at home therapy

How to Support Your Child’s Therapy Without Feeling Overwhelmed
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Finding time to work on your child’s therapy can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when the pressure of setting New Year’s resolutions starts to set in. Fortunately, supporting your child doesn’t have to mean adding more to your plate. There are plenty of ways that you can incorporate your child’s therapy into your everyday routine, helping to take some stress off of your shoulders in the process.

From using car rides to build language skills, to creating a consistent bedtime routine and more, here are 3 simple ways to support your little one’s development without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Use Car Rides to Build Language Skills

Whether you’re driving your kiddos to daycare, taking them with you to run errands, or are heading to the park, car rides are the perfect opportunity to work on building your little one’s language skills. Take turns spotting different colors, animals, or letters, narrate what’s going on around you, or simply check in and ask how they’re feeling and what they did that day. These small moments can truly make a big impact.

2. Turn Clean-Up Time Into Playtime

Turn clean-up time into playtime! Rather than taking on all the work by yourself, get your kiddos involved. You can ask them to gently toss their toys into the bin, reach up high to put their toys back on the shelf, or play pretend and have the toys walk back to their home. When you’re all done, celebrate with a high-five, or have a silly dance party.

3. Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine

One of the easiest ways to work on your child’s developmental goals without adding any extra pressure is to create a consistent bedtime routine. Start off by building language and fine motor skills during bath time, encourage independence by allowing your child to pick out and put on their pajamas, and work on speech and communication by reading a bedtime story. Your child will love the familiarity of having the same routine each night, and you’ll love how it turns the end of the day into a calm, connected moment for both of you.

From all of us at Pediatric Therapy Network, Happy New Year! Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) during January for more ways to work on your child’s therapy without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, 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 your family in any way that we can.

Toy Takeover 2025: 4 Incredible Therapy-Based Toys Kids Will Love
Toy Takeover 2025: 4 Incredible Therapy-Based Toys Kids Will Love 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

One of our favorite times of the year is finally here and we cannot wait to get the celebration started. Each December, we share our annual Toy Takeover list, which features some of our favorite therapy-based toys that we know your kids are going to love. We are so excited to share what toys made the list this year, and hope that you enjoy trying them out during playtime with your little ones.

With that said, let’s get started! From adorable farm animal magnets to a fun pop-up toy and more, here are 4 of the toys that made our Toy Takeover 2025 list.

1. Farm Animal Magnets

These cute farm animal magnets are the perfect toy for challenging your toddler’s balance and gross motor skills. Simply place them onto your refrigerator or an easel so that your child can play while standing, and encourage them to pick them up from the floor to practice squatting. These magnets offer many wonderful additional benefits, including developing their fine motor skills, enhancing early literacy, and encouraging imagination and creativity through fun and interactive play.

2. Sensory Tissue Box

Another fantastic toy we love is this sensory tissue box. Not only will your kiddos love pulling and sorting all of the colorful fabrics, but playing with a sensory tissue box also has many benefits. This toy can help your little one improve their fine motor skills and encourages cognitive development. We also recommend introducing color recognition and counting skills as you pull out each piece of fabric from the box.

3. Pop-Up Toy

The next item to make our list is this fun and interactive pop-up toy. Your little one will love turning, pressing, flipping, and sliding each button, to discover the 4 adorable animals hidden inside. This pop-up toy helps improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving skills, all while developing their cognitive abilities.

4. What’s Inside? Soft Feely Box

The What’s Inside? Soft Feely Box from Lakeshore Learning has 10 unique sensory objects for your child to discover. From a butterfly with crinkly wings, to a frog that squeaks, and so much more, this toy will keep your kiddos entertained for hours on end. As your child pulls out each object one at a time, ask them to identify what’s in their hand. You can also encourage them to describe the texture and color of the object, or work together to come up with a short story about it.

Wishing you a very happy holiday season from all of us at Pediatric Therapy Network! If you would like to see all of the other toys that made our 2025 Toy Takeover list, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest). We will be sharing more amazing therapy-based toys all December long. Thank you to all of our amazing PTN kiddos, families, and therapists for an incredible 2025, and can’t wait to work with all of you in 2026.

4 Books to Enjoy With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month
4 Books to Enjoy With Your Little Ones During National Reading Awareness Month 1080 1080 PTN Chicago

Reading with your kiddos is something really special, and a great opportunity to help your child learn and grow. Books ignite imagination and spark curiosity, and reading together as a family nurtures a lifelong love of reading. Since March is National Reading Awareness month, we wanted to share some of our favorite books with you to enjoy with your little ones during this month and beyond. We hope these stories bring as much happiness to you and your child as they do to us, and help create precious memories that will last a lifetime.

Where’s Spot?: This first book is wonderful, and presents fantastic opportunities for playful interaction. Your child will learn all about different animals that are hiding on each page, which gives you the chance to teach them about the different sounds each animal makes. Another great thing about this book is that it is predictable, which helps kids anticipate what’s coming next and learn the routine of the book.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: This next book is one that you’ll definitely want to add to your collection. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? is one of our go-to books for encouraging imitation of non-speech sounds, which is excellent for language building. This book also will help your child learn more about rhyming, and the noises that specific bugs, animals, and objects make. Don’t be afraid to get silly and make the sounds out loud together!

Little Blue Truck: Little Blue Truck is an absolutely adorable book that we just know you and your child will enjoy reading together. The illustrations are so fun to look at, and this book allows you to be very playful. You’ll come to find that the lines are catchy, and the animal sounds will stick in your head for a long time. Little Blue Truck also teaches your kiddos about the power of kindness and to always help those in need of a helping hand.

All Better!: The last book to make our list is All Better! by Henning Löhlein. This book is very unique, as it allows your child to help take care of the animals shown using the restickable bandages that are included. There are 5 different animals that you will encounter, with each having a boo-boo that needs to be fixed. While reading, your little one can place the bandage on the animal to make them feel all better!

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout March for more books that you can read with your kiddos! Additionally, 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 you and your child in any way we can.

Toy Takeover 2024 – Sharing 5 Developmental Toys Your Child Will Love
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We are so excited because it’s finally December, which means that it’s time to celebrate Toy Takeover 2024! Each year, we get together with our team of incredible therapists and come up with a list of some wonderful developmental toys. Not only do these toys help your child work on their skills, but they are so much fun to play with. We think that we’ve come up with an incredible list of toys this year, and cannot wait any longer to share them with you. So without further ado, here are the toys that made our Toy Takeover list for 2024:

1. Infant Teething links

These infant teething links are perfect for your little ones who are starting to enter the teething stage. In our opinion, it will be your baby’s best first toy! This set comes with 24 colorful teething links that are easy to take along with you anywhere you go. The best part about this toy is that it is very easy to grasp, and it’s lightweight for early reaching, swiping, and mouthing exploration.

2. Lalabloom Sensory Balls & Beads

Lalabloom Sensory Balls & Beads is the next toy to make our Toy Takeover list for 2024, and for good reason! With this toy, your child will be able to enjoy endless sensory discoveries with these different textured and brightly colored balls and pearls. You can start your child off with tactile play and exploration, and as they grow and get older, move onto stacking and building concepts.

3. Hula Hoop

Get ready to get your kiddos up and moving! This next toy is fun for the whole family, and is one that you may have played with as a child, too. The classic hula hoop is one that you may not think of using to develop your child’s skills, but believe it or not, hula hoops are very versatile. You can play ring around the rosy, jump in and out of them, or even have a bean bag toss competition. The possibilities truly are endless!

4. Spark & Wow Wooden Magnets

The Spark & Wow Wooden Magnets set is perfect for sparking your child’s creativity and imagination. Not only is this toy approved for children 2 years of age and up, but it also encourages gross motor development, fine motor development, and language development all in one. Further, this toy comes in 4 fun different themes, including transportation, sea life, space, and emotions.

5. Radio Flyer Push Walker Wagon

The last toy we wanted to feature is the Radio Flyer Push Walker Wagon from Radio Flyer. This adorable toy provides a good amount of stability and support for any kiddos who are just learning to walk. As your child’s balance improves, the Radio Flyer Push Walker Wagon can be used to practice stooping and squatting by filling it with your child’s favorite toys. Additionally, you can weigh down the wagon as needed!

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season! We really enjoyed working with each of you in 2024, and are looking forward to seeing all of our incredible PTN families in 2025. If you would like to see what other toys made our 2024 Toy Takeover list, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest). We will be sharing more developmental toys all December long. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it!

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.

Kid Summer Safety Tips
3 Tips to Help Your Kiddos Stay Safe While Outdoors This Summer
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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.

National Speech Therapy Month
4 Fun Speech-Based Games to Try as a Family
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May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, and we’re ready to get the celebration started! This month is the perfect opportunity to work on your child’s speech and language skills, and we think that one of the best ways to do that is by playing games together. Fortunately, there are so many games out there that not only promote speech development but also allow you to create lasting family memories.

Ready to embark on a journey of playful learning? Let’s get started! From the “Favorites” Game to The Category Game and more, here are 4 delightful suggested activities for your family to enjoy during this special month and beyond.

1. Name the Opposite: This game is fantastic for helping your child learn about opposite words. To begin, write down words on small pieces of paper and place them into a bowl. Next, have your child choose one piece of paper at a time, read the word, and then ask them to try and come up with the opposite of that word. Once you have gone through all of the pieces of paper in the bowl, have your child try to come up with more opposite word pairs on their own!

2. “Favorites” Game: This game is a wonderful way to get to know a little bit more about your child’s favorite things. To begin, sit down and take turns asking each other questions such as, “What’s your favorite color?”, “What’s your favorite animal?” or “What’s your favorite type of ice cream?”. After each question, write down your child’s answers on a piece of paper, and have them draw pictures of their favorite things!

3. Guess Who? Animal Friends: The next game puts a fun twist on the classic board game, Guess Who? To begin, you and your child will each secretly choose an animal. Next, you will need to take turns asking questions to try and figure out what the other person’s mystery animal is. Keep going until you each guess the correct animal, and then play again! This is an excellent way to help your child work on their speech, and you can both get a little silly by making the noises of each animal. 

4. The Category Game: Our final game is fun for the whole family and will allow you and your little ones to be creative. Start by thinking of a category that you and your kiddos know a lot about. For example, you could choose animals, colors, fruits, etc. Now, go around and take turns naming different things in that category. Once you can’t think of anything else that fits into that specific category, move on to the next one!

Happy National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all month long for 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.

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

As the weather gets warmer and the sun shines a little brighter, it’s the perfect time to embrace the outdoors with your little ones. Spring offers so many opportunities for your family to get outside and explore a variety of activities designed to promote your child’s development, physical skills, and well-being. So, put on your shoes and jackets, breathe in the fresh air, and get ready to embark on a journey of learning, discovery, and fun with occupational therapy activities that are perfect for springtime adventure.

Play Sidewalk Chalk Games

Sidewalk chalk is so much fun to play with and allows your child’s creativity to shine through. But did you know that there are many things that you can do with chalk besides drawing pictures? For example, you can create mazes, play hopscotch, and even try tic-tac-toe! Other things that you can work on include helping your child learn their colors, numbers, letters, and shapes.

Make an Outdoor Obstacle Course

Get ready to burn off some energy—it’s time to set up an outdoor obstacle course for you and your family to enjoy! Gather items that you have around the house, such as hula hoops, cones, and jump ropes, and place them outside to create an obstacle course. For example, you could have your child jump from one hula hoop to another, try to walk across the jump rope balance beam, or knock over cones with a ball. For some added excitement, keep track of your child’s time and see if they can beat it on their next turn!

Start a Garden

Gardening with your little one is a great way to spend time outdoors this spring. Work with your child to pick out seeds you want to plant, and get ready to begin your gardening journey! Together, you can pour dirt into pots, plant the seeds, and then water them as needed. The joy your kids will experience nurturing these plants and witnessing their transformation into fruits and vegetables is bound to be a rewarding adventure!

Paint Hand Picked Rocks

This is a perfect activity to complete outside. First, you and your child can go on a hunt for the perfect rocks to paint. Whether you go for a walk to gather rocks or simply search in your own backyard, it’s still a great adventure. Next, spread out an old blanket or towel, sit down, and use your favorite acrylic paint to add designs and color to the rocks. You can get as creative as you like; create an animal face or even a pretty scene. Talk as you paint about what you are creating, the texture of the rocks, and even what each rock’s shape resembles. 

Happy Occupational Therapy Month! Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all April for tips, toys we love, resources, 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.

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.

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