ADHD

Tweezers

This is one of my all time favorite discoveries! I was looking for ways to build Andrewâ€™s pincer grasp for handwriting and began using tweezers because they require using the same fingers and muscles for grasping a pencil. I paired the tweezers with colored puffs in different sizes because he would have to squeeze his fingers differently depending on the size of the puff. At first he would put the puff in the tweezers with his other hand and I had to help him using hand over hand. While it seems really easy, it was actually a challenge for him (and still is).

I came up with some basic stories to go along with needing to move the puffs to make it more purposeful than just moving puffs from one place to another. Most of the stories involve reuniting baby animals (small puffs) with their moms (larger puffs). You could also place different colored puffs out or in the container and have them only take out a certain color or size. I like to place the puffs in shredded paper to add a bit of a challenge.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Use the tweezers to help the baby chicks get back to their mother hen.

P1000100 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Help the baby spiders get back to their mom's web using tweezers.

P1000133 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Use the tweezers to help the baby spiders (aka small blue puffs) get back to their mom (aka large blue puff).

P1020801 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Use the tweezers to place the puffs in order from biggest to smallest. (Two sets of puffs, two rows of muffin tin.)

P1020826 — Andrew using the tweezers to put puffs in order from biggest to smallest.

Sometimes it just takes thinking outside of the box with items you already have and coming up with a simple story to make an activity that a child will find purpose and meaning in doing.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Using Timers for Motivation and Self Regulation

I am someone who LOVES Â (and needs) to use a timer. I tend to get distracted easily (wonder where Andrew gets it from!) but there is something about a timer that helps me to focus. It is great because when the timer is on, I think, “Ok, I can do ___ for x amount of time.” It seems like the same is true with Andrew. If there is something that he is not really into or is avoiding while doing My Obstacle Course, I will bring out a timer and say, â€œOk, letâ€™s see how much we can do before the timer runs out.â€ This really helps because he knows there is an end and that as long as he is working or trying, the timer keeps counting down time (I also make a mental note to revisit why he wasnâ€™t into it or why he was avoiding.).

P1030147 — Digital timer for counting down a specific time.Â

I have a digital kitchen timer that I got at our grocery store that clips on my pants so I can set it and forget about it until it goes off.

I have some hourglass timers that I found at the teacher store -Â one is for 3 min. and the other is for 1 min. These work well when doing an activity that I know he can do but is “stimming” on something (or giggling uncontrollably which frequently happens 🙂 ). If it is an activity that is very challenging for him, then I will say, “Just try your best and let’s see how many we can do before the sand goes down!”

P1030544 — "Clock" application on my iphone - My new favorite!!

and my most recent favorite is the “Clock” app on my iPhone. It has a timer…

as well as a stopwatch…

which challenges him to see how fast he can do something as well as setting a limit on an activity (works with activities that are preferred or non-preferred!).

Useful beyond My Obstacle Course:

I have found that timers are also really helpful for limiting time on things like electronics or showers, both of which he could do all day long some days! It works because he knows up front that I am setting the timer and when it goes off, he needs to shut it off or he doesn’t get it the next time. The first few times he would put up a fuss but once he knew that I was going to be consistent, he got it. This is another way to remove the, “Mom says!” aspect because it is the timer that is telling him his time is up, not me.

I have also just started using the stopwatch for him to earn time for his preferred activities. Whatever amount of time he spends playing with his toys or reading books is the amount of time he can earn to watch video clips of ceiling fans, play his DS or computer games. You could vary it depending on what works for you in your house but it has been working really well, particularly on weekends where he is home with a greater amount of unstructured time.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning is one of my favorite websites to find thematic materials and ideas to use in My Obstacle Courses. I began using the site years ago while teaching because they have thematic materials for multiple grade/age levels and all academic areas. The information and activities areÂ well organized and have great information for children to are ready to do research (click here for an example of their resource material).

While there is some free material for those who would like to check it out first, I have a membership because it gives me access to a greater amount of printable materials, including some basic books I used with Andrew to work on counting, reading and coloring.

A lot of times, I will print out a page and cut it apart to fit the activity I am doing. It doesn’t take long to glue pictures to a calendar cutout, thematic notepad sheet or index card in order to make it colorful, sturdy, and kid-friendly!

Here are some ways I have used material from this site:

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Clothesline Clipping the Picture with the Word Name

Picture/Vocabulary matchup on thematic note paper.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Connect the Dots to Match Up the Picture with the Word Name

Working on connecting the dots to match up pictures with their names. (School readiness skill)

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Sort the Pictures by Beginning Sounds

I printed out the pages of the beginning sound we were working on (click here to see page), cut out the pictures that began with those sounds and then mixed them up. I got some cute little file folders at the teacher store, wrote one letter on each folder and placed out the folders for the letters we were doing. We would say the name of the picture and decide which beginning sound it had and place it into the correct folder. This really allowed me to see which sounds he was hearing and because all of the pictures were stored in the folders, it was so easy to mix and match letters/sounds in other Obstacle Courses. This also helped build his vocabulary and picture recognition because some of the things were new or looked different on paper.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Look at the Pictures and Count “How Many”

If you are looking for thematic ideas or materials to incorporate academic skills into your station activities, I encourage you to check out this site!

Note: I have no affiliations with Enchanted Learning, I just really like what they offer!

Engage, Encourage and Empower!