Several years ago I bought a cheap bottle of blue hair gel so I could make squish bags for my then toddler.  Afterwards we still had half a bottle of the gel, which got sat on a shelf and forgotten.  This week we used the hair gel to create a new sensory bottle with stars that actually float towards the top of the bottle instead of sinking towards the bottom like our other calm down bottles.

Sensory bottles are great for kids of all ages.  Babies and toddlers will enjoy holding the bottle and exploring its contents in a safe manner.  Preschoolers have fun shaking them.  And watching the contents swirl around the bottle can help kids of all ages calm down when upset and relax when stressed.

We keep a couple handy when working on school work.  You can easily add a sensory bottle to the materials in your school or homework area as a simple way to help kids relieve stress and refocus on work.

Floating Star Sensory Bottle

Materials:

• Clear Plastic Bottle with Smooth Sides (I used this one.  But, these would be awesome.)
• Hair Gel
• Star-Shaped Beads
• Funnel
• Food Coloring (optional)
• Glitter (optional)

Use the funnel to put approximately 1/2 cup of hair gel into your bottle.  Then add hot water until the bottle is 3/4 of the way full.  Put on the lid and shake vigorously to mix the hair gel and water together.  

Add a few beads to the bottle and mix again.  Watch what happens.

When we first did this we used a cup of hair gel and discovered the beads just kind of stuck in place.  So we poured half the bottle of water and hair gel mixure out and added in more water.  If mixed correctly, you will notice tiny air bubbles collecting on the beads and making them rise to the surface very slowly.

When you are satisfied with your mixture, add the remaining beads. (We used 40 in ours, but you can add more or less to your liking.)  Add in a few drops of food coloring (or liquid watercolors) and a touch of glitter if desired.  (Just add a few shakes of glitter.  Adding more will cause it to clump.)

Put the lid back on and give it a good shaking.

You may want to leave the bottle sit over night before you glue the lid into place.  That way you can make minor adjustments, adding water or hair gel to get the desired effect.  We have found that after shaking our bottle the air bubbles cause half the stars to float to the top; the other half stick in place as the air bubbles pop or not enough collect on them to cause them to move.  We could add a bit more water, allowing the beads to flow more freely, but my kids like it this way.  (And since it’s for them, we’re leaving it.)

Once you are satisfied with your results, a bit of super glue will ensure little fingers don’t remove the lid and make a big mess.

The kids had fun helping make this sensory bottle.  I used the opportunity to introduce the term “viscosity.”  It was easy for them to see that the hair gel is much thicker, and therefore has more viscosity, than the water we used.  They also had fun observing the beads as they moved through a glass of water and then later in our sensory bottle.

We are looking forward to creating a few more sensory bottles and experimenting with liquids of different viscosity in the future.  For now our Floating Star Sensory Bottle has a place in our homeschool area, where they can shake it and use it to help them refocus before spelling quizzes or while working on math.

You may also like:

• How to Make a Calm Down Bottle
• Easing Social Anxiety in Children
• How to Increase Your Child’s Core Strength Using the Playground Swing
• 40 Fun Sensory Bags (Squish Bags) from Mama OT

The post Floating Star Sensory Bottle first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Every time I tried to grab his feet he giggled, until he was laughing so hard he had hiccups.  It was another fun time at the playground.  But that trip to the park can be more than just a good time for the kids.  Climbing up the ladders, doing the monkey bars, and swinging on the swings are simple and fun ways to build core strength.

One of my son’s favorite activities when he went to his occupational therapist (O.T.) was swinging on the variety of swings they had to choose from.  Besides being fun, swinging has so many benefits for children.  It aids in proprioceptive integration and affects the vestibular system, which helps increase body awareness.

How to Increase Core Strength in Kids Using a Swing

Swinging is also great for building core strength.  The action of leaning backwards and forwards and pumping the legs while keeping balanced works those core muscles.

If your child has trouble coordinating their movements to swing themselves, try this simple trick.  Stand in front of them and off to the side.  Hold your hand in front of them and ask them to lean back and stretch their legs out as they go forward.  Tell them to try to touch your hand, and when they do push their legs back down.

You can increase the challenge and make things even more fun by changing how your child uses the swing.

Superman —   Have your child lay on their stomach on the swing.  See if they can hold their legs and arms up as they fly.  Not only will it help build core muscles, but it’s a great sensory experience as well.  Take it one step further and add a toy.  Place a small ball or other small toy on the ground in front of your child and see if they can pick it up as they swing.

Stand Up —  Help your child to stand on the swing and hold on to the chains.  Keeping their balance as they stand on the wiggly swing requires the use of those core muscles.  Now challenge your child to get themselves swinging.  This takes coordination and more core strength.  If your child has trouble getting the swing to move you can give it a small push and see if he can keep his balance.

Sideways —  Have your child sit sideways on the swing.  Can he hold on and keep his balance as you swing him back and forth and side to side?

Next time you head to the park with the kids, listen to them giggle as they work on their core strength on the swing.  For more information on Sensory Processing, check out one of the best books on the market, Sensory Processing 101.

You may also like:

• Trusting My Instincts Got My Son Diagnosed 
• Simple Tips to Ease Social Anxiety on the Playground

The post How to Increase Core Strength in Kids Using a Swing first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Anxious to get playing, my daughter quickly finished her cheeseburger before stashing her shoes in the little red cubby.  I watched as she raced another little girl up the steps to the tunnel slide.  My son watched with me, having finished his food a little bit ago.  He sat as close as he could to me, practically in my lap.

A couple boys joined the play, and now there were four kids climbing the mini rock wall, zipping down the tunnel slide, laughing and enjoying the indoor play area.

My son continued to watch, inching ever closer to me.  He loves slides, especially tunnel slides, but still he sat, frozen on my lap, all because there were other children playing there.

It’s not just when we are in those enclosed play areas, the same thing happens at outdoor playgrounds.

If I suggest going to the park, he’ll ask if we can go to his “favorite one,” a small community park we have actually NEVER seen anyone else at.

And it isn’t just at play areas.

I’ve taken him to the library for story time since he was six months old.   When he started toddler time there, and all the other kids were jumping and giggling together, he stayed on my lap.

It took five years before he would sit on the brightly colored story rug, and then he sat as far away from the other kids as he could get.

He spent an entire year going to the preschool group at church on Sunday mornings, and NEVER spoke a word to another child there, nor did he participate in any of the singing activities they did.  Not once.

It isn’t easy to be a parent and watch your child in those situations.  And finding answers as to why he is so anxious around other children, when he can easily talk an adult’s ear off at the drop of a hat?   We are still trying to unravel that one. (Related Post: Trusting My Instincts Got My Son Diagnosed.)

Easing Social Anxiety in Kids

Here are some of the ways that work for us when it comes to helping a child with social anxiety.

Prep him before the trip:  Before we go somewhere we talk about where we are going and who we might see there. Having that time to prepare himself with whom we might see and talk to (like meeting friends on a homeschool field trip) really helps.  Of course I can’t give him names of everyone who will be at the park, but I CAN let him know who we are meeting and planning to interact with.

Vestibular Input:  Before we leave the house I also try to work in some type of vestibular input for him.  Spinning in circles and swinging on the tire swing we have set up in the basement are two of his favorites.

Noise Cancelling Headphones:  Noise Cancelling Headphones have been a big help.  We have taken them to homeschool field trips, Vocation Bible School, and lots and lots of other places.  I usually just let him know I have them and let him decide if/when he wears them.  I have noticed it’s not always the loudest moments that he chooses to wear them, and that when we have plenty of vestibular input before hand he doesn’t seem to need them as much.

Crunchy Snacks/Gum:  The past year or so I have noticed a growing tendency to chew/bite on toys or even the string from the waist of his sweatpants when we go places.  The chewing seems to help him, so I have started to offer him a variety of crunchy snacks and even chewing gum in certain situations.

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Did you know that October is Sensory Processing Awareness month?  This post is part of the Decoding Everyday Kid Behaviors series hosted by Lemon Lime Adventures.  In honor of Sensory Processing Awareness month, bloggers are sharing their favorite tips that can help ALL children.  Be sure to hop over to read all of this month’s awesome sensory-related posts!

And, with the goal of supporting the sensory systems of ALL children, be sure to check out the Sensory Fix Toolkit, which was created as a complete sensory processing kit in a backpack, including 15 tools to help manage auditory distractions, restlessness, and more!  (I love the idea of having it all in one place, ready to grab as you go out the door!)

You may also want to check out one of the best sensory processing books available, Sensory Processing 101: The Complete Guide.

Related Posts:

• Trusting My Instincts Got My Son Diagnosed
• Using the Playground Swing to Increase Your Child’s Core Strength

The post Social Anxiety on the Playground first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Upset and angry and unable to handle the emotions flooding through him, my son had just hit his sister before racing to cry in his room.

“What’s wrong with you?!” was my husband’s automatic response as our son ran down the hallway.

I cringed at his wording.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Those four words seem simple enough.  But think about the connotation of those words when used repeatedly with a child.

Is there really something wrong with him or her?

No one can control the emotions they feel.

As adults we have had years to learn how to handle those emotions, but young children don’t have that experience.  If their sister teases them, or someone else wins that cherished game of Candyland, they may not be able to handle the emotions.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Use those four words often enough and the child begins to think there really is something wrong with him/her.  Instead of learning to deal with their emotions, they become embarrassed by them and try to hide them.  And hiding those emotions is NOT a healthy way to deal with them.

I would like to ban the phrase:  What’s wrong with you?    There are so many better alternatives when it comes to dealing with the reactions of a child, or even adults for that matter.

I thought about ending there, but there is more to the story than just that.

At 5 my son has become much more aware of himself and the world around him.

Recently at bedtime he asked me why his fingers are the way they are.  (His pinkies are both significantly bent inward.)

We have spent months trying to get his Sensory Processing issues identified, starting off with a referral to a psychologist, then an occupational therapist, and even having a pragmatic speech eval done this past week.  This last visit he asked, “Why am I always the one that has to go see people?”

The last thing I want him to feel is like there is something WRONG with him.

He is not broken.

He is beautifully made, the way God intended.  And perfect in my eyes.  (I may be a bit biased as him mother, but I think he is a very smart and talented little guy!)

And so that is why this phrase bothers me just a little more when it is used with him.  No child should be made to feel there is something wrong with them when they act like a child.

And that phrase, “What’s wrong with you?”  As adults we need to think before we speak because our words have more impact than we may realize.

Other posts you’ll like:

• Trusting My Instincts Got My Son Diagnosed
• Easing Social Anxiety in Kids
• To the Mom Whose Child Has Lice 

The post The Parenting Phrase I Want to Ban first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.