OT Tips for Returning to the Classroom

September 3, 2024

As exciting and fun as it is to start a fresh, new school year, there can also be some stressful moments. From an occupational therapist's standpoint, here are some helpful tips to support the big transition from free-play summer to structured school days.

Strengthening Hand Muscles

During the school year, children constantly use the tiny muscles in their hands for coloring, writing, counting with small manipulatives, cutting with scissors, and more. Focused play and activities that activate these small muscles will help maintain or improve your child's grasp on writing utensils and fine motor skills as they return to the classroom. Summer often involves more gross motor play, so those tiny hand muscles might need a boost. Here are some fun tips for strengthening hand muscles:

Check out these 35 fun hand-strengthening activities.

Maintaining Self-Regulation/Emotional State

Starting a new school year with a new teacher and new friends can be overwhelming for many kids. Similar to adults starting a new job or making a big move, children can feel anxious. In OT, we use the engine program to help identify, understand, and manage emotional regulation. Ideally, children should be in the "green" state, where they are calm and able to learn and interact appropriately. The "red" state indicates being overly excited or angry, while the "yellow" state indicates feeling too tired, sick, or sad to participate in daily activities. Here are some tips to help children maintain that "green" state.

Open and Honest Discussion: Prepare your child for what school will be like by showing them pictures of the school, classroom (if possible), and parking lot. This familiarity can ease the transition. Visual schedules can also help children understand their day and what to expect.
Involvement in Preparation: Involve your child in buying school supplies to get them excited for the first days and weeks of school. Let them pick out supplies, choose folder colors, and select new shoes and clothes. Your excitement will be contagious!
Unwind After School: After a day of absorbing so much information and sensory input, children may feel overstimulated. Help them unwind with feelings, words to describe their emotions and a supportive environment to process their day.
Engine Meter: Create an engine meter as a visual aid to help children express and understand their emotional regulation. Keep it on the fridge or another accessible area. Magnets can be moved to indicate their regulatory state before and after school.

Sensory Activities for Calming

Squeezing Stress Balls: This can be done in the car on the way to school.
Playing with Scented Play Dough: Use calming scents like lavender oil.
Heavy Work Activities: Dinosaur stomping, double-foot jumps, and arm swings can be done on the walk into school.
Animal Walks, Log Rolling, and Wheelbarrow Walking: These can be done before leaving the house.

Backpack Safety

Many children need to carry lots of books and supplies to and from school. It's important to pay attention to the weight of the backpack, posture when carrying it, and the biomechanics of putting it on and taking it off. If you need further guidance on helping your child transition back to the classroom, reach out to Trestle Therapy Group. Their experienced therapists are here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Occupational Therapy

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