Coffee Ground Fossils

So, I actually used one of the activities that I had listed and even took a picture of it for you all! The original recipe didn't say this, but I added a little bit of vegetable oil so that it wasn't as sticky when handling the dough. I don't much like it when my hands are dirty anyway, but slimey goo is even worse, so that was a definite improvement. The directions are as follows (copied directly from the "indoor activities" portion):

Materials

One cup used coffee grounds, ½ cup cold coffee, 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, waxed paper, mixing bowl, tin can, natural objects

Procedure

1. Stir the coffee grounds, coffee, flour and salt until well mixed.

2. Knead the dough and flatten onto waxed paper.

3. Use the can to cut out circles.

4. Press objects firmly into the dough and then lift off.

5. Let the fossil dry at least overnight.

Activity Analysis

Delay of gratification waiting for the fossils to set.

Frustration tolerance if the fossil does not look how they want it.

Muscle strength to flatten the dough and press out circles.

Bilateral integration to press down with both hands in the dough and on the tin can.

Smell processing with the aroma of the coffee.

Tactile processing for the wet texture of the dough.

Problem solving to determine how to place the object into the dough.

And here's what they looked like when they were done:

I think it actually took about 4 days for them to properly dry, but I didn't measure the amount of liquid I poured in, so I can't say if that's normal or not! It has an interesting texture and a fantastic smell and look, so you should definitely try it out!

The Secret Garden

I was encouraged to edit my little expo book and submit it as an article to an occupational therapy magazine, which I have officially done, as of ten minutes ago! (We'll see what come of it...) However, it was sadly too long for their writing specifications, and I had to cut out some of my favorite (albeit extraneous) ideas, so I thought that this would be the perfect venue for me to discuss them. I have a rapt audience, I know (ha).

The book The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett, has always been one of my favorites, but since starting OT school, the story has begun to strike a new chord and makes me excited all over again about the benefits of occupation as therapy. In the book (or musical, if you are thus inclined), the recently orphaned Mary Lennox finds herself in a manor house abandoned, for the most part, to her own devices. She is sad and serious, but as she spends more time outdoors, making friends with a local robin and finding her way into a long abandoned garden, she gains both physical strength and emotional stability. When she meets her infirmed young cousin, Colin, who has been relegated to being a cripple and seems to be facing imminent death, Mary brings him into the secret garden, he makes miraculous strides – literally; he begins walking. So what did it take for these two characters to make these physical, cognitive, and psychosocial gains? A little bit of nature and some purposeful activities!

Things I learned in OT School

 As my coursework draws to a close (oh my, how did that happen?!), I wanted to share some key (tongue in cheek) things I've learned. Enjoy!

"If not you, then who?"

"Stroke it, don't poke it."

CVAs may cause emotional lability, but so do excessive group projects.

You can feel like a failure all semester and still pass the class.

"Practice makes permanent."

If you know activity analysis well enough, you can make most anything therapeutic.

"It depends."

"When in doubt, make it bigger and longer."

"The pelvis is your friend."

You know more than you think you do. (At least, I sure hope so!)

Recess?

There was a recent study, a blogger for the LA Times notes, that found that many parents with children enrolled in child care do not take their child outdoors daily. It's actually interesting to me that they would look at this, because as a former preschool teacher, I know that: #1: in many places it's required for children in a formal setting to go outside everyday (barring, of course, bad weather), so the children are getting outside play time and #2: for teachers, being outside is often the hour or two of the day that restores sanity, since children have the freedom to move about and be as loud as they like. So children ARE still getting that outdoor play time (perhaps not in as natural of a setting as would be ideal, but still, they are outside!), even if parents are not the instigators.

This does stress the importance of recess and outdoor play at school, which AOTA emphasizes in the article Occupational Therapy Can Help Save Recess. Recess/active play is critical for helping children to focus better, besides all of the physical benefits!

Vertical Gardening

 I saw the images for this Cucumber TeePee on Pinterest and I would love to try it out with children. This would be a great place for kids to hide under in the summer!