Child Development Tips, Tools, and Strategies
Encourage your child to reach their fullest potential through hands-on play and developmentally appropriate activities.
Welcome!
My mission is to provide developmental tips, tools, and strategies to help you grow hands-on kids. Whether you are a parent, educator, therapist, or other professional, this site is for you.
Get My Free Fine Motor Checklist for Ages 0-6!
Get my FREE Fine Motor Checklist for Ages 0-6 when you subscribe to Growing Hands-On Kids. Put your email in the box below to get yours now! You'll also get my weekly child development tips newsletter. Join 50,000 others and get these free weekly tips.
Free Sensory Systems Email Series
Discover how all 8 sensory systems are connected and are the building blocks of child development. Also, get an 8 Sensory Systems Handout with signs of sensitivities and activity suggestions.
Free Fine Motor Email Series
Not sure where to start with fine motor skills? This Fine Motor 101 email series is a great place to start. Get a Fine Motor Skills Checklist, plus activity suggestions for all ages and levels of ability.
Free Pre-Writing & Handwriting Series
Understand the importance of pre-writing lines and strokes, how pencil grasp develops, and ways to promote handwriting success through hands-on activities.
Why are pre-writing skills important for handwriting? In this brand new ebook, Heather takes a look at the research on why pre-writing skills are crucial for your child’s future handwriting.
You’ll discover the foundational skills needed for future handwriting like sensory processing, gross motor, fine motor, and visual-motor skills. Plus you will get specific hands-on activity ideas for each of these developmental areas, including ways to introduce pre-writing lines and shapes to your child.
This ebook is ideal for any person who has or works with a child ages 2-6.
Sensory Processing Explained was written by an Occupational Therapy Assistant and mom of seven children. They use their unique experiences as a parent of children with sensory processing disorder and working in the classroom setting with children of various sensory processing challenges.
This book is three books in one so that you will get exactly what sensory processing information is right for your situation. It was written with easy to understand terms and language so that you can feel confident in explaining your child or student’s sensory processing struggles with parents, family, friends, or co-workers.
“Basics of Fine Motor Skills is a comprehensive breakdown of the fine motor skills needed for development and function. Heather has provided a valuable resource that describes each underlying skill under the vast term, “fine motor skills”. This book is a great compliment to individualized goal areas for children. Therapists can use this resource for activity development and planning. Parents and educators will appreciate the clear and concise breakdown of skill areas and “red flags” that provide education in an easy to understand manner. The engaging activity lists are designed to target necessary skills while supporting the healthy development of children at all levels.” – Colleen Beck, OTR/L – The OT Toolbox.
Visit the Growing Hands-On Kids Shop
Digital products to help you create hands-on and developmentally appropriate activities for your children and students.
get this free checklist
Fine Motor Checklists for Ages 0-6
We've all seen the news articles that state children entering Kindergarten are coming with minimal fine motor skills. Many teachers and Occupational Therapists are noticing this trend not just in Kindergarten, but all age groups and grades.
It's important as parents, educators, and therapists to realize what skills are age-appropriate and what a child really needs to be able to do when getting to school age. These fine motor skills checklists were created to help you do just that.
Hi there, I'm Heather.
COTA
I’m Heather, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) turned homeschool mom of two. I believe that all children can reach their fullest possible potential through hands-on play and developmentally appropriate activities.
New on the blog…
When Should I Teach My Child to Write?
Along with learning to read, writing is another significant milestone that parents often wonder about. One question I see over and over again is “when should I teach my child to write?” The answer is not cut and dry, “they…
11 Activities for Letter Formation Practice
Are you looking for some fun, hands-on ways to practice handwriting at home? Here are some ideas for handwriting and letter formation practice so that your child is all set when they get back to school. Teaching Letter Formation Tips First,…
Continue Reading 11 Activities for Letter Formation Practice
Hanukkah- Themed Pre-Writing Activity Packet – Free Download
We are learning about Hanukkah this year along with our Advent activities. I noticed that there are not a lot of Hanukkah related activities, particularly with pre-writing, so I created this free Hanukkah-Themed Pre-Writing Activity Packet. History of Hanukkah If…
Continue Reading Hanukkah- Themed Pre-Writing Activity Packet – Free Download
Christmas Tree Pre-Writing Activity Packet
My 5-year-old is starting to write and loves following along in school with his older sister. I wanted to create some fun holiday-themed activity packets for him, so I created this Christmas Tree Pre-Writing Activity Packet. What Are Pre-Writing Skills?…
The Importance of Fine Motor Skills with Academics
Many of us know the importance of fine motor skills in child development. What you might not realize is how important fine motor skills are in relation to academics, executive function, social interactions, and many other areas of child development.…
Continue Reading The Importance of Fine Motor Skills with Academics
Hanukkah Themed I-Spy Pages & Slides
This year we are choosing a holiday other than Christmas to learn about. We chose Hanukkah and I created some Hanukkah Themed I-Spy pages for my kids so they can be introduced to the different items and traditions that are…