Playworks Learning and Development Center

Play works😃💜

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹!
From solo play to parallel play, pretend play to sensory play, each type of play creates opportunities for meaningful growth and development.

What may appear simple on the surface is actually powerful developmental work. In DIRFloortime, play allows us to meet a child where they are and expand their developmental capacities through meaningful, shared interactions.

💜

When a child is melting down, our instincts can take over — and not always the helpful ones.

We might lecture, rush to fix, or tell them to calm down… but these actually block co-regulation rather than build it.

Let’s talk about what not to do — and what to try instead — so we can truly help a child borrow our calm instead of our chaos.

via The Contented Child, Child Wellbeing Consultancy

Have you ever seen a child that says it HURTS to color? Or one that picks up a new color way too often? Or an older kiddo that uses their whole arm/elbow/wrist to color? All of these are signs of hand weakness that impacts the functional task of coloring! 🖍

New on the website is a comprehensive resource on all things coloring. It includes:
•Reasons kids don’t like to color
•Skills needed for coloring
•Coloring skills by age
•How to set up a child for success from a young age
•Coloring skills for toddlers
•How to teach toddlers to color
•Coloring skills for preschoolers (3-4 years)
•How to teach preschoolers to color
•Coloring skills for preschool/Pre-K (4-5 years)
•How to teach coloring to Pre-K kids
•Coloring skills for elementary children
•How to teach coloring to older kids

Go check it out! https://www.theottoolbox.com/how-to-teach-coloring-skills/ 🖍

💜💚🩷

We’re happy to share that Playworks is now partnering with AVA Medical Clinic, conveniently located within the same building, to support the health and well-being of our community.
Through this partnership, families of Playworks can now avail of discounted rates for the Flu Vaccine at AVA Medical Clinic.

💬 Kindly coordinate with Playworks Admin directly for schedules and further details.
Let’s continue working together to keep our children healthy and safe 💜💚🩷

💜

From goals to gains to graduation! 🎓✨
Our student has officially completed OT and ST services, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Cheers to more breakthroughs!!!🥳
To God be all the Glory🙏🏻💜💚🩷

🫰🫶💜

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲?
These age-appropriate activities target midline crossing and are great for motor planning, visual motor skills, and brain breaks for the preschool age. https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-activities-for-preschoolers/

There are some early warning signs we might see in the preschooler who struggles with crossing their midline. When we see a difficulty with the integrated motor patterns, this can be an indicator for various challenges.

🚩Some of the ways that difficulties with preschool crossing midline will present as:

>>Not developing a dominant hand. Students use the left hand for left sided tasks and the right side for right sided tasks.
>>Showing delays in crawling, or an atypical crawling pattern.
>>Rotating or turning their entire body to retrieve objects on the other side of their body instead of reaching across the body to the other side
>>Having difficulty with age-appropriate self-care tasks like dressing or grooming activities
>>Skipping or doing jumping jacks in an uncoordinated manner.
>>Difficulty making a horizontal line across a piece of paper (may stop in the middle and switch hands, or pause visually) or forming letters
>>Visual perceptual difficulties
>>Challenges with age-appropriate literacy skills (identifying letters, following pictures in a story- due to difficulty with visual tracking across the midline.

If you see these things in the preschool years, it's ok! Kids develop at different rates. Try adding some play ideas that target these gross motor movements. Here are more ideas: https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-activities-for-preschoolers/