far! We hope you and your family have been staying safe, happy, and healthy throughout these uncertain times, and look forward to working with each and every one of you during the second half of the year and beyond. 

At PTN, we get extra excited when July rolls around because with this month comes one of our favorite holidays – Parent Appreciation Day.  This holiday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July.  This month, it happens to land on the 26th.  

The truth of the matter is, being a parent is one of the toughest jobs out there and unfortunately, parents don’t always get enough credit for all that they do. That’s why we wanted to take this holiday to remind you that you deserve all the thanks, love, appreciation, and happiness in the world. We feel very fortunate to be able to work with all of you incredible parents each and every day and our team is thrilled to celebrate you even further this month.

And, just in case you need the reminder, here are 5 reasons why parents deserve a huge pat on the back today and every day:

Parents Provide Emotional Support

Life comes with many highs and many lows.  It’s important that we all have someone that we can look to when life gets tough, and for children, parents are a main source of emotional support from the time they are born, all the way into adulthood. Being a child comes with a lot of unknowns and children tend to look for support from their parents to help them learn, grow, and feel safe with. Children need someone that they can turn to when they want to ask questions about life, when they’re sad, or when they need help navigating a tough time in their life. Being able to talk to someone about uncomfortable things while also feeling safe is something that your child will appreciate and remember forever. 

Your constant emotional support is admired – give yourself another pat on the back!

Parents Are Hardworking

Parents are some of the most hardworking people in the entire world. Being a parent comes with many hats and responsibilities such as making sure there’s food on the table, a roof over your family’s head, and ensuring that your children are taken care of –  we’re exhausted just thinking about it!

It takes a lot of time and effort to make sure that everything is running smoothly within your home, especially when it comes to taking care of your family. That’s why it’s important to remember that you, as a parent, are basically a modern day superhero. 

Your hard work is appreciated – give yourself another pat on the back!

Parents Are Great Teachers

Believe it or not, as a parent, you’ll always be your child’s number one teacher in life. You help them learn to walk and talk, how to be polite and use their manners, how to share, how to ride a bike, and so much more. You’re basically always teaching your child something whether you know it or not, all of which will help them grow into a kind, smart, and self-sufficient adult. Children look up to their parents for advice and guidance throughout their whole lives, and more likely than not will continue to look to you to teach them things (big and small) for years to come.

You are your child’s number one teacher – give yourself a pat on the back for helping them grow!

Parents Are Understanding

Being a parent isn’t always the easiest job in the world, especially when your child makes decisions that you don’t agree with. There are going to be times throughout your child’s life when they may choose a path different from what you thought they’d choose such as joining the band when you thought they should play basketball.

The thing about being a parent is that you love your children unconditionally and want them to be happy. So even though you may not always agree with their decisions, your understanding and support go a long way!  

You’re understanding even when it’s hard to be – give yourself an extra pat on the back, for this one!

Parents Make It Look Easy (Even When It’s Not)

Maybe the biggest thing that you as a parent should give yourself a pat on the back for is making parenting duties look easy even though they’re not easy at all. There are a million and one things that parents have to take care of on top of raising children, and it can get overwhelming at times.

Parents can somehow manage to juggle staying on top of their work, keeping up with duties around the house, and spending time with/taking care of their family without a blink of an eye. As we said before, parents are superheroes!

Thank you for pushing through and making being a parent look easy – give yourself one final pat on the back!

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