Grocery Stores

Hello this void, I hope all contained had a lovely Thanksgiving!!

I did, thanks. I made a brilliant creamy potatoes au gratin with white cheese sauce, which I thought would be impossible but turned out amazing. Cooking really is like crafting, a distinction I didn't really appreciate until this Thanksgiving. In addition to my potatoes, I made two sets of apple crisp-one with my four-year-old class and one with my good buddy MC.  He's seven, and cooking with him is one of my new favorite things to do.

All this cooking meant A LOT of time in grocery stores. I happen to be an intrisically absent-minded person, so even with lists I had to make several return trips. Thankfully I don't mind, as I LOVE grocery stores. I feel so lucky in having such a broad spectrum of choices! Lucky in that the food is there for me, of course, but also I feel free. I get to define my exact criteria for every product I need, and for some reason that is liberating to me on a very deep level. I also love the organization, the bright colors, the smells and the endless possibilities! A grocery store is like an enormous box of crayons-the possible combinations of colors, styles, designs, statements,  techniques, method and expression is infinite.

I am intensely aware, however, that a trip to the grocery store is more torture than art for some people. Today, actually, I noticed some unusually miserable moms and dads hauling unwilling children. How awful for these parents, who not only have to drag the children around but are providing food for them as well!! And the children, confined to a metal cage on wheels, being tempted with all sorts of yummy delights just out of reach. What a painful process for all!

Sad, too, because I want everyone in the world to love and appreciate grocery stores like I do. This is a new perspective for me-as I have eight brothers and sisters, you may rest assured I was one of the screaming miseries in the cage. So, to help out all you grocery store haters, I have put together a list of some supply-free ways to turn that dreaded chore into fun for all.

I-Spy: a timeless game with a grocery store twist. The things you choose to spy can be adapted to your child's age and ability levels. You can look for colors, shapes, things that start with letters, relational items (under, over, next to, on...), where they go in the kitchen (refrigerator, pantry, etc), what you would use to eat them, flavors, food groups...the list is honestly infinite. This game is most successful if a) make sure your categories are interesting to the child and b) if you have a turn to be a guesser as well. Tricky if you're time-constrained, understandably. If you are, try putting a time limit on guessing or the number of chances you get.

Sensory: have your child close their eyes (or use a blindfold if you have one available). As you are shopping, find things for them to smell and have them guess what it is. Find interesting shapes and let them feel it all over. Choose a particular sound that you can describe and have them point to the direction it is coming from. Push them down an aisle and let them feel the rows of goods on the shelf (carefully) and guess where they are. Try to guess the area by the temperature, etc. This game is especially good for helping little ones who are sensitive to visual stimuli remain calm. Also helpful for children with social anxiety, if you can get the blindfold on in the car.

Coupon-matching game: using coupons is a great way to save money. Have children help you while learning to be frugal. Give the child the coupon (or several, depending on age and ability level) when you get to the section the product is in. Tell them to look for the item on the coupon while you are-whoever finds it first wins! You can keep score for a reward at the end of the trip.

Education: there is something you know that your child probably doesn't about every item in a store. You can use this time to teach about money and cost, geography, ingredients, recipes, packaging, environmental impact, health...again, the list is infinite. Encourage them to ask questions-if you are lucky enough to be in possession of a smart phone or other portable technology, show them how to find their own answers (while simultaneously giving you some time, by the way ;) By age and experience you are in a position to give your kid a leg up in the world, as well as turning a chore into quality time.

Let them help: if it is age and ability-level appropriate, give your kids part of the list and cut your shopping time down. You can turn this into a race to the finish line as well, for some added fun. Make sure you delineate rules such as no running, etc. and that your kids know how to ask for help if they need it. Also save yourself time by making sure brands/prices/etc are clearly defined so you don't have to return to the area to switch items.

A grocery store has a large number of reinforcement items IN it-whatever your child will work for is more than likely in the store. To prevent them from asking for everything, decide before you go in what they will get for following directions. If its been a rough day for you, make sure you find yourself a little reinforcer too. You're doing a great job too!!

Happy Shopping!

Fun and Easy Autumn Crafts

Most of my life I've been a die-hard summer lover; no school, sunburns, bubbles and sidewalk chalk have always been my idea of heaven.

Lately, however, my appreciation for autumn and all things harvest has deepened. Something about crunchy leaves and cloudless cornflower-blue skies has caught my attention. I even learned the Hebrew word for the season-stav!!

To celebrate my newfound wonder for the season, here are my three new favorite Autumn Activities. Enjoy!!

Lollipop Ghosties-

Easiest craft ever!! Makes awesome Halloween party favors, cheap decorations (especially on the top of cupcakes), good practice for fine motor skills and multi-sensory. Fun for everyone, adaptable for a lot of different ability levels and ages and made with common household items. Here's how you make one:

You Need: Lollipops. I like Tootsie Pops best, and definitely recommend spherical lollipops as opposed to flat ones.

Tissues: Kleenex is my favorite because its nice and thick, but any kind of box tissue works.

Clear Tape

Markers

Lay one tissue out flat. Pick it up in the middle and put in down on the top of the lollipop, with the middle on top. Wrap a piece of tape tightly around the stem right below the candy part, and fluff out the bottom to make it look like a ghost. Use your marker to draw a scary, or happy, face and you have a lollipop ghostie!!

The best part is, once you're done with it as a ghost, it still remains a delicious sugary treat!

Pumpkin Seeds-

This is less of a craft and more of a sensory activity, but I have to say my ALL-TIME favorite sensory feeling is a big bowl full of fresh clean pumpkin seeds. They're flat, and smooth, and can be squeezed and shook and every way you touch them they're just wonderful!

To make it into a game, hide something small in a bowl of pumpkin seeds. I like to use a penny, or a kidney bean.

I use this game to help reinforce visual stimulation and pincher skills by coloring a seed with a marker and throwing it in. It's harder than you'd think to fish it out.

If you add a little water the fun goes to a whole new level! A few seeds will stick to your skin but other than that its clean and easy and entertaining for a long time.

I also tried throwing a few seeds in my toaster oven for a few minutes-not long enough to roast them, just long enough to make them warm. They hold heat very well and feel great. You can also stick them in the fridge to chill which feels neat too. For a lot of sensory stimulation, mix warm and cold seeds together in the same bowl. It's a good time!!

Fall Leaves-

I love the look of fall leaves. I like to collect special or pretty ones and iron them (low heat) in between two sheets of waxed paper. Make sure you put a towel in between the iron and the waxed paper otherwise your iron will be a mess. You can also laminate them in a machine for a more lasting effect.

There is SO much you can do with leaves once they are preserved like this. I like to hang them in a window so they flutter in the breeze. Attach clear fishing line to the back and the window pane using transparent tape, and you're done. These are super light so they don't need any complicated hanging system. They look great around the outside of a picture frame or door wreath. I once used them for invitations to a fall get-together; I just printed the information on a clear label and stuck it right on! Everyone loved it, and it was so quick and easy.

I also really like to tape my kid's school pictures to the middle of them. Since they're flat they fit beautifully in scrapbooks.  I have a book with pictures of past clients from schools and centers and programs all over the country-maple and oak leaves from PA, aspen leaves from CO, and Pinon leaves from New Mexico.

You can also use them to teach basic cognitive concepts like colors and shapes, and if you leave some space between the edges of the leaf and the edge of the wax paper or laminate you can use it to develop scissor skills as well.

Happy Autumn Everyone!!! We hope its a great one!

Favorite Five Commercial Fidgets

Do you need a way to occupy your hands or the hands of your child or client like I ALWAYS do.  Well Fidgets are THE BEST!  There is always a time where you need to calm down, sit and wait on someone to come pick you up, or sit in a boring meeting. 

These are our five favorite commercial Fidgets.  All of these can be purchased for under $3 a piece!!  Just click on the name and it'll take you right to the site to purchase these amazing fidgets

 

Tangle

Bendeez

Magic Loop

Geo Twister

Flipping Frogs

Everything is worth celebrating

One of my favorite things about working in an elementary school is kids that age remind you that everything is worth celebrating. Halloween? Let’s take a day to party for that-a parade, games, treats, those cool prismatic pencils. Thanksgiving? How great to be an American. Winter holiday? All-encompassing! How careful we are to make everyone feel included and worthy...and I love that about us now.


The best one is birthdays, though. I love the many snacks ambitious homeroom moms create to celebrate. They are always individually proportioned, to ensure no kid cries their piece is too small, which I always found thoughtful. And no snack ever has peanut butter in, because what would ruin a birthday more than a trip to the hospital with anaphylactic shock. Brownies, ice cream, the ever-evolving and omnipresent cupcakes...the coolest cupcake I ever saw looked like a lady-bug with fruit roll-up wings and little black licorice feet. So cute.

For as adorable as it was though, I don’t think the design was the reason that particular birthday party was so memorable. At the time I was working with a seven year old with Autism, whose treatment included a gluten/casein free diet. I remember him being so excited to have a ladybug cupcake-he loved all bugs anyway. One of his favorite things to do at recess involved holding his nose a centimeter away from the grass, tracking the movements of all the newly-emerged spring insects. He always wanted to know what their “homes” looked like.

However, unfortunately, Duncan-Heinz cupcakes are not gluten-casein free. We had a replacement snack for said child, but at the end of the day goldfish crackers just don’t really compare to a big, moist and delectable sugary confection. Now I know everyone has their own thoughts on diet as a therapy option and maybe we’ll explore that in the future, but I will say it does not contribute to social inclusion. This particular birthday party ended in some pretty vehement behaviors, pitying looks from the homeroom parents and embarrassment from the birthday boy.

An easy solution? Parents, I beseech you to try a different tack. Ok, no kid likes to give pencils as their birthday treat, or small toys or anything else “lame”. However, check out some modern research on refined sugars, white flour, and processed dessert recipes. There are some really scary biological consequences that affect ALL people, ragardless of whether they are typically functioning or not. So, maybe, we could experiment with gluten free, vegan, allergen-friendly recipes to introduce to our kids in school. They are just as tasty, if slightly more difficult to make. Not a baker? Not to worry, I can’t bake AT ALL either. So I did some research. If you live in the metro Philadelphia area, here are two companies that provide many tasty treats that everyone can enjoy! Also, you can order online and they ship! So maybe not only can my clients participate in a fabulous birthday party with no social boundaries, but all our kids can be a little bit healthier too.

Sweet Freedom Bakery
http://www.sweetfreedombakery.com/
1424 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 545-1899

Cookies...for me?
Furlong, PA
Tel. 215-345-7078
http://www.cookiesforme.com/
inquiry@cookiesforme.com