Lucky for me my father didn’t believe in celebrating Father’s Day. He claimed that every day is actually father’s day – and mother’s day. This is defiantly true… and at least I didn’t have to worry about organizing any special events or presents. But now the Dear Hubby is a father. So in order to make this day special for DH I decided to get the kids involved for a personal and loving gift as well as providing them with loads of important sensory input. Here are some ideas you can try out as well….

First off, plan a yummy breakfast- in-bed…Use two trays and let your kids carry the one with objects that won’t be broken or spilled if they accidently drop the tray….like the plastic plates, napkins, croissants, newspaper. Using a heavyish tray will provide enough Deep Pressure input which promotes a calm and focused state.  For added DP input, let your kids decorate a card to place on the tray using heart-shaped stamps. Or if you have time, bake cookies and let them press heart- shaped cookie cutters into the dough.

Buy dad a present and hide it somewhere in the house and play “Hot and Cold” to find it….The closer he gets the “hotter” he is… For added sensory points Dad has to search while bouncing around the house with a LO sitting on his shoulders…

Don’t know what to buy him for father’s day? You can always get him a new tie and then use the old one to play a game of tug-of war. Place lots of pillow for crash landing for additional sensory input.

Spend some time outdoors and play Dad’s favorite sport… whether it’s basketball or football… it’s a great opportunity for sensory input and development of gross motor skills. Create your own personal cheer-leading chant and sing it throughout the game for oral-motor input….

End the day off with a big bear hug…. And be thankful that you don’t have to put in all that effort every day of the year 🙂

Malky Shapira, Pediatric Occupational Therapist Mother of two terrific toddlers.