Joy’s Favorite Toys

If you’re looking for simple, meaningful ways to support play, I’ve gathered all of my favorite toy ideas in one place. Instead of searching through multiple posts, you can now click on the category that fits what you’re looking for and find my go-to recommendations for that type of play. Whether you’re thinking about sensory […]
Fine Motor Toys

Why are fine motor skills so important? A lot of times we think about working on fine motor skills so that we can write, but there is so much more to it. I think we (me included) take for granted the many things we do every day with our hands. Think of all the things […]
Developmental Skills Reference Guide

Have you ever found yourself wondering “Is my child developing at the right pace?” or “How can I help this child who seems stuck in one area?” -You’re not alone. As parents, teachers, therapists, or caregivers, we all want to give the kids in our lives the very best start. The early years are when […]
Preschool Music

Music is a powerful tool that helps many of us teach young kids all kinds of skills. You can teach colors, shapes, numbers, ABCs, social skills, language, motor skills, etc. all through music. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, therapist, or early childhood educator, incorporating simple songs, rhythms and movement can boost skills across multiple areas […]
Jello Dig

If you have a child that enjoys touching slimy textures, is working on fine motor skills, and likes to make a mess, this activity is for you! I did this activity with my class of 2-year-olds, I also did it with my daughter who was 4 at the time, and it was a hit. This […]
Exercise Ball

An exercise ball is one of my must-haves when working in Early Intervention or Preschool Classes. This is a great activity IF your child enjoys vestibular or proprioceptive input. If your child avoids these types of activities, you can still try it, but you’ll need to be sensitive to your child’s preferences and go at […]
Fizzing Ice Cubes

Fizzing ice cubes makes for a great preschool science activity, but in this post I want to talk about using this science activity for eye-hand coordination. If you want more information on how to adapt this to different developmental skills, check out the Fizzing Ice Cubes Tutorial. I love activities that can be adapted to […]
Water Transfer

Water transfer is a simple, fun activity you can do to incorporate so many different skills, including fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and communication skills. In this post, I wanted to mostly focus on crossing midline, however you can learn how to adapt this activity to the different areas of development within the Water Transfer […]
Shaving Cream Cake

The great thing about early intervention activities are that kids learn best through play and a lot of kids love sensory activities. This is a simple activity, but it can get messy. You’ve been warned. You can adapt this activity to target specific developmental skills including receptive language, expressive language, pre-literacy skills, math skills, social […]
Rainbow Stew

Rainbow Stew is a fun, no-pressure way to work on so many different skills like motor skills, social skills, sensory play and more! Here are the things I like about this activity You can make the book come alive (pre-literacy) It’s a way to expose kids to different kinds of foods without putting pressure on […]