Cincinnati Occupational Therapy Institute

COTI can help support you and your child through all milestones of life. For information on our services, you can reach us at 513-791-5688.

It's Craft Friday!

In this activity, you will need an empty cardboard box, white paper, Q-tips, paint, scissors, and a Sharpie. First, cover the cardboard box in white paper next draw a rainbow fish on the paper using a sharpie. Make a small hole in each fish scale using scissors, then paint your fish and Q-tips. Once the Q-tips are dried cut them in half and let your child post a q-tip into the hole of the scale that has the matching color. This is great for developing fine motor strength and hand-eye coordination as well as color matching!

If your child or a child you know is struggling, occupational therapy may be beneficial. For more information about occupational therapy services at COTI call us at 513-791-5688.

It's Craft Friday!

Have you ever dyed pumpkin seeds before? To dye the seeds, put a handful of them in a plastic bag and add a few drops of food coloring. Give it a few shakes to cover the seeds and make whatever colors you want. Give them time to dry once dry grab some cups that match the colors of the seeds and have your child try to sort the seeds by matching the right color to the right cup.

It's Craft Friday!

With just a few household supplies ( flour, baking soda, and food coloring ) , you can make your own homemade, taste-safe, fizzy flour paint! You’ll be ready to paint within minutes, and never need to worry about running out of paint again.

COTI is hiring!

COTI has full-time and part-time Occupational Therapist positions open. COTI is looking for OTs who enjoy play based therapy and working with children and their families in the school and clinic settings. Please send resumes to Linda Campbell at [email protected].

It's Craft Friday!

Have you ever thought about making colored sand? It is possible to color sand, easily and get the kids involved in the process, too. You’ll need Epsom salt, food coloring, and large zip-seal bags. Add the desired amount of salt to a large zip-seal bag, using one bag for each color of sand that you wish to make, then add several drops of food coloring to each bag and seal them. Then, have the kids squish the bags to mix the color into the salt crystals. Once the salt is dry you will have beautifully vibrant colored sand!

It's Craft Friday!

To make your very own lighthouse you’ll need red cupcake liners, cardstock in various colors, glue, and scissors. From the yellow cardstock draw a long triangle shape and have your child cut it. Use the red cupcake liners to create the lighthouse by folding two cupcake liners in half red side out and two cupcake liners white side out. Line them up and add a bit of glue so they stay put. Using the scissors again cut a slightly slanted line up both sides of the stack of cupcake liners. Glue all of the pieces to a piece of blue card stock add a black top and brown beach and the lighthouse is complete! This activity is perfect for working on sequencing and fine motor work.

It's Craft Friday!

Materials needed: colored craft sticks, white beads, googly eyes, foam, canvas, paint and paint brushes. This activity is great for working on fine motor skills! First paint the canvas blue then trace something round, like a cup, to create a circle out of foam. Once the circle has been traced cut the circles out of the foam then arrange 4 colored craft sticks gluing them together to make a star shape this will be the octopus legs. Glue foam circle to the craft sticks, then add googly eyes and a smile. Grab the white beads and glue them to each of your octopus’s arms to create its suckers.

It's Craft Friday!

There are so many different crafts that you can make with toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls! Cut a rectangular piece of yellow cardstock to fit around the paper roll, once glued to the roll cut 2 narrow strips of black cardstock. Glue around the paper roll to make stripes, leaving a space on top for the bee’s face. Add 2 googly eyes to the front of the paper roll then draw the mouth on with a black sharpie or marker. Take a pipe cleaner, bend it into a “V” shape and glue the pipe cleaner to the inside top of the paper roll. Don’t forget to cut two wings from white cardstock for your bee and now it’s done!

It's Craft Friday!

All you need is paper plates or coffee filters, pink paint or whatever color your child prefers, googly eyes, glue, various lengths of ribbon, tape and a pencil. Start by cutting the plate or coffee filter in half and painting it. When the paint has dried have your child tape various lengths of ribbon to the bottom of the plate. The last step is to give the jelly fish a face with a pair of googly eyes. This activity is great for working on scissor skills!

It's Craft Friday!

Tracing is a great foundational skill for handwriting that works on pencil grasp and hand-eye coordination necessary for forming letters. For this activity, your child will trace stones and fill the shapes with watercolor paints. Encourage your child to paint within the boundaries, improving their spatial awareness.

It's Craft Friday!

Help your children develop pincer grip, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity with this Sun Threading Activity during the Summer! All you need is a paper plate, yellow paint, a hole punch, 4 yellow and orange pipe cleaners, and yellow and orange beads. First, paint your plate, then punch holes around the edge of the plate. If your kids' hands are strong enough, have them help you with this part. Next, cut your pipe cleaners to different lengths and attach them to the plate then grab your beads!