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How Moms and Dads Reading Styles Each Help Baby
It’s a great idea to make reading aloud part of your family’s daily routine. But did you know that parents’ reading styles are different in some ways? Moms’ Typical Reading Style One study on reading styles found when moms read to children they ask more concrete questions and also label and describe objects like “what … Continued
Outdoor Earth Day Activities for Kids
The sun is shining bright, flowers are blooming, and summer is right around the corner. Make the most of Earth Day this year by teaching your child how important nature is through fun and engaging outdoor Earth Day activities. Use the activities listed below to not only make Earth Day fun, but also to promote … Continued
Easy Daily Activities to Help Baby Reach Milestones
Did you know the average toddler takes 14,000 steps per day? That adds up to more than 2.5 miles your little one is walking! These numbers might seem surprising, but walking is just one of the developmental milestones we see in children. We see toddlers taking awkward steps, stumbling, falling, and getting up all the … Continued
5 Tips for Sensory Friendly Haircuts
Haircuts for kids can be difficult to manage. There are many new sounds, sensations, feelings, and smells that might make children feel uneasy. Children might feel uncomfortable with all the unknown objects like hair products, scissors, hair dryers, etc. or they may not like the feeling of neck towels, smocks, or itchy hair falling on … Continued
Make Your Own Putty for Fine Motor Practice
Playing with putty is a great way for children to develop hand and finger strength along with fine motor skills. There are tons of brands and varieties of “Silly Putty” and “Play-Doh” you can buy in stores, but making your own DIY putty from ingredients in your kitchen is much more fun and a great … Continued
Valentine’s Day Crafts for Fine Motor Development
Have fun making Valentine’s Day crafts and try this heart shaped decoration with your child. Threading beads and twisting pipe cleaners are great Valentine’s day crafts ideas for learning fine motor skills that are used daily to write, draw, use small utensils, and operate computers and other digital tools. Appropriate Age: 4-5 Years What you’ll … Continued
Using Fine Motor Skills to Make a Valentine’s Day Wreath
Did you know crinkling small pieces of tissue paper is an excellent idea for arts and crafts for fine motor skills in children? Crinkling small pieces of paper uses the same three fingers necessary for gripping a pencil: the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers. Children typically develop the strength and dexterity to grip a pencil … Continued
Homemade Crafts for Kids: Valentine’s Day Card Holder
Keep little hands busy and practice motor skills with this fun Valentine’s card holder! This is a great way for your child to recycle a paper bag and get in the Valentine’s spirit. Homemade crafts for kids are a fun way to practice fine motor and organizing skills. Your child can collect all their Valentine’s … Continued
5 Ideas to Encourage Children to Be Thankful
Did you know research suggests that giving thanks has the power to make people happier? Encourage children to be thankful to foster a life filled with happiness, gratitude, and kindness. When we stop to savor and appreciate our daily lives, we become happier. Creating an attitude of gratitude in children is a challenge that goes … Continued
Saying Thank You
One of the simplest ways to show appreciation and thankfulness, saying “Thank You”. Pathways.org would like to say THANK YOU to our donors and all the people who help us in our mission of providing FREE tools to maximize all children’s development. Thank you to all the parents who help us to create our materials. … Continued
What is Animal Assisted Therapy?
What is Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)? Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is a form of therapy that uses animals in treatment to improve social, cognitive, motor, and emotional functioning. It can sometimes be referred to as “pet therapy”. What types of animals are used in therapy? Highly trained dogs and cats are most commonly used in … Continued
Great Family Halloween Activities Beyond Trick or Treating
Candy and costumes are great, but there is more than one way to appreciate the Halloween season. Read here to get some ideas about Halloween activities for the entire family. Try these Halloween activities your family can enjoy before and after the one night of trick-or-treating. Pumpkin (or any produce!) Decorating Pumpkin decorating is a … Continued
Why Food Allergies are Becoming More Common
It seems like we hear about a new food allergy or food intolerance every day. Nut allergies and other serious allergic conditions were once rare and infrequently diagnosed. Now they seem prevalent in school lunchrooms everywhere. Are food allergies on the rise? To answer this question simply: yes. The Center for Disease control estimates about … Continued
How to Help Make Halloween Easier for Children with Sensory Issues
Halloween can be a fun time of year for children. They get to dress up, eat candy, and carve pumpkins! But for a child with a sensory issue these experiences can be stressful enough to make them feel uncomfortable or unable to participate. Here are five tips to make Halloween sensory friendly. Halloween Preview Talk to … Continued
Fun Fall Crafts For Kids
Fall crafts are a great way to let kids exercise their creativity while improving fine motor skills. A whole bunch of materials and substances to touch, feel, glue, cut, and play with will engage the senses. Embrace the colors and crisp air of autumn with these easy fall crafts for kids! Press Leaves Go on … Continued
Importance of Play in Children’s Development
The importance of play in children’s development cannot be overstated because it provides time and space for children to explore and gain skills needed for adult life. Children’s playtime has steadily decreased due to limited access to play spaces, changes in the way children are expected to spend their time, parent concerns for safety, and … Continued
How to Help Turn Your Picky Eaters Into Veggie Lovers
When dealing with the combination of feeding problems, food allergies, and picky eaters, it can be tough to get kids to eat anything at all, and you might often wonder how to get kids to eat vegetables. However, research suggests dietary habits are established as early as infancy. The USDA suggests that vegetables should be … Continued
Family Activities for Fall
Are you looking for fun family activities to do this fall? Look no further! Turn off the tv, walk away from your computer, put your phone down, and get your family active with these easy fall activities. Play In the Leaves Okay, so maybe do a bit more than play. Make household chores fun for … Continued
Is Your Child’s Backpack Too Heavy?
It’s that time of year again. Along with fresh pencils, and new, cool lunchboxes, a new backpack, or at least a more lightweight backpack might be in order too! Read this blog to learn about some of the problems related to heavy backpacks and how much your child’s backpack should weigh. Did You Know Your … Continued
Preparing Your Child for Back to School
Classroom performance may come in part from your child’s ability to focus and work through open ended tasks, be organized, stick to a schedule or calendar, manage time, work independently, and control impulses and emotions. Possessing these abilities requires executive functioning skills and are important for your child’s back to school preparation and transition. But … Continued
How Many Extracurricular Activities is Too Many?
Extracurricular activities like sports, music lessons, dance, or band are rewarding for children of all ages. Having a schedule and forming commitments to teams and clubs are wonderful for social development. However, if children are involved in too many extracurricular activities, they might miss the intended benefits of their activities and suffer from unneeded stress. … Continued
Starting a New School? These Tips Can Help
Transitioning to a new school can be difficult for kids. Whether it’s your child’s first day of elementary school, their first day of high school, or you’re moving to a new school district, starting a new school can affect a child’s academic performance, social development, and mental state. Use these tips for starting a new … Continued
Fun Summer Activities that Promote Learning
Looking for summer learning activities for kids to get your child away from TVs, computers, or phones this summer? Half way through the summer everyone struggles to think of new ideas for summer play time. Below are some ideas to cut the cord and decrease screen time. Embrace Their Interests If your kids have a … Continued
Research: Use of Music Therapy to Support Premature Infants’ Initial Development
Shenfield T, Trainor LJ, Nakata T. Maternal singing modulates infant arousal. Psychology of Music. 2003; 31(4): 365–375. This study analyzed saliva samples of infants to reveal that infants with lower baseline levels exhibited modest cortisol increases in response to maternal singing; those with higher baseline levels exhibited modest reductions. These findings are consistent with the view … Continued
Research: Sensory Processing and Cerebral Palsy
Bumin G, Kayihan H.. Effectiveness of two different sensory integration programs for children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2001; 23(9): 394-399. An investigation of approaches to sensory perceptual motor (SPM) training for children with spastic diplegic CP (abnormal leg and possible arm stiffness), this study determines it is effective for group and individual treatment. … Continued