I have personally researched and located the best possible value for these items on Amazon, which I most often recommend to my students. I hope your children will benefit from these therapeutic toys, games, and exercise devices as much as my A+ Handwriting students do!
1. Wobble Chair: This is an ingenious design in postural ergonomics to promote upright seating posture (for better handwriting and learning), improve core muscle tone, and at the same time allowing kids to get some vestibular input (i.e., movement that they crave; reason why they can’t sit still for long periods of time), which increases alertness and focus, while not distracting others in the room. Available in a variety of colors.
2. Ball Chair: Less expensive than Wobble Chairs, but still effective in providing the necessary vestibular (movement) input for a child who is unable to sit still and focus for long periods of time (i.e., while doing school work). Available in a variety of fun colors and sizes.
3. Balance Ball Trainer: Excellent way to improve balance and overall strength. Great to use for Proprioceptive and Vestibular Sensory Breaks. Includes exercises on DVD. Kids love it!
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4. Hand Exercise Balls: These egg-shaped textured balls can gently improve hand strength in little hands because they are ergonomically designed to fit the slope of hand grasps and come in graded resistances. Great stocking stuffers!
5. Fingers Exerciser (Flexion Grip): Features adjustable resistance from 2-5lbs per finger and allows one to progress from weak/low tone grasps to stronger levels at own pace
6. Fingers Exerciser (Extensor Muscles): Finger extension exerciser that comes in a set of 6 different and progressive resistances, which allows one to progress from weak/low tone finger extension to stronger degrees at own pace.
7. Fine Motor Tools Set: Great gift for toddlers and preschoolers to develop their fine motor skills in a variety of fun ways.
9. Getting Ready to Write Gumball Grab Game: A fun game to develop fine motor skills.
10. Pencil Weights: Pencil Weights provide proprioceptive feedback to students while they write, which enhances the learning process of sensory-motor pathways development.
11. Beados with Color Pen: A craft activity that promotes pencil manipulation, fine motor skills, and creativity in a fun way.
12. Pickle Picker: A favorite therapy toy that I often recommend for development of thumb flexion muscle strength, which is often weak in children with handwriting problems. Lots of fun ways to play with a Pickle Picker (i.e., picking up and placing small items; playing checkers)! One can also pick pickles or olives out of a jar easier with a Pickle Picker. Recommended for upper elementary ages and up.
13. Nuts and Bolts Set: A fun activity to help develop fine motor manipulation skills and keep those little hands busy in a quiet way.
14. Dressing Skills Bear: Encourages kids to learn and experiment with practical fine motor skills needed for dressing activities such as fastening buttons, zippers, buckles, tying shoes, etc on a cuddly bear plush.
15. Thumbs Up Dexterity Game: A challenging and catchy game to help develop fine motor and thumb dexterity.
16. Mini Muffin Match Up Game: A fun fine motor and beginner math concepts game that children love.
17. Montessori CVC Word Cards & Clothespins Activity: Clothespins are a classic finger strengthening tool, and this activity combines clothespin pinching with learning CVC words!
18. AquaDoodle Mat and Pen: A perennial favorite way for kids and parents to enjoy doodling with a water pen in a mess-free way. Occupational Therapists love the way this mat promotes weight bearing and lying prone on the floor, which helps develop the shoulder girdle muscles stability.
19. Slant Board: This is another ingenious design for promoting good handwriting wrist posture, use of both hands, and allows one to tape copywork underneath the clear surface if needed. Other cheaper slant boards do not have the durability and structure to provide a solid surface on which to write.
20. Scooter Board: Scooter boards promote many therapeutic benefits such as upper body strengthening, balance, core trunk control, and primitive reflex inhibiting movements. The one I always recommend is wooden. There are cheaper ones made of plastic, but I have found the plastic ones to be more likely to tip off balance and pinch fingers. Appropriate for all ages.
Yours in Handwriting Fluency,
Marla Scaglione, MS, OTR/L
A+ HANDWRITING