The Fun Strokes blog provides valuable information for therapists, teachers, and parents who work with or have preschool-aged through school-aged children. Knowledge gained from over two decades of experience working as a pediatric occupational therapist is shared via topic-specific posts. My goal is to serve as a go-to source of reliable information about fine motor skills, sensory processing skills, attending skills, and many more topics of interest for those who care for or work with children. The Fun Strokes blog is about helping children succeed in fun and engaging ways.
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ADHD & HANDWRITING
AUTISM
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
HEAVY WORK ACTIVITIES
HOW TO IMPROVE HANDWRITING SKILLS
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
PENCIL GRASP DEVELOPMENT
PRE-WRITING ACTIVITIES
SCISSOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
SENSORY PROCESSING SKILLS
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
TIPS FOR SHOE-TYING SUCCESS!
For even more fine-motor fun, be sure to check out:
FRUGAL OT SERIES
MY LATEST POST
10 Creative Preschool Pre-Writing Activities | Fun Strokes Magnets
Are you searching for preschool fine motor activities, kindergarten readiness ideas, or fun ways to support pre-writing skills at home and in the classroom? The Fun Strokes Pre-Writing Magnet Set is already a favorite among preschool teachers, occupational therapists, and parents who want to make handwriting prep both hands-on and effective. But here’s the best…
ADHD & HANDWRITING
ADHD and Handwriting: Part One
What you need to know about ADHD and handwriting skills.
ADHD and Handwriting: Part Two
What you need to know about ADHD and handwriting difficulties.
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AUTISM
Eight Handwriting Strategies for Children With Autism
It is with great enthusiasm that I share an article that I’ve written for the outstanding publication Autism Parenting Magazine. In the May 2021 issue, I share strategies that parents can use to prepare their children for the handwriting demands of kindergarten and beyond. These strategies are also recommended for teachers, those who homeschool, or…
Sensory Processing Disorder Unveiled and Explained
In this post, I will explain what sensory processing disorder (SPD) is in simple, everyday terms. My hope is to bring insight and understanding to this very complex, often confusing, condition that many children have. About 1 in 20 children have SPD.
How to Create a Sensory Smart Classroom or Home
When teachers and/or parents think of how they can support the sensory needs of their students or child, they often have ideas of elaborate sensory rooms that boast expensive fancy equipment. I am here to tell you that while this is a fantastic option, it is not the only option! You can provide meaningful sensory…
8 Tips To Help Kids with Autism Cope With Holiday Stress
Along with the holiday season comes bright lights, loud noises, large gatherings, and much excitement. Routines are often disrupted to attend special events and winter vacation from school. Home, school, and most places change in appearance with festive decorations. Streets, stores, and neighborhoods are adorned with bright, colorful lights to celebrate this jubilant time of…
What Are Heavy Work Activities and Who Should Do Them?
What is heavy work? Heavy work is any type of activity that provides resistance to the body by way of pulling or pushing. Resistance could be created by something pushing against the body like water in the swimming pool, or the body pushing against the floor such as doing push-ups. Pulling on resistance bands, and…
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EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
9 Strategies to Increase Attention and On-Task Behavior
Above all, the most important thing needed for a child to progress with anything is focus. When presenting a child with a task, particularly a novel task, you must establish meaningful engagement with the child, in other words, where the child can focus on the task. What exactly does focus mean? The ability to sustain…
How To Teach Grade-Schoolers Organizational Skills…Starting With the Disorganized Desk
Having a disorganized desk can make school hard to manage. When the teacher asks his or her students to take out their science books and turn to page 57, the child who is lost in their desk trying to find the book often can not remember the page number once it is found. Many times…
The Science Behind Brain Gym’s Cross Crawls: How They Support Executive Functioning, Motor Skills, and Learning
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’m always looking for movement-based strategies to support my students’ motor skills, focus, and overall learning. One activity that often comes up in conversations about movement and brain development is Brain Gym’s Cross Crawls. While Brain Gym as a whole is not evidence-based, cross crawls themselves are well-supported by research…
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FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Benefits of Working on a Vertical Surface
There are many reasons to use a vertical surface like an easel or whiteboard when working with children. Your child will attain so much more by simply changing tabletop activities to vertical surface activities. In this post I share the many benefits your child will gain.
Hand Dominance: How to Help Kids Who Switch Hands
Most people are inclined to use one hand over the other. Repeated use of the preferred hand leads to hand dominance. Your dominant hand is your skilled hand, the hand that is better at performing intricate tasks like drawing, handwriting, and using a fork or a spoon. Try writing a note or spreading peanut butter…
🌸 Strengthen Pre-Writing Skills with This FREE Spring Poke Activity! 🌸
Spring has sprung—and so has a brand-new freebie perfect for building fine motor foundations in a fun and engaging way!
I’m excited to share the Spring Poke Activity, a FREE download featuring eight cheerful, skill-packed templates that kids will love. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, this activity makes supporting essential developmental skills through play easy.
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HEAVY WORK ACTIVITIES
What Are Heavy Work Activities and Who Should Do Them?
What is heavy work? Heavy work is any type of activity that provides resistance to the body by way of pulling or pushing. Resistance could be created by something pushing against the body like water in the swimming pool, or the body pushing against the floor such as doing push-ups. Pulling on resistance bands, and…
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HOW TO IMPROVE HANDWRITING SKILLS
Handwriting Legibility: Why Is It Important?
On my blog, I strive to provide insight into the complex issue of handwriting difficulties, the varying factors that may contribute to its cause, and above all, the importance of providing intervention at the onset to prevent hard-to-break habits and further problems in school and life.
How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Letter Formation
Hello again! I hope you’ve enjoyed my Handwriting Series. If you’re joining me for this first time, welcome! In the series, I’ve covered why handwriting legibility is so important. I’ve broken down the components of handwriting legibility and provided tips regarding how to address issues with acquiring them. In this post, I will cover the…
How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Line Orientation
This post will focus on how to help kids learn how to print letters with correct line orientation or how to place letters correctly on the line.
How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Spacing
This post focuses on how to help kids learn how to space between and within words or improve visual processing skills (spatial relations).
How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Pressure Grading (how much force to apply)
On my blog, I strive to provide insight into the complex issue of handwriting difficulties, the varying factors that may contribute to its cause, and above all, the importance of providing intervention at the onset to prevent hard-to-break habits and further problems in school and in life. In this post, I will discuss the skill…
Letter Reversals, Should You Be Concerned?
What are letter reversals? Letter reversals simply means writing letters backward. Letter Reversals are actually quite common in all children. They typically resolve by the age of 7. By third grade reversals may still be present, but only occasionally. In typical development, it takes time for children to gain a solid picture in their…
Why You Should Use Caution When Having Kids Trace
Teaching children how to write is an exciting milestone, but not without challenges. Many parents and educators turn to tracing as a go-to method for teaching kids how to form letters and shapes. However, while tracing may seem straightforward and effective, it can sometimes do more harm than good—especially for children with poor visual motor…
How Do You Know When Tracing Is The Right Option?
As a pediatric OT, I’m not a huge fan of tracing, sometimes, it’s a necessary step to help kids learn how to write. But how do you know when tracing is the right option? Tracing is most effective when…
What Is Visual Closure and Why Does It Matter for Handwriting & Fine Motor Skills?
As a pediatric occupational therapist, handwriting concerns are one of the most common reasons for referrals. When assessing these challenges, I often start by evaluating a child’s visual perceptual skills. Time and time again, I’ve noticed that difficulties with visual closure play a significant role in their struggles.
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KINDERGARTEN READINESS
25 Tips to Help Your Child Get Kindergarten Ready + Free Kindergarten Readiness Checklist
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’ve worked with countless families to help children build the fine motor, emotional, and pre-academic foundations they need to thrive in school. Kindergarten readiness isn’t just about knowing letters and numbers—it’s also about having the motor coordination, independence, and confidence to participate, learn, and grow.
In this post, I’m sharing…
PRE-WRITING ACTIVITIES
Pre-writing Activities With Fun Strokes Pre-Writing Program
In the world of pediatric occupational therapy, finding the right tools to support pre-writing skills is crucial. Fun Strokes is an engaging pre-writing program that uses magnets and worksheets to make learning pre-writing strokes fun! You can always find the Fun Strokes magnets in my Occupational Therapy bag. It’s a wonderful curriculum for pre-K teachers,…
Why You Should Use Caution When Having Kids Trace
Teaching children how to write is an exciting milestone, but not without challenges. Many parents and educators turn to tracing as a go-to method for teaching kids how to form letters and shapes. However, while tracing may seem straightforward and effective, it can sometimes do more harm than good—especially for children with poor visual motor…
How Do You Know When Tracing Is The Right Option?
As a pediatric OT, I’m not a huge fan of tracing, sometimes, it’s a necessary step to help kids learn how to write. But how do you know when tracing is the right option? Tracing is most effective when…
🌸 Strengthen Pre-Writing Skills with This FREE Spring Poke Activity! 🌸
Spring has sprung—and so has a brand-new freebie perfect for building fine motor foundations in a fun and engaging way!
I’m excited to share the Spring Poke Activity, a FREE download featuring eight cheerful, skill-packed templates that kids will love. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, this activity makes supporting essential developmental skills through play easy.
When Should My Child Be Able to Write Their Name? What You Should Know About Readiness First
s your child getting ready for kindergarten? You may be wondering: Should they already know how to write their name? While it’s a common milestone parents look for, name-writing success is less about age and more about readiness—and that starts with strong pre-writing and fine motor foundations.
10 Creative Preschool Pre-Writing Activities | Fun Strokes Magnets
Are you searching for preschool fine motor activities, kindergarten readiness ideas, or fun ways to support pre-writing skills at home and in the classroom? The Fun Strokes Pre-Writing Magnet Set is already a favorite among preschool teachers, occupational therapists, and parents who want to make handwriting prep both hands-on and effective. But here’s the best…
Fun Friends: The Ultimate Pre-Writing Tool
If you’ve ever worked with little ones who just don’t love paper and pencil tasks or pre-writing activities, you’re not alone. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’ve spent years searching for ways to make handwriting prep more engaging, more meaningful — and most of all, more fun. That’s exactly why I created Fun Friends Pre-Writing Buddies, the newest…
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PENCIL GRASP DEVELOPMENT
A Quick and Easy Way to Improve Pencil Grasp
A Quick and Easy Way to Improve Pencil Grasp
Benefits of Working on a Vertical Surface
There are many reasons to use a vertical surface like an easel or whiteboard when working with children. Your child will attain so much more by simply changing tabletop activities to vertical surface activities. In this post I share the many benefits your child will gain.
Hand Dominance: How to Help Kids Who Switch Hands
Most people are inclined to use one hand over the other. Repeated use of the preferred hand leads to hand dominance. Your dominant hand is your skilled hand, the hand that is better at performing intricate tasks like drawing, handwriting, and using a fork or a spoon. Try writing a note or spreading peanut butter…
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SCISSOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Scissor Skill Development… What To Expect
Early on, around 1.5 years old, children will use both hands to open and shut scissors. Around age two, he or she can do so using only one hand. In this post, I will cover the developmental progression of scissor skills. You’ll learn what to expect from the very beginning, til when scissors skills have…
Good Scissor Skills…What Does It Take?
In this post I will cover the prerequisite skills needed to be able to use scissors efficiently. Scissor use, like most fine motor tasks, is a complex skill requiring many underlying components. It may not seem like it, but children are tapping into many skills when they are using scissors.
12 Ways To Improve Scissor Skills
Scissor skills are essential in both school and life. Solid scissor skills will help children as they learn and play. The maturation of scissor skills requires lots of practice over time. As with all fine motor skills, there is a developmental progression to acquiring scissor skills. Check out my post Scissor Skill Development to read more about…
I Can Use Scissors! The Ultimate Guide To Scissor Skill Development
Hey OTs! This one is just for you!
Have kids on your caseload who need to work on scissor skills? Chances are you do. Have a heavy caseload with very little prep time? Chances are you do. Do you find it challenging to set goals that are measurable and easy to take data on? You…
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SENSORY PROCESSING SKILLS
Sensory Processing Disorder Unveiled and Explained
In this post, I will explain what sensory processing disorder (SPD) is in simple, everyday terms. My hope is to bring insight and understanding to this very complex, often confusing, condition that many children have. About 1 in 20 children have SPD.
How to Create a Sensory Smart Classroom or Home
When teachers and/or parents think of how they can support the sensory needs of their students or child, they often have ideas of elaborate sensory rooms that boast expensive fancy equipment. I am here to tell you that while this is a fantastic option, it is not the only option! You can provide meaningful sensory…
What Are Heavy Work Activities and Who Should Do Them?
What is heavy work? Heavy work is any type of activity that provides resistance to the body by way of pulling or pushing. Resistance could be created by something pushing against the body like water in the swimming pool, or the body pushing against the floor such as doing push-ups. Pulling on resistance bands, and…
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SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Using Our Sensory System to Calm Anxiety
The 54321 grounding technique is a tool children can use when feeling anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. This technique can help to prevent multiple anxious thoughts from piling up by focusing on your surroundings in the present moment. It calls for you to tap into a heightened awareness of your environment, fully taking in your…
What Are Heavy Work Activities and Who Should Do Them?
What is heavy work? Heavy work is any type of activity that provides resistance to the body by way of pulling or pushing. Resistance could be created by something pushing against the body like water in the swimming pool, or the body pushing against the floor such as doing push-ups. Pulling on resistance bands, and…
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TIPS FOR SHOE-TYING SUCCESS!
How to Teach Kids of ALL Abilities How to Tie Shoes: Modified Techniques
Learning how to tie shoes can be quite daunting for a child with fine motor issues. It may not seem like it, but there are many underlying skills needed in order to master this complex task. Typically developing children are usually able to accomplish this skill around the age of 4-5 years old. By kindergarten,…
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FRUGAL OT SERIES
Dollar Tree Inspired Fine Motor Fun
Therapists, are you looking for fresh ideas and fun activities to do during your therapy sessions? Parents, do you want to make meaningful memories while helping your kids strengthen their fine motor skills at home? Teachers, do you need some motivating, low-prep fine motor centers for your students? With these fun and easy-to-follow activities, build fine motor skills while watching your budget. Each post explains how to offer the “just right” challenge for children with diverse strengths and needs.
Valentine’s Day
The Frugal OT Series: Race to Erase the Heart
This activity was a hit with the kiddos! It’s a very simple, low prep way to target many skills. For a Valentine’s Day theme, I used a heart as the object to erase. This can be modified to suit any time of year. You can draw a shamrock for St.Patricks Day, an egg for Easter,…
The Frugal OT Series: Lace My Heart!
This craft is super sweet! Hearts that are laced and adorned with pony beads. A great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Once complete, children can write an endearing message to their special family member or friend. All you need is a package of foam hearts (one package goes a long way, containing 12 foam hearts…
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St. Patrick’s Day
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Spring/Easter/Mother’s Day
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Summer
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Halloween
🎄 Top Christmas Gifts for Toddlers: Fun Strokes Pre-Writing Program-Plus Black Friday Deal 30% Off
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift that’s fun and supports your toddler’s development? Something that feels playful but secretly builds the skills they need for preschool, kindergarten, and beyond?
Let me introduce you to the Fun Strokes Pre-Writing Program
It’s Here! The Ultimate Pre-Writing Resource Just Got Even Better!
I’m beyond excited to officially announce the launch of Fun Strokes Second Edition, a powerful upgrade to the original pre-writing resource that’s already helped countless kids build the fine motor foundations they need to succeed.
Whether you’re a pediatric OT, a teacher, or a parent supporting your child’s early learning journey, this new edition was…
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Winter/Holidays
The Frugal OT Series: Let It Snow!
This craft is a classic, snowflakes made from craft sticks. They are super simple to make! All you need is 4 craft sticks. Using two craft sticks, make a cross and glue them together in the middle where they meet. Then make an oblique cross (an X) using the other two craft sticks. Glue them…
The Frugal OT Series: Holiday Bonus Activity
Who doesn’t love a sweet homemade holiday momento, made by the precious little ones in your life? I know I absolutely adore taking the ornaments made by my kids out of the box every Christmas. Instant memories are recaptured and experienced again as I examine each one. I love reminiscing about the time when they…
The Frugal OT Series: Festive Fine Motor Trees
This super cute holiday tree packs a lot of bang for your buck. So many fine motor skills are addressed in this time efficient craft. Perfect to do during therapy sessions, as a class, and/or at home with your little one. Children will be pleasantly challenged by the fine motor demands that will result in…
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General Fine Motor Activities
The Frugal OT Series: Fine Motor Monsters
These cute little monsters are perfect for building fine motor skills. Run to your local Dollar Tree and grab a container of Play Doh. Pop over to the craft section and toss some wiggle eyes into your basket, grab a bag of beads and a box of toothpicks and you are all set! Children will…
The Frugal OT Series: Little Laundry Line
Introducing…”The Frugal OT” Series featuring my Dollar Tree Find of the Month. How to work on fine motor skills on a budget. January’s Activity: Little Laundry Line
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Frugal OT Top Picks
Frugal OT Dollar Tree Top Pick: Foam Dice
Handwriting can be difficult for children with fine motor and sensory processing difficulties. For this reason, it may soon become a non-preferred activity. This makes it really tough to get kids to engage in handwriting tasks without seeing undesirable behaviors like whining, defiance, or avoidance altogether. One of the best ways to remedy this problem…
The Frugal OT Series…Reading Highlighters
How to address visual-motor skills on a budget. February’s Dollar Tree Find of the Month: Reading Highlighters
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I hope you enjoy doing these activities with your littles ones.
