OT Teletherapy Activities for May
Need help planning your OT Teletherapy activities for May? Read on for a full list of activities for fine motor, visual perceptual, writing, movement, sensory, and more. I bet you’ll even find some activities to use during physical therapy and speech therapy sessions as well. Themes include Star Wars, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day fun.
There’s a lot happening in May!
Time to wind down the school year, spring is in the air and life just seems to get busier as the temperatures warm up outside.
If you’re just as busy as me, I know you’re looking for easy, fun activities to do with your students as the end-of-the-year blues set in.
While I do love providing OT Telehealth services, I don’t always love the countless hours it takes to plan for my weekly sessions.
The biggest trick that I’ve learned to help with reducing my planning time has been to pick a theme (or several) for the month and plan around them.
It’s a lot easier to search for spring crafts than to start scrolling Pinterest for kid crafts and then end up on a site buying a new piece of wall art for my house (that may or may not have happened just last week!)
So let’s get to it…drum roll please!
May’s themes include Star Wars (May the 4th be with you!), Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day.
How to use these OT Teletherapy activities
Make sure to browse through each link before your sessions. Some of the activities will require additional materials (mainly the crafts).
I usually save the link to my bookmark bar so that they are ready to go before the session.
Contact your student’s caregivers to make sure they have any additional materials needed before the session.
I have a platform where I can share my screen and I can give control over the mouse to my student. If you don’t have that option you can just ask your student to verbalize their answers and you can type it for them or it’s a great opportunity for them to write on paper.
Share this post with any families that you think might like to have additional OT activities this month or use them as part of your weekly plans at districts that are providing asynchronous special education-related services.
I’m a big proponent of learning through play and movement so I try to start each session with movement and make time for movement breaks during the session if needed. I also try to leave a little time for the kids to pick something to play at the end of the session if they completed their work. Click here if you’re looking for more Teletherapy games.
I rely heavily on the coaching skills I gained when I worked as an Occupational Therapist in Early Intervention. Checking in with my students and families first before making a plan for the session is a must, especially now.
Sometimes I’m able to go with my initial plan for an activity but I’m always mindful that supporting the student/family in another area may be a more beneficial use of our time. Check out this post if you need more support on coaching tips.
Image courtesy of funlearningforkids.com
Teletherapy-friendly Crafts
Teletherapy Ideas for Handwriting
Teletherapy Ideas to work on Visual Motor/Visual Perceptual Skills
Teletherapy Ideas to work on Fine Motor Skills
Teletherapy Ideas for Brain breaks and Gross Motor skills
Jedi strength and focus brain break
Fun Teletherapy games
Sensory Activities
Red, white and blue shaving cream
Bonus Activity + Free Printables
I’m always trying to find new ways to make writing fun for my students (and my own kids). Two of my favorites are roll-a-stories and decoding secret messages. I couldn’t find any for our May themes so I came up with these 2 printables for you. Click on the link below to grab your copies of both.
I hope this list makes your push to the end of the year just a bit easier.
And don’t forget to make sure to share and pin this post so you can find the May activities easily!
May book activities for toddlers and preschoolers
Are you looking for ways to engage toddlers and preschoolers online (or in-person) that will encourage parent participation and supports a holistic approach to child development?
Try using these May book activities to structure your in-person or teletherapy sessions and work on a variety of goals.
The books included in the May bundle include: I Love Mom with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, The Family book by Todd Parr, and Tap the magic tree by Christie Matheson
The bundle includes a one page printable pdf for each book that includes a clickable link to the book on YouTube and simple fine motor, sensory-motor and gross motor activities that require limited or no extra materials to accompany the story. The pdf files may be emailed and/or shared virtually with families.
The perfect compliment to support the parent coaching model! Geared for ages 2-5.