Family life can be busy, and it can sometimes feel difficult to incorporate OT strategies into home life. Between school, work, extracurricular activities, and everyday responsibilities, finding extra time can be challenging.
However, practising skills outside of therapy sessions is an important part of helping children develop and achieve their goals. The good news is that therapy strategies don’t always require extra time in the day. Many occupational therapy strategies can be incorporated into routines that families are already doing.
Here are some practical ways to support your child’s development by embedding OT strategies into everyday life.
Create Opportunities for Children to Practice Skills Independently
Encouraging children to complete everyday tasks on their own helps them build important life skills. Repetition is key when learning new skills, and regular practice supports children in mastering them over time.
Parents can begin by offering support and guidance where needed, and then gradually reduce that support as their child becomes more confident and capable.
Although it can sometimes feel easier or faster to do tasks for children, especially when time is limited, allowing them to practise independently can significantly benefit their development.
Examples of everyday tasks children can practise include:
- Tying shoelaces
- Getting dressed
- Packing their school bag
- Making their lunch
Practising these tasks supports the development of motor skills, executive functioning, confidence, and independence.
Join in Play with Your Child
Play is one of the most important ways children learn about the world around them. Occupational therapists often use play-based activities to support a range of developmental goals.
Spending even a short amount of time getting down on your child’s level and engaging in meaningful play can be very beneficial. This shared play time helps strengthen relationships while supporting key developmental skills.
Playing together can help develop:
- Joint attention
- Social and communication skills
- Emotional regulation
- Play skills
- Fine and gross motor development
Simple activities like building with blocks, playing pretend games, or kicking a ball can provide valuable opportunities for learning and connection.
Model Emotional Language and Regulation Strategies
Children learn a great deal about emotions by observing the adults around them. Talking openly about your own feelings and how you manage them can help children develop emotional awareness and coping strategies.
Modelling emotional language helps children understand that it is normal to experience a range of emotions and that there are ways to manage them when they arise.
For example, you might say:
- “I’m feeling frustrated that I burnt the toast. I’m going to have a drink of cold water and then make some more.”
- “I can feel butterflies in my tummy. I’m feeling nervous about my work meeting this morning, so I’m going to take three deep breaths to calm my body.”
Talking about how emotions feel in the body also helps children build interoceptive awareness — the ability to recognise internal body signals. This awareness can help children identify early signs of dysregulation and use strategies to calm themselves before emotions escalate.
These conversations support the development of emotional regulation, sensory regulation, and problem-solving skills.
Include Children in Household Tasks that Support Sensory Regulation
Many everyday household tasks involve movement and “heavy work,” which can provide important sensory input for children.
Activities that involve pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying provide proprioceptive and vestibular input, which can have a calming and regulating effect on the nervous system.
These activities can be particularly helpful when preparing for transitions or tasks that require focus and attention.
Examples of helpful household activities include:
- Vacuuming
- Carrying laundry baskets
- Carrying groceries
- Gardening
- Collecting packages
- Helping wash the car
- Food preparation
Participating in these tasks can support sensory regulation, emotional regulation, and attention, while also helping children feel capable and included in family routines.
Encourage Play that Targets Your Child’s OT Goals
Play is not only fun — it is also a powerful way to build skills. Encouraging play activities that align with your child’s occupational therapy goals can support development in an engaging and motivating way.
These activities can be done independently, with siblings, or with parents.
Examples include:
Fine motor skills and hand strength
- Craft activities
- Puzzles
- Beading
- Lego
- Playdough
- Writing orders during pretend restaurant play
Gross motor skills
- Kicking a ball
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Creating obstacle courses
Board games
- Practising turn-taking
- Developing patience and frustration tolerance
- Supporting social interaction skills
These activities provide opportunities for children to practise skills while still feeling like they are simply playing.
Use Everyday Tasks to Practise Handwriting
Handwriting practice does not always need to involve formal worksheets. Incorporating writing into meaningful, everyday tasks can make practice more engaging and motivating for children.
Examples include:
- Writing shopping lists
- Creating labels around the house
- Writing birthday cards
- Helping write meal plans
When writing has a real purpose, children are often more willing to participate and practise their skills.
Involve Children in Planning and Organising
Including children in planning activities and routines can help develop a variety of important skills.
Parents might involve children in planning the week ahead, discussing upcoming activities, or creating simple schedules together. Offering choices during planning can also help children feel more involved and motivated to participate.
Predictable routines and visual schedules can help children:
- Understand expectations
- Increase independence
- Reduce anxiety
- Support smoother transitions between activities
These experiences support the development of executive functioning skills, including organisation, sequencing, and problem-solving.
Incorporate Children into Food Preparation
Food preparation can be another great opportunity to practise important skills. Cooking activities often involve sensory experiences, fine motor tasks, sequencing steps, and problem-solving.
Allowing children to participate in simple food preparation tasks can help build confidence while supporting their development.
Cooking together can help develop:
- Sensory processing skills
- Fine motor skills
- Planning and sequencing
- Independence
- Problem-solving abilities
Even small tasks like stirring, pouring, measuring ingredients, or washing vegetables can be valuable learning opportunities.
Small Moments Can Make a Big Difference
Supporting your child’s occupational therapy goals does not always require adding new activities to your routine. Many valuable opportunities for learning and skill development already exist within everyday family life.
By incorporating simple strategies into daily routines, parents can help children practise important skills in meaningful and engaging ways. Over time, these small moments of practice can make a big difference in helping children build confidence, independence, and resilience.
If you’re no sure what activities you should be working on, you may want to join My OT Toolkit – our new parent resource hub. It’s full of activities, e-books, guides and more.
Need extra support? Contact us hello@occupationaltherapy.com.au or call us 02 9913 3823
