At Home Therapy

4 Fun Activities to Celebrate National Physical Therapy Month
4 Fun Activities to Celebrate National Physical Therapy Month 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

October is one of our favorite times of the year. The weather is cooling down, the leaves are falling, and best of all, it’s National Physical Therapy Month! Physical therapists are so kind and caring, and make such a significant impact on the lives of others. Fortunately, we are so lucky to have an incredible team of physical therapists at PTN, including our October featured therapist, Katie Akhurst, PT, DPT.

In honor of National Physical Therapy Month, we will be sharing tips, toys, and advice from Katie on our social media pages. But right now, we are very eager to get the celebration started, which is why we wanted to give you 4 activities to try out with your little ones throughout the month. Not only are these activities a lot of fun, but they also incorporate physical therapy in an engaging way. 

Walk Like an Animal: Get ready to be silly! Take turns with your little one, and pretend to walk like a specific animal. Then try to guess what animal the other person is imitating. For example, you could walk like a crab, gallop like a horse, or slither like a snake. Use your imagination and try to come up with as many animals as possible. For some added excitement, try your best to make the noises of each animal!

Play Balloon Tennis: This next activity is sure to get you and your children moving. To begin, grab two tennis rackets and blow up a few balloons. Next, take a sheet and tie it to two chairs to create a net. Now, it’s time to play! Have your child stand on one side of the net, while you stand on the other side, and hit the balloon back and forth as many times as you can without it hitting the ground. Make sure to keep track of your high score!

Go Water Bottle Bowling: Another wonderful activity that you can do at home is water bottle bowling. Get some empty water bottles and a ball, and set up a fake bowling alley inside of your living room or kitchen. Then, take turns with your child rolling the “bowling ball” down the lane, and see how many pins you can knock down. This activity is a blast, and is one that your whole family is sure to enjoy.

Search For Treasure: Not only does this last activity incorporate physical therapy, but it also will get your creativity flowing. First, gather some items that can be used as “treasure”, and hide them around the house. Then, create a fake map that your child can use to help them find the treasure. Your child can then use that map to run around the house and search for their prizes. As a bonus, switch roles and have your child hide the treasure and create a map for you!

Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout October as we celebrate National Physical Therapy Month. Additionally, please feel free to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

4 Activities That Allow You to Spend Quality Time Together as a Family
4 Activities That Allow You to Spend Quality Time Together as a Family 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

At PTN, we understand the importance of spending quality time with your little ones. That’s why, throughout September, we want to highlight the significance of family and togetherness, starting with sharing 4 activities that allow you to spend quality time together as a family. There is truly nothing like spending time with your loved ones and partaking in activities that allow you to strengthen your bond. We can’t wait for you to try out these fantastic activities with your kiddos – let’s make the most of these special moments together!

1. Make Homemade Pizza: A really great (and delicious) way to spend some time with one another is to have a homemade pizza night. Gather your ingredients, find a good spot to work, and get ready to have some fun! Sit together and begin to carefully roll out the dough, spread the sauce, place the toppings on your pizzas, and get them in the oven. When the pizzas are out of the oven and cooled off, enjoy eating your creations!

As a tasty bonus, use the ingredients to make funny faces on each of your pizzas!

2. Play Charades: Charades is a classic game that families have enjoyed playing for many years. Not only does it allow you to get moving and be a little silly, but it also lets you spend that oh-so-important quality time with each other. To begin, work together to come up with 10 different things that you can act out, and write them on pieces of paper. Then, take turns picking a piece of paper, act out what’s on it, and see if the other people in the room can correctly guess what you are trying to imitate.

3. Go on a Nature Walk: Being outside together as a family and enjoying the nature around you is something very special, and can strengthen the bond between you and your kiddos. That’s why we suggest going on a nature walk. Get outside, walk around, and enjoy the beauty of the world around you. See what you and your children can find along the way, and try to spot out as many flowers, plants, birds, and animals as you can. Don’t forget to bring some water and healthy snacks along with you!

4. Play Balloon Volleyball: This last activity is one of our favorites, as it gets you up and moving, and is also a whole lot of fun! Take a sheet and tie it to two chairs to use as your volleyball net. Then, blow up a balloon, and get ready to play. Divide your group into 2 teams, and have each team stand on one side of the net. Then, hit the balloon back and forward over the net, and see how long you can keep it up in the air! As a bonus, to introduce some friendly competition, keep track of your points and celebrate with a healthy and delicious treat!

Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all September as we highlight the importance of family bonding by sharing activities, tips, resources, and more! Further, please feel free to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Therapy and Back to School Routines
4 Tips For Incorporating Your Child’s Therapy Into Their Back-to-School Routine
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It’s almost time to get your kiddos ready to go back to school! Making the transition from being in the summer sun to heading back to the classroom can be tough on your child, and it’s important to try and ease them back into their school time routine. Though, we understand that for parents, creating a routine that also incorporates your child’s therapy can be somewhat challenging. But that’s where we come in! We’re here to help give you 5 wonderful tips for incorporating your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine. Our hope is that these tips can help make the transition of sending your children into the new school year a little easier.

1. Work With Your Kiddos to Make Lunch: An easy way to incorporate your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine is to make their lunch together. After your family sits down for dinner, ask your child to help you prepare their school lunch for the next day. You can ask your child to do things such as peeling an orange, spreading jelly or jam onto a sandwich, or using a cute cookie cutter to turn slices of fruit into fun shapes. Your child will love being your little helper!

2. Fit Therapy Into Your Child’s Morning Routine: There are so many opportunities to fit your child’s therapy into their morning school routine. In fact, your child is probably doing many of these tasks already! After your child has woken up and eaten breakfast, get them into a simple routine that they can follow day after day. For example, you can have your child brush their teeth, help pick out an outfit and get dressed, do some light stretching, make their bed, and help pack their school bag. This will make mornings go a whole lot more smoothly for both you and your child.

3. Make Time For Play: Being away from home and working hard at school all day can be tiresome for your kiddos. This is why it’s important to try and incorporate play when they get home! Not only will this give your child a chance to relax and work on their therapy, but it also allows you to spend some quality time with one another. Some easy ways to engage in play therapy with your little ones include:

  • Turn on some music and show off your best dance moves.
  • Have your child draw a picture of their day and explain how it makes them feel.
  • Get outside with your kiddos and enjoy a game of Simon Says. 
  • Try an easy family workout to get you and your children moving. 

4. Read a School-Themed Book at Bedtime: Last but certainly not least, we suggest ending the day by reading a book with your child. There are many books that relate directly to going back to school, that we just know you and your child will enjoy. If you aren’t sure where to begin, some of our favorite school-themed books include:

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout August as we continue to celebrate your little ones going back to school! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Parent Appreciation Day 2024
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Parents are true superheroes; they are also some of the most incredible people in the world. However, even “superheroes” need a break, especially when tasked with handling so many day-to-day demands. From taking care of your children, going to work, and balancing everything else in between, it can be overwhelming at times. The PTN team is here to help take some of this stress off your shoulders by sharing some relaxing activities that allow you and your child to unwind during Parent Appreciation Day (July 28th) and beyond. We hope that you enjoy partaking in these peaceful activities with your little ones!

Have Spa Time
This does not have to be complicated and can be an easy way to relax any time of day. You can really have fun with this idea (and get some time to unwind, too). For example, run a bath and add some essential oils or bath salts. Lavender is a scent that is known to be particularly calming. Then, sit with your little one and soak your feet together. You can use this time to relax and also as a time to “catch up” with your child.  

Make Popsicle Stick Pictures
Creating silly art pieces with your little ones is a fun and relaxing way to show off your creativity. One craft we think you’ll love is creating popsicle stick pictures! Gather some popsicle sticks, glue, paper, and markers, and find a cozy and quiet place to sit. Now, work with your child to create the perfect popsicle stick picture. Then, once your artwork is complete, hang it on the fridge for everyone to see, or frame it and hang it on the wall.

Have a Tea Party
Children love having make believe tea parties with their stuffed animal friends. So, why not take part in a real tea party together? Tea parties are very calming, and have numerous benefits, such as allowing your child to use their imagination. To begin, grab some cups and plates, and have your child set up your tea party. Ask your child to “invite” their favorite stuffed animal friends, then, come together to make some healthy snacks and drinks, and serve them at your tea party.

Go Stargazing
One final activity to help you unwind is stargazing. Wait for a night with mild weather, grab your favorite blankets and a few pillows, and head outside. Once you set up your cozy spot, lay with your child and stare at the beautiful stars in the night sky. Stargazing is very peaceful, and is great for sparking your child’s curiosity and wonder. As a bonus, print out a star constellation map, and work with your kiddos to try and identify as many constellations as possible.

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout July as we continue to celebrate our incredible PTN parents with activities, tips, resources, and more! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

Kid Summer Safety Tips
3 Tips to Help Your Kiddos Stay Safe While Outdoors This Summer
3 Tips to Help Your Kiddos Stay Safe While Outdoors This Summer 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

The start of summer is just around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited! With the sun shining and the weather starting to warm up, it’s the perfect time to go outside and make some memories with your family. And though we can all agree that there is truly nothing like the magic of summer, it’s important to take precautions to keep your little ones safe while playing outdoors.

That’s where we come in! We want to make sure that you and your little ones have a fun and safe summer, which is why we wanted to share some important tips that will help your kiddos stay protected while enjoying the outdoors. Let’s get started! 

1. Use Sunscreen That’s Safe For Your Kiddos: UV rays are typically very high during the summer, and it’s crucial to protect your child’s skin. Frequently applying sunscreen is a very effective way to keep your little one safe from the sun’s rays, but it’s equally as important to ensure that you’re using sunscreen without harmful chemicals. One sunscreen brand that we recommend for your kids is Thinkbaby. Not only is their sunscreen water resistant and dermatologist recommended, but it’s also safe for sensitive skin and is free of those dangerous chemicals.

2. Have Your Child Wear a Helmet (and Decorate It, Too!): Riding bikes, scooters, and going roller skating are great activities to try together as a family. But you’ll need to ensure that you and your little ones are staying safe by wearing a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. These items will protect you and your child from getting hurt if you fall, and help keep you as safe and healthy as possible. As a bonus, get your child even more excited about wearing their helmet by helping them put some fun and colorful decorations on it!

3. Find Ways to Keep Your Little Ones Hydrated: It can get really hot outside and your kiddos will use a lot of energy when playing, which means that they will also need to stay hydrated. But we understand that getting kids to drink water isn’t always the easiest task. Luckily, there are some unique ways to keep your little ones hydrated this summer. For example, you can make homemade popsicles to enjoy, have your child snack on juicy watermelon, or use water flavoring drops to encourage your child to drink more water.

We hope that you have a wonderful (and safe) summer! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for more summer safety tips, resources, toys we love, and more! Further, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

4 Tips For Reading With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month
4 Tips For Reading With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Reading is essential to learning and growing and opens up a world of imagination. Taking time to read with your child is a great way to spend quality moments together and helps your child fall in love with books. In this blog, we will be sharing 4 tips for reading with your little one in honor of National Reading Awareness Month. We hope these tips will help make reading fun and engaging for your child while also helping them develop essential skills that will benefit them for years to come. 

1. Start Slow: When you first start to read with your child, you do not need to read the book word for word. Instead, begin by flipping through a few pages and see how your child’s tolerance is. You can do this by starting with just a few minutes of reading at night and then working up to 10-15 minutes. It’s important to understand that kids have limited patience and can only handle so much reading at a time.

2. Tell the Story Using Pictures: Young children may have a tough time following along with the story in the book you’re reading. To help with this, try to tell the story the picture is sharing. For example, you could point to the picture on the page and describe it by saying things such as, “Uh oh, he looks like he’s hurt, and his mommy is going to give him a kiss on his owie to feel better.”

3. Choose Books With Animals: There are many great children’s books out there, and it can be challenging to decide which books to get for your kiddos. But some of our favorite types of books to purchase are books that contain animals. When you read animal-based books to your children, they can work on identifying and making the sounds of each animal. One book we love is the Touch and Feel Farm Animals book, which contains cute animals and multiple textures for your child to touch.

4. Have Your Kids Point Out Things On the Page: One easy way to get your child involved during story time is to ask your little one to point out things on the page. For example, you can ask your child, “Where is the ball?” let them point, then model back to them by saying, “Ball.” You can also have your child identify shapes and colors and count objects on the page. The possibilities are endless!

Happy National Reading Awareness Month! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month for more reading tips, books we love, and more! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Stress-Free Ways to Incorporate Your Child’s Therapy Into Your Daily Routine
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Parents work so hard to juggle numerous hats. Between going to work, taking care of your little ones, and managing everything else life throws your way, finding time to work on your child’s therapy goals can be challenging. That’s why we always recommend you try to incorporate your child’s therapy into your daily routine. In doing so, not only will you be able to reduce your stress, but you’ll also get the opportunity to help your child improve their developmental skills. Our hope is that fitting your child’s therapy into your everyday life will make it easier on you and take some of that added pressure off your shoulders. 

Have Your Child Help Clean Up the House

Asking your child to help you clean up the house teaches them the importance of helping others and gives them a sense of responsibility. Here are some easy ways to incorporate therapy into your cleaning routine:

  • Have your child bend down to pick up their toys and toss them into a basket.
  • Ask them to sort laundry into bins and then push the laundry bins across the room.
  • Have them climb up onto a chair or step stool to help you wipe down tables and counters or wash some dishes.

Work On Your Child’s Skills During Bathtime

Bath time is an excellent opportunity to work on your child’s fine motor and language skills. If you’re interested in incorporating your child’s therapy into their bath time routine, here are some activities you can introduce to your child that we know they’ll enjoy:

  • Incorporate nesting cups into your bath routine. Have your child practice pouring water from one cup into another cup or stack them on the side of the tub. 
  • Place different colored ducks on the edge of the bathtub and ask your child to count them and identify the color of each duck.
  • Make art together! Draw on the bathtub walls using bathtub markers. 

Read a Bedtime Story Together

When your little one is ready to go to sleep, perform their nighttime routine, let them choose a book, and tuck them into bed. Then, as you read the book, stop occasionally and ask your child to identify different objects on the page. Once you are done with the story, ask your child some questions, such as how the story made them feel and what their favorite part was.

Here are some wonderful book recommendations that you can enjoy reading with your little ones.

Happy New Year from Pediatric Therapy Network! Keep an eye on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all January long for more recommendations on stress-free ways to work on your child’s therapy during your daily routine. We will also be sharing tips, activities, resources, and more! Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. We’re here to support you and your kiddos in any way we can.

Stuffed Animal Activities to Try on National Family Day
Stuffed Animal Activities to Try on National Family Day 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

With September comes two of our favorite holidays – National Family Day and National Teddy Bear Day! Having a caring and loving family is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development, as it allows them to work on their skills in a supportive environment. Further, stuffed animals are also an incredible support system for kids, as they are a source of comfort for many children during therapy and in challenging times.

A child’s family and their favorite stuffed animal play such a pivotal role in their development, which is exactly why we love celebrating these two holidays throughout the month of September. For this year’s celebration, we wanted to share some activities that you can try together as a family. Not only do these activities allow you to enjoy some quality family time, but they also incorporate your child’s favorite stuffed animal and work on developing your child’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills, balance, and speech. 

Ready to get started? From having a stuffed animal race to participating in a stuffed animal freeze dance and more – here are some great stuffed animal-based activities that your family can try on National Family Day and beyond.

Have a Stuffed Animal Race

Get ready to burn off some energy with a stuffed animal race! To begin, you and your child will need to come up with some obstacles they can complete while holding their favorite stuffed animal. For example, your little one can walk across a tape balance beam, stack three blocks on top of each other, and toss their stuffed animal friend into a basket. Time your child and see how long it takes them to complete the course, and then have them try to beat their time during their second run-through!

Paint Your Stuffed Animal Friend

Another great activity your little one will love is painting their favorite stuffed animal friend. Gather some paintbrushes, paint, and paper, and get ready to be creative! Set your child’s favorite stuffed animal in front of them where they can see it, and ask them to paint a picture of their furry friend. Once they are done and the painting has dried, sit down with your little one and have them use their imagination to create a story about their stuffed animal!

Try Stuffed Animal Freeze Dance

The final activity we recommend trying is stuffed animal freeze dance! Turn on some of your child’s favorite tunes and get ready to move. Your child will need to show off their favorite dance moves while holding their stuffed animal friend. But they’ll need to be careful! From time to time, you will need to pause the music, and your child will have to stop dancing and freeze. If your child can successfully freeze each time the music stops, they win!

Stay tuned and follow our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all September as we continue to share fun activities, tips, toys we love, and so much more. Further, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Tips to Help Your Child Adjust to Going Back to School
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Believe it or not, it’s almost time to send your kiddos back to school! This year has flown by so far, and although we aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer quite yet, now is the perfect time to start helping your little ones adjust from spending their days having fun in the sun to going back to school. However, we know that this is sometimes easier said than done. 

It can be challenging to prepare for the upcoming school year (especially if this will be your child’s first year of school), which is why our team wanted to share some tips to help make the transition go as smoothly as possible for your family. Our hope is that these tips will help get your child prepared and excited about going to school. 

Make a Designated Homework Area

Creating a space for your kiddos to sit down and do their homework will get them excited about doing their schoolwork. First, find a spot in your house your child can use to do their homework (and even consider asking your little one to help you pick out their special homework area). Now, have your child work on decorating that area by using their fine motor skills to draw some fun and colorful pictures. Your little one will love having their own “homework corner,” which will make the transition to going back to school that much easier.

Create a Bedtime Routine

One of the most important things you can do to help your child adjust is to create a bedtime routine. Getting your child into a solid bedtime routine now will help them when the school year starts and give them some time to relax and unwind at night. Some things that you can incorporate into your child’s bedtime routine include:

  • Have your child practice brushing their own teeth.
  • Sneak in some playduring bath time with bathtub crayons.
  • Let your child pick out which pajamas they want to wear and even try putting them on themselves.
  • Ask your child to point to or label animals or objects found in their bedtime story.

Ask Your Child How They’re Feeling

Going back to school can be difficult for some children, and it’s essential that you ask your child how they’re feeling. Take some time to sit down with your little one, and ask them to tell you how they feel about topics such as going back to school, making friends, being away from home, etc. This way, you can learn about your child’s concerns, address these concerns, and get them prepared to go back to school.

One book we love that talks about feelings – The Feelings Book by Todd Parr

Follow our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month as we continue to share back-to-school tips, resources, and much more. Further, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills
Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Although we are always so appreciative of our PTN parents, we love getting the opportunity to show our gratitude for each of you on Parent Appreciation Day. This year, Parent Appreciation Day is on July 23rd, and to celebrate, we wanted to share some activities that you can partake in with your children that also allow you to relax and unwind. From trying family yoga to gardening together and more – here are some relaxing activities that also work on your child’s skills. Enjoy!

Family Yoga

An excellent way to relax and get moving is to partake in family yoga. Yoga is a great way to exercise while relaxing your mind, body, and soul. Not to mention, yoga is perfect for working on your child’s gross motor skills and balance. If you have done yoga in the past, fantastic! Use your knowledge to guide your child through some simple yoga poses. But if you’ve never done yoga, this family yoga video is easy for your whole family to follow.

Play a Board Game

Another easy way to relax while working on your child’s skills is to play a board game together. Board games are a great way to spend quality time with one another, and believe it or not, many board games are great for working on your child’s skills. Although there are many board games to choose from, one we highly recommend is Candy Land. Candy Land helps your child work on color recognition and counting, and also allows them to work on their fine motor skills when rolling the dice and while moving their game piece around the board. 

Garden Together

One final activity to do with your little ones is to get outside and garden together! Gardening is very calming and a great way to bond with your kiddos. First, get a pot, fill it with some dirt, and dig a hole in the dirt. Now, have your child use their fine motor skills to grasp the seeds and place them into the hole, and then ask them to use their gross motor skills to pick up the watering can and water the seeds. Now, you and your little one can watch the plant grow and appreciate your hard work!

We wish you all a very happy Parent Appreciation Day! Be sure to follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all July long as we continue to celebrate our amazing PTN parents and share some fun activities, tips, and more! Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

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