About Growing Hands-On Kids

Hi, I'm Heather!

Here at Growing Hands-On Kids, you'll find child development tips, tools, and strategies through hands-on activities.

My mission is to help you encourage your child or student to reach their fullest potential through hands-on play and developmentally age-appropriate activities.

What You'll Find at Growing Hands-On Kids

Growing Hands-On Kids started in 2013 as a way for me to share activity ideas that I was using in my school-based experience as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Since then, it has grown into a website filled with child development tips, tools, and strategies, along with digital download products to use with your child or students.

5 Things About Heather…

I'm a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. I graduated in 2006 as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and started working in a skilled nursing facility. My dream position was to work in a school-based setting. Three years after graduating, I was able to find a school-based position and worked there until 2013. I am currently working on going back into the clinic setting soon, hopefully in a part-time capacity!
I'm a homeschool graduate. I was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school and was able to graduate a year early.
I met my now-husband when we were just 10 years old. We met through church, and I was actually friends with one of his sisters first. In college, we started dating, and the rest is history. We've been married for 19 years.
I'm a previous homeschool mom! We have two children, ages 13 and 10, who we homeschooled up to 3rd and 6th grade. They now attend a local church school in 4th and 7th grade. For privacy reasons, they aren't on the website anymore, but you will occasionally find older pictures of them doing some of the activities I write about on my site.
I'm a breast cancer survivor. In December 2021, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. 2022 through February 2023 has been filled with treatments, but I am thankful for the continued support of my family and the ability to still work from home when I felt like it.

Heather's Professional Background

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based services for children aged 3-18 years old.

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants must pass a national certification examination. To maintain their credential, 36 units must be completed every 3 years, demonstrating current, ongoing professional development throughout their career. Appropriate use of the COTA credential is essential.
Heather Greutman, COTA – 221409. She is currently holding a limited license in the state of Ohio.

Occupational Therapists Registered and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants who renew their certification with 24 or more out of the 36 required renewal activities in their primary practice area are able to reflect it as a Practice Area of Emphasis.
*Please note that a Practice Area of Emphasis does not connote a specialty certification or advanced practitioner certification.

My Books

I am the author of Basic Shapes for Beginners, a Hands-On Approach to Pre-writing Strokes for Preschoolers, and Basics of Fine Motor Skills – Developmental Activities for Kids.