|
Give the Gift of Independence During the Holiday Season (Part 2 of 3)
By Marianne Gibbs, MOT, OTR |
In our previous E-Newsletter, you will remember that we explored crafts as a natural way to encourage independence in young children during the holidays. Now, let's take a look at how cooking and preparing the table in school and home environments support fine motor development, cognitive growth, and more independence!
Cooking Supports Cognitive and Fine Motor Development
 Children love to cook! Watch children's confidence soar as they scoop, pour, squeeze, and stir ingredients for your favorite holiday dishes. When kiddos are cooking (with our assistance) they are also building organizational skills (retrieval and replacement of ingredients) and sequencing skills (following a simple, step-by-step recipe), which are cognitive skills that support future academic success. Just think of the measurement and math skills developed in the kitchen with cooking!
Table Setting Sets Children Up for Success in School
Setting the table for any occasion is a wonderful opportunity to build  multiple skills at the same time in young children:
1. Placement of utensils and dishes on the table reinforces concept of right and left and understanding of directional terms (i.e. "The fork goes on the left side of the plate, the plate sits in the middle, and the spoon lays next to the knife on the right side of the plate."). These concepts are fundamental to receiving instruction for forming letters.
2. Self-serving (assisted serving for younger children) provides opportunities to gauge amounts, handle different types of utensils, and requires different amounts of hand pressure. These fine motor experiences allow children to learn different ways to use their hands in function and builds that "I can do it" spirit!
3. Clearing the utensils and dishes off the table encourages problem solving, eye-hand coordination, and balance throughout the body. All children should be encouraged to be responsible for the clearing of their own dishes and extra items to develop independence in self-help skills.
Cooking and setting the table are just two of the many daily activities we can use to build the skills of our children, not only during the holidays, but everyday! Sure, involving children in these activities takes a little more time, but the benefits to the children are life-long and translate into success at school.
Remember, children develop skills to support academic success through active participation in all holiday activities. You are the key to promoting success in school and life by facilitating independence of your young children this holiday season!
|
| Check out these great products especially designed for little hands. Click on the picture for a complete description and ordering information. |
