Play and Activities

PTN Chicago
February 20, 2019
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5 Indoor Play Places in Chicago that We LOVE

5 Indoor Play Places in Chicago that We LOVE https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/blog.jpg 1000 1000 PTN Chicago PTN Chicago https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b089686fe2661b8b749214cd380f64?s=96&d=mm&r=g February 20, 2019 February 20, 2019

February is the month of love, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to share some of the places that we love in and around Chicago, particularly during these cold winter months. These places are all wonderful spots for engaging your little one in play that promotes healthy child development.

The Chicago Public Library

With every last book available through the internet, it’s easy to forget just how wonderful your local library can be. Spend a half hour letting your little one pick out books that she likes and reading them to her. Do some puzzles, or play a game that you don’t have at home on one of the children’s computers. Each branch also has plenty of interactive programming every month, ranging from homework help to story hours to arts and crafts. Find your local branch and check the event schedule here.

The Little Gym of Chicago

We can’t say enough good things about The Little Gym. This place specializes in classes that involve active play. Some classes are for parents and kids, some are just for kids, and the age range is from four months to twelve years old. (So many places that offer children’s classes start at age two, so this place can be a real life-saver for new parents.) Choose from gymnastics, dance, sport skills, karate, and more. Visit the website here to check out the current class schedule.

Kid City

This indoor play space is over 3,000 square feet and has everything from a play grocery market to a dress up boutique. This is a great spot for toddlers and pre-k kids in particular with big imaginations. You can bring a friend along or plan a session with one of our occupational therapists at this great playground. Learn more about the rates and hours here.

Little Beans Café

A perennial parenting problem is figuring out a way to take your kids on fun adventures and feed them well at the same time. Little Beans Café solves that problem by serving an assortment of drinks (including coffee) and snacks that both parents and kids will enjoy, all within a family play space. This could be the perfect spot to meet with one of our speech therapists to practice socializing, instruction following, and more. Learn more here.

Exceptional Wiggleworms at Old Town School of Folk Music

If your little guy loves music but has sensory sensitivities, then Exceptional Wiggleworms may be the perfect solution. This set of music classes is specifically designed for children with special needs and children with sensitivities to loud noises. Every class follows the same structure and is taught by someone educated in the field of special education. Learn more and sign up for a class here.

These are just a few of the spots we love. For more recommendations, feel free to give our office a call any time. We can also answer any questions you may have about our occupational, speech, and physical therapists or our approach to pediatric therapy.

Triston Kee
March 26, 2018
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It’s Time to Spring into Action!

It’s Time to Spring into Action! https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/srping.jpg 1200 600 Triston Kee Triston Kee https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5ab7aa7d2a7e6977e62766e818cb36c1?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 26, 2018 March 26, 2018

The cold of winter is finally melting into the warmth of spring, and the transition couldn’t have come sooner! Your kids have probably been bouncing off the walls inside, so it’s finally time to get outdoors and enjoy some fun play therapy that will get them moving.

Here are a few of our favorite outdoor activities for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy for kids.

Marco Polo – This is a classic version of tag in which the person who is “it” has to keep his or her eyes closed. To find the other kids, he or she yells out “Marco!” and the other kids have to respond, “Polo!”

A great way to simplify this game and make it a little less frustrating is for the “Polo” children to stay in one place. This makes them much easier to find, and it allows the game to get switched up more often, which keeps everyone happier and safer. Be sure to play this great sensory game in an open space free of tripping hazards, and always have adult supervision.

Scooting around the driveway – A fun way to practice balance skills is to hop on a balance bike, sit on a skateboard, or bring those roller boards outside and scoot around the driveway or the basketball court at the park. Draw lines with chalk to make “roads,” or follow the lines already drawn on the basketball court to add some imagination to your scooting.

Outdoor gymnastics – An open patch of grass is all you need to practice gymnastics with your children. With toddlers, you can lay down and practice rolling around on the grass. With preschoolers, you can show them how to tuck their heads and do a somersault. Your preschooler might even be ready to give hand stands or cart wheels a try (with your help, of course)!

If you make it out to your local playground, give the monkey bars a try, or even do a flip over a low bar. Both you and your little one will get a great, playful workout.

Tummy time under a tree – With your littlest little ones, getting outside for tummy time can be a great change of scenery. If your baby hates tummy time, he or she might tolerate it better when there are grass and flowers to touch, smell, and look at.

Remember to bring a blanket with you and set up under a shady tree to protect your little one from the sun. Baby will also love looking up at the leaves, birds, and swaying branches when you flip over.

For more tips on how to engage in play therapy with your children this spring, contact the PTN team today. Our Chicago occupational, speech, and physical therapists are always here to help!

Thomas Chibucos
February 13, 2018
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Play and Activities

Feel the Love and Grow with These Family Activities Geared Toward Child Development

Feel the Love and Grow with These Family Activities Geared Toward Child Development https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/family_play.jpg 1280 810 Thomas Chibucos Thomas Chibucos https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b8a07e6de8e1cb84dadb4118e76dcb?s=96&d=mm&r=g February 13, 2018 February 13, 2018

No two children are alike. Every child will develop at his or her own pace, and every child will have certain strengths and certain weaknesses. If your child is a bit behind with their gross motor, fine motor, or speech skills, working with a physical therapist can be helpful. But you can and should also enjoy activities at home that can help promote healthy development.

The best occupational therapy and speech therapy for children is usually play based. Here are a few simple family child development activities that you can do (at little or no cost) with your children to help them grow stronger and more confident in their abilities.

Drawing Rainbows and Racing Cars to Cross the Midline

Some children have a tough time crossing the midline. This means that they have trouble using the two halves of their body together. This is a skill that most children develop by the age of three or four. If your child could use some extra practice crossing the midline, get a big sheet of butcher paper or poster board and have them actually sit on the edge of the paper. Then, give them crayons or markers to make semicircles around their own body. The result will be a beautiful rainbow of color and great practice using their hands on both sides of their body. Be sure to get in on the fun as well with your own rainbow.

You can also practice crossing the midline by making a figure eight race track and running cars around it. You can use electrical tape or masking tape to make a small track on your floor, or use a wooden train set if you have one. By moving cars or trains in a figure eight pattern, your child will move their arms back and forth across the midline.

Playing Hand Games to Develop Fine Motor Skills and Language Skills

Plenty of nursery rhymes and children’s songs use hand gestures. Singing these songs with your children and doing the hand movements with them can help develop fine motor skills and promote better language skills at the same time.

Sing a few rounds of The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and don’t forget to make rain trickle down your child’s face with your fingertips. Pat-a-cake is another favorite that parents and children can play together. You can also count off the ten little monkeys rolling out of bed on your fingers, or you can make up hand gestures for your child’s favorite song or lullaby.

Crawling Through Tunnels and Rolling on Scooter Boards to Build Gross Motor Skills

A nylon pop-up tunnel can be purchased for under $15, and scooter boards can be found for less than $20. These great toys can be used for all sorts of imaginative active play. Not only will your child (and you) develop important muscles and improve flexibility, he or she will have endless hours of fun in the process. Get on your scooter boards and pretend your living room is a raging river that you need to navigate together. Or see just how much fun your toddler has crawling through a colorful tunnel and playing peek-a-boo at either end. You’ll be blown away by the laughs and smiles.

Triston Kee
January 17, 2018
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Play and Activities

Beat the Cold with these Excellent Child Development Activities

Beat the Cold with these Excellent Child Development Activities https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/blog.jpg 1200 600 Triston Kee Triston Kee https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5ab7aa7d2a7e6977e62766e818cb36c1?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 17, 2018 January 17, 2018

We know that in the winter months it can feel like your options are incredibly limited in terms of play with your children. But resist the temptation to throw on a movie and call it a day! There are plenty of ways that you and your children can stay active while engaging in therapeutic activities at the same time.

Here at PTN, we believe in supporting development through play. An activity doesn’t need to be specifically designed by a therapist to benefit the development of your child. All sorts of play can incorporate learning, movement, body awareness, and social interaction. Here are some of our favorite winter activities.

If the weather permits, get outside!

If the sun makes an appearance, get your child bundled and head out the door.

Ice skate! If your child is a little older, take them to the local skating rink and practice those balance skills while having a great time scooting around. If skates are out of the question, you can also get on the ice in your snow boots and have fun trying to slide from side to side. Remember to make any falls as positive as possible by laughing and making it feel ok (and even fun) to fall down every now and then.
Throw snow balls! No need to have any fights. Rather than throwing snow balls at people, have a distance throwing contest, or practice hitting targets like fences or snowmen. Packing snowballs together is a great sensory activity, and throwing will build strength and coordination.
Go sledding! Even if you just have a cookie sheet or a trash can lid, sliding down hills can be a lot of fun and burn a lot of energy. Even climbing small hills can help build little leg muscles, and taking turns will help build those social skills.

Indoor fun for extra cold days and nights

When the weather forces you indoors, you can still have lots of fun playing pretend.

Stomp like monsters! Use blocks to build towers around the room, then stomp between them like overgrown monsters. Your child will love pretending, and he or she can even knock the towers down with their feet. This is a great way to stay active while practicing those big steps needed to make it through high snow. And building and rebuilding towers will improve those fine motor skills.
Put on a puppet show! Give your child finger puppets or a few stuffed animals and have him or her tell you a story using the puppets. Encourage a big imagination and help guide the story if your child gets frustrated or runs out of ideas. Just don’t take control – let them tell their story, and be sure to listen intently. You can also put on a show for your child. Take turns, and have fun with it!

For more winter activity suggestions or to learn about our therapy services, contact our team today!

5 Indoor Play Places in Chicago that We LOVE

It’s Time to Spring into Action!

Feel the Love and Grow with These Family Activities Geared Toward Child Development

Beat the Cold with these Excellent Child Development Activities

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