Tag Archives: family

Activities from a Speech Therapist

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by Molly Fischman, MS, CCC-SLP

As you now know, Easterseals programs and community-based therapies are closed until March 27th in correspondence with the school district and state policies regarding the outbreak of Covid-19.

In the meantime, if you find yourself at home looking for therapeutic games or activities for your child, here are some ideas of things to do while keeping everyone healthy and safe.

Activity Ideas

  • Make a sensory bin by putting dried beans or rice in a tupperware bin with other small objects/figures like the ones here. Have your child dig through and name what they find.

  • Make slime with your child. Here is a recipe with items you might have. If you don’t have those ingredients, make “Oobleck” with cornstarch and water.

  • Tape pieces of paper together and create a mural with your child using paints, crayons, or markers.

  • Work on sorting shapes: Put tape on the floor in the form of different shapes and have your child sort objects from around the house into piles according to shape. Or, have your child sort small items by color into muffin tins. If you have a printer, here is a free printable that targets the same skill. (If your child is able, they can cut out the pictures with help!)

  • If you have access to a printer, print some worksheets and have your child name pictured objects, practice making circles and Xs, and work on visual attention with search-and-find or connect-the-dots worksheets.

  • Bake cookies with your child. Talk about and name the ingredients, help your child measure the ingredients and count scoops. Here is a simple cookie recipe with ingredients you might have around the house.

  • Go on a scavenger hunt around the house. Work on vocabulary for different rooms of the house, furniture, clothing, appliances etc. Run around and see who can get to each item first.

  • Read, read, read! With the books you have, read to your child as much and as often as they will attend.

Preschool Learning Games

  • Zingo: Have your child name and match the pictured objects. Practice saying “I got a [object]”, asking “Do you need a [object]?”, and answering Yes/No questions in response.

  • Pop The Pig: Roll the dice and match the color burger to the color on the dice. Practice recognizing and naming numbers 1-4 and then counting the target number when you press down Pop’s head.

  • Zimbbos: Work on saying “[color] + elephant” and fine motor dexterity as you stack elephants.

  • Uno Moo or Uno: practice matching and naming colors/animals or matching colors/numbers.

  • Memory Match games: flip over two cards per turn and say if they are the same or different. If they’re different, flip them back over. If they’re the same, you got a match!

  • If you have a deck of cards and your child is able, teach them to play Go Fish or a modified version.

Stay safe, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your child during this trying time!

Extended Family Ties

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by Jeanine Johnson

Over the holidays I gave a lot of thought to family. The definition of family in many legal contexts denotes “individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption” but there’s other definitions that are broader, encompassing groups of individuals not related by these things. At Easterseals we embody the broader meaning. I am entering my 4th year of employment with Easterseals and the past 3 years have been wonderful. I have had many challenges which have been outweighed by unexpected and welcomed joys. I truly feel that my family has been extended by the relationships I have developed with some of the families here at Easterseals.

One of the things that gave my holiday season a great start was hearing from the family of one of my favorite students that no longer attend Easterseals, Maximo! I received updated pictures of him and his family, which show how much he has grown, and information on all his progress over the last year. They could be crowned one of the cutest families ever and I feel blessed that they have continued to let me, in some small way, be a part of his life!

Over the holiday break I met up with one of my other favorite graduates, Mung. My daughter Autumn and I had the pleasure of spending time with him at the Academy of Natural Sciences. His mother doesn’t mind that we steal him away for a few hours. It is so nice to see that his indomitable spirit is still fully intact, that he is adjusting to the change in schools and making progress both physically and academically. I enjoy outings with Mung because he has a sense of humor and sarcasm that is way beyond his years. He is one of the brightest and most intelligent children I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We always have a good time and he is always saddened, with tears flowing, by our departure. I assured him that as long as he will have us, we will be around!

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love, love, love the fact that at Easterseals, regardless of your position, you have the option to be as involved with the children as you choose (well, as much as your workflow allows). I am not part of the classroom staff but I was gifted with the opportunity to accompany the Owls class on their annual trip to the light shows at both the Comcast Center and Macy’s and then the Dickens House exhibit. I was paired up with another cutie, Naji, who has fast become one of my favorites. Wait, should I be saying that? Oh, well. In actuality, I have a lot of cuties that I adore who visit me every day! Every year brings opportunities for new connections. I have daily reminders of why what I do matters!

I have come to understand how my mother, a mother of 8, still had room in her heart and life for the ton of other children that referred to her as mom. Families can be comprised of the truly invaluable relationships one builds throughout life, and love truly has no limits.

Angels Without Wings

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by Michael Murphy

Being a teacher you expect to have an impact. You expect the children you teach to at some point carry a couple of your lessons into the rest of their lives. This can be a difficult idea when you consider a preschool or primary grade student’s perspective. As a preschool teacher I battle for attention in a steel cage versus SpongeBob Squarepants, Mickey Mouse and a plethora of Disney Princesses for the World Heavyweight Champion of THE BRAIIIN… and sometimes I come out on top. Every once in a while I walk away with a victory. I get that it is never a routine victory, and that’s the joy of teaching. It is not often, however that a teacher expects to reach the parents in the same way.

At Easter Seals Bucks County Division, our Friendship Academy parents often pick up their students right from the classroom (as opposed to waiting in a car line or waiting for dismissal at the door). This offers us a unique opportunity to wrap up the day, share some praise and concerns about their child and creates the welcoming family community that we have established so well.

During an encounter with a parent after their child’s particularly rough day, one of several in recent history, I shared my concern:

“They did great with X, Y and Z but could use some extra help with A. Can I share some strategies with you?”

The look of joy, relief and grace poured from the parent. “I thank you. You do it, I don’t know how you do it, but you do it. They are a different kid since they started here. They clean up at home Because “Mom Mr. Mike said so.”

I’ve gotten compliments before, people notice what teachers do sometimes, but then mom stopped and reached out and said “this place is amazing. I love it. Everyone says hello, they smile, they ask how I am, they all know (child’s) name. You don’t know, Mr Mike. I come in here and I am so happy. You are angels without wings here. You may not see your wings, but I see them. All of you have them.”

I’ve gotten compliments before. I’ve gotten hugs and high fives, I’ve seen parents tear up with gratitude. In this sense I know I am lucky. Not every teacher gets to hear or see the kinds of things, achievements progress milestones that we get to see at Easter Seals. Not every teacher gets to be part of such a team as Easter seals. The parent went on to talk about the staff and administrators at the front desk who greet them both by name each day. She also discussed teachers, therapists and teaching assistants from the building that share smiles and praise her child’s walking feet or listening ears. She crosses fellow parents who share a wave or some words as they hustle to another stop or errand.

I’ve never heard any of these people set goals to make people smile, but it is just something we do here at Easter Seals. Something ingrained in our approach and our routine; to be thankful for each child and family we get to reach and those that are supportive and positive about what we do. It’s not always easy and no day is like another. We smile and take those parents who need us under our wings, that now I know we have, and let them know that they have a team behind them.