Pumpkin Pounding!

It’s that time of year again. For like 20 years (yes, I am getting old!) I’ve been telling you to do pumpkin pounding!

Here’s what I told you back in 2009. I swear I was 20 at the time. 😉

It’s that time of year again, and few things are as fun as pounding pumpkins.  Gather up some golf tees and a mallet (or a hammer and nails for older kids), and let each child pound the tees into a pumpkin.  Push the tees or nails in a bit to get them started, so the kids don’t have to hold them and risk pounding fingers (you can also hold them in place with a clothespin instead of fingers).  They can do patterns or just pound randomly.  This is a fabulously satisfying sensory integration activity for toddlers to teens.  It’s silly fun! 

And another time…

Poke, pound, pester and pulverize your leftover pumpkins!  Have you tried this yet?  I’ve been telling you to do it for years and it’s such outrageous fun.  Make designs, spell out words, nail pretty leaves in patterns, try pounding different objects in, pull the pegs out and leave cool hole patterns and just pound them… 

Have fun!

Sensory Integration Fun for Preschoolers

One of the mamas over at Roots and Wings has put together a fantastic list of fun toys and activities to create with preschoolers.  All of them incorporate Sensory Integration and they’re especially suited for kids with autism and other special needs, but SI tools help all children focus, calm down, feel better and just have fun.  A lot of these will even be fun for older kids.

 

Yoga Can Help Kids with Autism and Other Issues

Thanks to Magical Mama Lucy for finding this article about how yoga can help autistic kids, along with other kids with sensory issues

Here’s a snip…

 

"…Those who teach yoga for autistic or special needs children, including Collins, report that it can improve focus and concentration, one of autism’s greatest challenges, as well as help counter poor muscle coordination, ease tension and teach coping mechanisms."

 

That sounds like stuff all kids can use!

The article goes on to talk about how it helps kids who easily get overstimulated or feel overwhelmed, drawing on Sensory Integration techniques that help them feel centered and focused. 

I like 9 year-old Andrew’s take on it, though…

“It makes my body feel good.”

Sounds good to me.  🙂

We have some yoga tapes for kids that we use in the winter especially.  Victoria has always loved to do yoga and I think I may haul them out more often and see if it helps 6 year-old Jack with the manic energy he sometimes deals with.  Alex loves doing any kind of dance or workout and he certainly needs an outlet for his toddler energy.

Do you do yoga with your kids?  Do you have any favorite yoga DVD’s, books or games?

 

 

Sensory Integration Toys to Make

Roots and Wings Co has some fun, simple toys to make with little ones and all of them are great for Sensory Integration.  SI techniques and tools are often used by Occupational Therapists to help kids with Autism disorders or sensory disorders, but they are helpful for all children.  We’ve made every one of these toys here over the years and they’ve all been big hits from toddlers on up.  Fun stuff!

 

Scratch & Sniff Watercolors

When we end up with packets of stuff like Kool-aid, it ends up in our craft drawer for fun recipes like this one.  The colors are nice and bright and it smells nice and fruity.  🙂

Scratch & Sniff Watercolors

1 Tbs. unsweetened powdered drink mix
1 Tbs. warm water
several small containers (muffin tins work well)

Mix water & drink mix together in a small bowl.  Repeat this step several times, using various flavors of drink mix to create different colors of paint.  Allow to dry overnight before scratching & sniffing!

(original author unknown)