This week we are going to have a little bargain fun and explore my favorite Dollar Tree finds and how I use them in therapy. Before COVID, I used lots of Dollar Tree finds to adapt devices and create games and activities. But, now I am using so many of these to create individual packets for parents to use during our virtual sessions. I am very lucky to receive a small amount of supply money from my school district. So, instead of using this money to purchase big items like therapy benches, I have been creating packets each month for kids to use during therapy.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorites!
Craft Supplies
There are so many great craft items at The Dollar Tree. Many of them come in small individualized containers that can be divided between my students. Of all the craft supplies, the glitter is my favorite! Last week I used this to make super simple sensory bottles with my students.
Now there are lots of great, more complex ways to make sensory bottles. But since I was doing this as part of a therapy session, we kept it simple. We added water, food color (not necessary), and glitter. If you have kiddos that have trouble controlling their squeeze you might want find a thicker bottle like gatoraid or vitamin water.
I have been structuring many of my virtual sessions with a warm up in the beginning (one of my 5 minute workouts or dancing along). Then, we take a quick break and do some sort of simple craft or activity that I use during the rest of my session. The process of pouring these items into the bottle was great for fine motor skills and graded control. Then shaking things up to get the glitter spread out was a great strengthening task. Once we were done, we used the bottle for the rest of our activities. We did follow along movements like: shake the bottle over your head, touch the bottle to your knees, and touch your toes with the bottle. We also danced to songs like shake your sillies out.
I also love the craft beads and pipe cleaners. My favorite way to use them is to add the beads to a pipe cleaner to create a bracelet or a simple shape. We then use it as part of our session. Large shapes we can jump/step in and out of, bracelets we can keep on our wrist and wave them, etc.
Cookie Sheet
The Dollar Tree has multiple sizes and shapes of cookies sheets available. Cookie Sheets are a very versatile tool to use during a therapy session. Since they are metal, magnets will stick to them. The shiny surface can be written on with a dry erase marker and easily erased with a paper towel. I also love using my favorite toy with them, Squigz! They stick really well to the cookie sheet.
During therapy, I use cookie sheets as a moveable surface for kids to reach and stick magnets to or pull Squigz off of. The ability to move the surface around allows me use it to work on multiple skills. I work on crossing midline in sitting or standing. By placing it on the floor I can work on squats. By moving it around during reaching activities I can encourage weight-shifting and movement out of the base of support. The OTs I work with add rice and small objects to the surface to have kids find and remove the items with their fingers or tweezers.
Loofah
This one might seem a bit odd, but believe it or not the loofah is a super versatile therapy tool! On the obvious side, I use the loofah to teach self-care skills like washing your face, wiping your arms, etc. I also use it to practice chores like wiping off the desk, wheelchair tray, etc. On the fun side, I use the loofah to practice catching/throwing skills.
My favorite game to play with the loofah is the snowball fight! I live in sunny South Florida which means we don’t get snow or much cold weather around here. So, we have to create our own version of snow. And, that’s where the loofah comes in. Snowball Fight can be played with kids of all ability levels. The loofah is light weight and soft which means its easy to grab and throw. It also means that if kids miss catching it, and it bumps them in the face it won’t hurt.
Clothes Pins
The Dollar Tree has large packages of standard clothes pins and small packages of animal shaped clothes pins. They are technically chip clips, but they work just like clothes pins. Some of my kiddos have difficulty knowing where to squeeze the clothes pin. So, I use a marker to place dots on the end to help them out.
I use clothes pins for lots of different activities. You can scatter them on the floor having kids squat to pick them up and either place them in a container or clip them to a container. For more advanced kids, I ask them to squat to the floor and then reach overhead to place them on a clothes line or other surface. If you place different colored dots on the pins you can even have kids do some patterning. These large packs of pins make is inexpensive to divide between students.
Tools
The Dollar Tree has lots of inexpensive tools available. Some of my favorites are their allen wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, super glue, and zip ties. I use these tools to create small kits of tools that I can leave at multiple locations without spending a fortune.
Duct Tape
What would a therapist do without duct tape? It is a therapists best friend! Of course I use duct tape to repair and fix multiple things at school. But, I also use it create things. One of the easiest items is bean bags. Using small ziplock bags, you can add some rice and then cover it with duct tape to create bean bags of any size and shape you want. You can also use larger bags of rice, cover them with tape and then tape then together to create weighted lap pads.
What are your favorite Dollar Tree products? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear about them and how you use them in therapy/play?
Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have an amazing week!
-Heather
Products Used:
Squigz: https://amzn.to/3acs12A
Dollar Tree Products: https://www.dollartree.com/
This post contains affiliate links. Pediatric Therapy Essentials, LLC participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Should you choose to use these links, this channel may earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!