How an OT Thinks Your Kids Should Spend Their Time this Summer

As I write this, we are on the cusp of summer…in 2020 (I think we can all agree that this is a weird year), and kids are definitely “over it” when it comes to school. The last thing they want to do is more reading, writing, or math, especially if it has to be done in front of a computer. But the good news is that you can help them work on the underlying skills needed for doing all of these things by following one simple rule:

Just let the kids play.

Really! It’s that simple. I wholeheartedly believe that the best thing you can do for your child’s academic skills is to encourage lots and lots of play! 

I’m a school-based occupational therapist, so I’ve broken down the skills I look for when it comes to fine motor skills, writing skills, and focused attention, and have shared some play-based activities you can encourage for your child this summer (and really all year round!). But here’s the thing – just because the suggestions below are mostly fun, play activities, doesn’t mean your kid will love to do them if YOU, as their parent, suggest them. (This is This list is meant to be a general guide, but it is also okay for you to simply trust your child and be confident in knowing that play is their work and they are the experts here.

Here is my OT formula:

Strength: from a mechanics standpoint, the research is clear that fine motor skills improve when a child’s hand, arm, shoulder, and core strength improves. Activities like the following are fantastic to encourage:

• climbing (kids don’t need any help with this one, we just have to provide the right spaces for them!)
• jumping (trampoline, on the bed if you allow it, from one big rock to another rock outside, from one pillow to another inside, etc)
• crawling through tunnels and forts
• wheelbarrow walking, animal walks (bear crawls, frog jumps, etc)
• push ups and planks (always best when you can turn them into a competition or game!)
• free play with putty or play doh

Coordination: all fine motorskills improve when kids improve their overall coordination skills. More good activities that help with this:

• running
• swimming
• riding a bike
• kicking a ball
• playing basketball (especially dribbling and shooting the ball into the basket)
• swinging a baseball bat to hit the ball
• board games! (Operation, Don’t Break the Ice, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Jenga, Yeti in my Spaghetti, Mr. Bucket, Barrel of Monkeys, etc)
• walking on a balance beam or the edge of a curb / garden bed / etc

Visual skills: all fine motor skills improve when kids improve their overall visual skills. Here are some activities to work on this:

• card / board games! (Connect 4, Uno, solitaire with actual cards, etc.)
• word searches (turn these into visual skill work + coordination skill work + strength work by printing them and taping them to the wall or an easel or the underside of a table to encourage your child to stand or lie on the floor while they find the words)
• puzzles
• mazes
• I Spy games (you can do this with color, letter, letter sound, rhymes, etc to make it even more challenging and fun!)
• arts (painting, drawing, coloring, making crafts, beading, etc)

Self-regulation: all fine motor skills improve when kids are better able to regulate their emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sensory needs. Here are a few activities to work on this:

• read books that give them language for emotions (a few of my favorites for younger kids: The Boy with Big Big Feelings, Grumpy Monkey, The Color Monster, The Way I Feel)
• have them help create a “calm down space” with objects such as favorite books, pillows, squishy balls to squeeze, bubbles
• as much as possible, try to schedule gross motor play before fine motor tasks (i.e. if you want them to read, write, type, etc, schedule it for AFTER they do 30-90 minutes of climbing, jumping, swinging, swimming, etc)
• work on your own ability to self-regulate! Kids need CO-regulation (aka a trusted adult helping them regulate and modeling healthy regulation) for a long time before they master it. Be the leader!

Remember: kids are play experts! Your family may have some specific priorities around how time is spent (i.e. limits on screen time), but otherwise, simply let your kids play! I promise that through play, they are building skills that will serve them through the rest of their lives.