Friday, July 26, 2013

The Beauty of Theraputty

So I guess by now most of you have figured out that I won't be posting much about the "tiny-units" of the summer. In between preparing for the next school year and enjoying the summer, my time blogging has been cut dramatically but then again, I think most of you are probably taking the summer off and thus not really in need of any ideas for these units anyway, right? I must say my time spent on school with Adrian this summer is much lesser than anticipated. After our first guests left, the weather turned out to be SO nice that we never really went back to our regular school schedule. I am not lying, it has not rained in over 4 if not 5 weeks now. The temperatures are also very comfortable too (not too hot, not too cold) so school time is mostly spent outside, drawing with chalk, riding bicycles, picking cherries, playing in the water and the like (although sometimes we're inside, with our math and language worksheets). But there is one activity Adrian can't get enough of and something I always indulge him in: Theraputty. Theraputty is usually something you'll find in an occupational therapy office; something a child or an adult will work with to rehabilitate their hands or fingers. It is also used to increase the strength of the hands and fingers after an accident for example. In Adrian's case, I made the purchase last year after I noticed he could use some help in the finger strength department (specifically so he could eventually hold his pencil the proper way for a "long" time. Ever since, we've done quite a few exercises, which he always welcomes with joy.


Theraputty
Theraputty


Theraputty is a bit like play dough but it is harder and it can be stretched quite a bit. It also comes in different strengths (each strength has its own color but different makers means different color coding too) and it is slightly sticky/adhesive. You do not want to use it on say...a paper towel as it will not peel off but if used on a table, it will peel off well. It also does not hold its shape. Preparing activities ahead can be challenging as it stays shaped for only a little bit of time before taking the shape of the container it is kept in but that makes it quite interesting to work with. A few more things to keep in mind prior to working with Theraputty: it stains clothing. It kind of "melts" into the fabric and somehow does not come out of the fibers (WD-40 helps tremendously but doesn't remove everything every time!). Also, although it is somewhat like Crayola's Silly Putty, Theraputty isn't Silly Putty: it won't bounce and remember, it is "hard"! :)

Now on to our latest Theraputty activities (all done with a medium strength Theraputty made by Theraflex):

Theraputty Porcupine 
Theraputty Porcupine

I made the first porcupine and Adrian's task was to remove the quills and eyes (poor porcupine!) Then, Adrian had to flatten the putty and make his own porcupine. Pulling and poking, rolling and stretching  all require strength.

Theraputty Monsters Ghosts
Theraputty Monsters/Ghosts

Another stretching activity. Shaping the putty can be tough so strength is put to the test here. Decorating Theraputty always makes it more fun, even if the goggly eyes don't stick/sink in very well. It'd be a great Halloween activity I think if you're into thematic weeks.


Theraputty Food Breakfast Pancakes Sausages
Breakfast food for our monsters and ghosts: pancakes and sausages

Our monsters and ghosts were hungry so after we finished them off, we made pancakes and sausages for them. Pinching a tiny bit of Theraputty off in between the thumb and index finger is not that easy as it's hard and stretchy by the way. Then of course, a tiny ball had to be made in between those two fingers and finally, the thumb was used to squish the ball on the table to make "perfectly round" pancakes. The sausages were made by pinching and rolling the putty.


The following activities were all done throughout last school year and by clicking on the picture, you'll be taken to the post featuring the Theraputty activity seen. Enjoy and get ready for more Theraputty in School Year 2013-2014!


Theraputty Candy Exercise


Theraputty Exercise pirate coins


Theraputty Frog Spawn


Theraputty Exercise Dental Teeth




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6 comments:

  1. These activities look like so much fun. I'm tempted to buy some theraputty now, but these activities would be fun with playdough too. I'm pinning this so I can remember all of these fun ideas!

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    1. They absolutely would be doable and fun with play dough. The only reason we do with Theraputty is for the development of my son's finger strength. It's been working well too. He's now able to get the scissors going and is finally able to trace some letters so I'm thrilled with the results of this therapy! :)

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  2. Found this from Weekly Kids Co-op. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by. Theraputty is a wonderful tool for children and adults alike! Hope you'll get to try it!

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  3. I love love love your site! I just recently found it and have loved seeing your ideas. I am about to start a co-op preschool and I am heading up the curriculum. I had already decided to do thematic units and I'm loving all the ideas you have. Also, I'm a Speech-Language Therapist, so we're totally in love with Theraputty here too :)

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    1. Glad to hear. I'm sure you'll love having your own co-op preschool. A lot of people do. I actually considered it. Thematics units are great. They work wonders for me at least in keeping me organized. :)

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