Sensory bins aren’t a new concept but have recently gained popularity. These bins are great for children of all ages to learn and explore with their hands and various other items in the bin. Although you can buy a premade sensory bin (this is what I did), they are actually fairly easy to make and just require some creativity. Depending on what you have around your house, you might not even need to purchase anything. Here are the main parts of a sensory bin.
Snow Day Activities Without Screens
Who doesn’t love a good snow day? If you are joining my blog from NJ or any other place that gets hit with snow during the winter, snow days can stretch out. The first few storms are pretty and it’s nice to have a day off here and there. However, once you are on snow day #5, it’s freezing, and you’ve had to cancel plans again, it gets annoying. A snow day can turn into the perfect (or not-so-perfect) day to sit around and binge-watch Netflix or scroll on social media. However, screens weren’t always around for snow days (yes, I know… shocker!). Sitting in front of a screen all day isn’t the healthiest or most productive way to spend the day. If you are looking to make your next snow day screen-free, or at least include less screen time, check out some non-screen-related snow day activities below.
Walk & Talk Therapy
Walk-and-talk therapy can be known by different names. Regardless of the name, this form of therapy brings the provider and the patient outside the therapy room. Walk-and-talk therapy is not a new concept and has its roots in mindfulness-based therapy, as well as body-oriented therapy. Numerous research studies show the benefits of the outdoors, as well as bringing the outdoors inside (e.g. having plants in the home). Some benefits to being outdoors include decreased anxiety, increased concentration and happiness, improved creativity, and better physical health.