Physical Activity

Sensory Break: 3 Activities to Integrate Into the Classroom

By Camille Bodnar, Physiotherapist (PT) and web writer|2024-04-02T14:36:37-04:002 April 2024|Child Development, Physical Activity|

Discover our suggestions for activities to use in your classroom routine in order to integrate sensory breaks with movement! The Importance of Sensory Breaks at School To be ready to learn, children must be in both a calm and alert state. However, this optimal state of self-regulation can prove difficult to achieve and maintain in a school environment...When sensory information that comes from the environment is perceived as being too stimulating or, on the contrary, insufficient, students may feel stress, have difficulty interacting with their peers, [...]

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Our Brain and the Many Benefits of Crossing Midline

By Rebecca Leslie, educational consultant at arcs.solutions|2022-07-11T11:44:10-04:0011 July 2022|Child Development, Other, Physical Activity|

Going about our daily task and activities, adults are often crossing midline without giving it much thought at all. As we tie our shoes, read, turn the steering wheel while we drive, and reach for various things throughout the day, our brain is hard at work. So what’s our midline? As you could likely guess from the name alone, someone’s midline is that imaginary line that runs from the tip-top of your head right down to the point between your feet, separating your body into two [...]

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The Importance of Play for Autistic Children

By Maureen Bennie, founder of Autism Awarness Centre Inc|2021-10-12T15:59:11-04:0012 October 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity, Special Needs|

Play is an important part of a child's development. It builds fine and gross motor skills, social skills, communication skills, language, thinking and problem solving skills. With autistic children, play can be very limited. For example, a child may want to play alone, engage in repetitive play like lining up toys, or moving from them from point A to point B and then back again, or play with the same thing over and over. Children can learn play skills with guidance and by structuring play. [...]

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Count Me In! Becoming and Staying Physically Active

By Maureen Bennie, founder of Autism Awarness Centre Inc.|2021-09-21T15:35:35-04:0020 September 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity, Special Needs|

Physical activity should be a part of everyone’s week throughout their lifespan. Regular exercise lessens anxiety, improves sleep, increases endurance, builds muscles, develops motor skills and offers opportunities for socializing. Whether being involved in organized sports on a team, solo activities (swimming, archery, martial arts), or just playing outdoors, physical activity offers the chance to grow stronger, expand interests, and adds to the enjoyment of life. Start with Little Steps to Get Moving If a child has not been physically active, enrolling them in a sport or [...]

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A Balancing Act: benefits of practicing good balance

By Rebecca Leslie, educational consultant at arcs.solutions |2021-09-15T10:14:20-04:0014 September 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity, Special Needs|

We’re learning more and more about how the brain and the body are interconnected and how inextricable the two are from our overall well-being. So many of the functions that we often take for granted involve communication between the body and the brain. Balancing is in fact one of those functions! As a fairly complex skill, maintaining a sense of balance involves many of our muscles, our brain and even parts of our inner ear. The inner ear – also referred to by many as our [...]

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Top 5 Old School Summer Activities for Kids

By Rebecca Leslie, educational consultant at arcs.solutions|2021-09-15T10:32:58-04:006 July 2021|Child Development, Help with Homework, Physical Activity|

We’ve passed some of the season’s key milestones – Solstice, the last day of school, St Jean Baptiste – and now we have our eyes fixed straight ahead on a fun-filled summer! With the warmer, sunnier weather comes the chance to get outside more often and take advantage of all this new season has to offer! The backyard pools will be jumped in. The kids will be barefoot. The evenings will be filled with light conversation and laughter. Staying active in the summer comes so much [...]

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Supporting Skill Building, Personal Growth and Wellness through Gardening

By Maureen Bennie, founder of Autism Awarness Centre Inc. |2021-06-30T11:29:35-04:0030 June 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity, Special Needs|

Starting a garden is a great long-term project that has numerous benefits. Gardening can happen in a calm, quiet and relaxing natural environment. It can be taught through online learning and videos. Gardening can also be an activity that unites a group of people through a common purpose and interest. For example, when school resumes this fall, the things that were grown over the summer can be brought in to show classmates and the growing experience can be shared through journals and photos. This can also [...]

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Play ball with me!

By CRCM Occupational therapist|2021-06-30T11:35:25-04:0026 May 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity, Special Needs|

Ball games have been widely used by educators and parents for many years. With different sizes, colors and even textures, balls make it possible to create diversified games that are easy to come back to again and again. Did you know that beyond play, the ball is a tool of choice for facilitating children's development? Visuomotor coordination is essential for the development of fine motor activities such as coloring, threading, and possibly reading and writing. By playing throwing and catching games with the child, they learn [...]

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How can we feel good every single day?

By Equipe fdmt|2021-06-06T10:34:29-04:0018 May 2021|Other, Physical Activity|

A daily routine can be exhausting and make time seem to fly by. It is essential to take time to stop and identify the different elements that contribute to your usual good mood. Identify what makes you feel good both physically and mentally. Take a moment to stop and recharge your batteries so that you can eventually be more effective in the various important areas of your life. The notion of well-being includes different topics that resonate with many different types of people. Some are fulfilled [...]

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5 essential ways to stimulate language

By CRCM Occupational therapist|2021-03-17T22:31:47-04:0017 March 2021|Child Development, Physical Activity|

Let’s say it right off the bat - the best times to stimulate your child's language are through everyday activities! Why? Because these are moments that happen throughout the day and the words used are the most necessary ones for daily functioning! Also, including language stimulation naturally throughout the day is easier than planning recurring times when you sit down and "work" on language. Some rules to follow • Avoid making the child repeat. This might be discouraging! • When the words spoken are not worded [...]

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