Summer OT doesn’t have to be complicated! 🌞 💪 A backyard wagon ride = sibling fun + sensory work in one simple activity. Pulling and riding offers proprioceptive input, builds core strength, encourages coordination, and best of all—creates moments of connection between siblings. Sometimes the best OT happens when kids are just being kids. 💛 #OTInTheWild #ProprioceptivePlay #SummerOT #SiblingGoals #OutdoorPlay #CreativeBeginningsOT #MotorSkills #SensoryPlay

Controversial playground topic: Should kids climb up the slide? 👀 ⁣ When kids understand time, place, and situation—it might not be so controversial after all. In fact, climbing up the slide can offer big physical benefits:⁣ ⁣ 💪 Strength & Endurance – It takes serious muscle to scale a slick surface.⁣ 🤸‍♀️ Balance & Coordination – Navigating upward challenges the whole body and builds spatial awareness.⁣ 🖐️ Grip Strength – Holding on tight helps develop hand strength for fine motor skills like writing.⁣ 🌟Confidence & Risk-Taking – Making it to the top builds courage and a sense of accomplishment.⁣ ⁣ 🚸 As always, safety first—make sure the slide is clear and the play is supervised. But sometimes, breaking the “rules” can be developmentally spot-on. 😉 ⁣ #OTInTheWild #PlaygroundOT #MotorSkills #ParentingTips #SensoryPlay #SlideDebate #OccupationalTherapy #CreativeBeginningsOT

✏️ Summer is the perfect time to assess and address handwriting challenges—without the pressure of homework! Creative Beginnings is now offering handwriting screenings on Mondays at our South Seattle clinic. Whether your child is struggling with pencil grip, letter formation, or writing endurance, we’ll help you understand what’s going on and how to get their skills back on track before school starts. ✅ Book a session today: CreativeBeginnings.net #handwritingsupport #handwritingassessment #handwritingot #seattleot #seattleocupatoinaltherapist #occupationaltherapist #creativebeginningsot

If your kids are afraid of jumping in the water or laying back in the water, try this sensory circuit on dry land first! 🐻Bear Walks: Crawl on hands and feet (hips up, legs straight like a bear). Keep your head looking forward. 🪵Log Rolls: Lie flat with arms extended and roll slowly in a straight line across the floor, keeping the body long and together. 🪖Commando Crawl (Army Crawl): Keep your tummy on the ground, use elbows and legs to move forward. Focus on moving opposite arm and leg. 👼🏻 Wall Angels (or Floor): Lie on your back with arms in a goal post shape, slide them up and down like you're making a snow angel, keeping contact with the ground. 🥾Cross-Crawl Marching: March slowly in place, lifting each knee and touching it with the opposite elbow. Go slow and cross the midline fully. 🌉Bridge Hold with Head Turns: Lie on back, lift hips into a bridge, and slowly turn your head left and right while holding. ⭐ Starfish Jumps: Start curled up in a ball, then explode into a big X shape with arms and legs outstretched, then return to ball. Repeat 5 times. 💫Slow Spinning and Freeze: Slowly spin around 2 times with arms outstretched, then freeze like a statue. Add deep breathing after the spin. Repeat the circuit 1–3 times, depending on your child's age and stamina. Allow 1–2 minutes of calming/rest after finishing. To make it even more fun or motivate hesitant kids, use a fun theme like jungle explorer, ninja training, or animal adventure. Be sure to encourage slow, controlled movements rather than speed. This circuit provides the perfect pre-swim nervous system training, especially for kids with coordination delays, anxiety in water, or motor planning challenges. #sensorydiet #sensorycircuit #motorplanning #learningtoswim #motorskills #primitivereflexes #ottips #seattleot #creativebeginningsot

This sensory activity is doing a lot more than meets the eye 👀 Walking a balance beam while blowing up a balloon challenges your child’s core strength, breath control, fine motor skills, and multitasking—all at once. 💨 🧠 💪 It’s a fun way to build body awareness, coordination, and regulation (plus it might just improve their lunch capacity, too 😉). Balance + breath = brain and body working together! #SensoryPlay #OTFun #MultitaskingSkills #BreathControl #BalanceChallenge #PediatricOT #CoreStrengthForKids

Simple game, big sensory wins! 🙌 In this activity, kids follow the instructions “forwards” and “backwards” as they move toward and away from cones. It’s more than just movement — it builds body awareness (hello proprioception!), strengthens cognitive planning, and helps kids learn how to organize their bodies and brains at the same time. Easy setup, tons of skill-building! 💪🏼 🧠 #sensorydiet #sensorygame #cognitiveplanning #motorskills #pediatricot #creativebeginningsot #seattleot #seattleoccupationaltherapist