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As the school year comes to a close, many occupational therapists begin thinking about how to support students beyond the classroom. While summer break offers valuable opportunities for rest and recreation, it can also be a great time to reinforce skills that were developed over the year!
For school-based occupational therapists, summer presents a unique opportunity to empower families with simple, engaging activities that promote continued development. The best part? Many of these activities feel like play rather than therapy!
School-based occupational therapy focuses on helping students access and participate in their educational environment. During extended breaks, some students may experience challenges maintaining skills related to fine motor development, sensory regulation, self-care, visual-motor integration, and executive functioning.
By encouraging families to incorporate purposeful play into daily routines, occupational therapists can help students continue practicing important skills in natural settings without adding stress or structure to their summer schedules.
Fine motor skills are essential for handwriting, classroom participation, technology use, and self-care tasks. Summer offers countless opportunities to strengthen these skills through play-based activities.
Drawing, tracing, and creating obstacle courses with sidewalk chalk supports:
Spraying plants, cleaning outdoor toys, or creating water art strengthens:
Collecting leaves, flowers, and small treasures to create collages encourages:
Using blocks, LEGOs, magnetic tiles, or recycled materials promotes:
Many students benefit from sensory play opportunities during the summer months. Sensory-rich activities can help children regulate their bodies, maintain attention, and participate more successfully in daily activities.
Fill bins with sand, water beads, rice, or natural materials to support:
Create movement challenges using household items to target:
Sprinklers, pools, and water tables provide opportunities for:
Digging, planting, and watering support:
One of the most effective strategies school-based occupational therapists can share with families is incorporating skill-building opportunities into everyday activities.
Cooking together can address sequencing, measuring, bilateral coordination, and executive functioning. Packing for a family trip promotes organization and planning skills. Outdoor games encourage balance, coordination, and social participation.
When activities are meaningful and enjoyable, students are more likely to participate and practice skills naturally.
As clinicians, it’s important to remember that families may not be looking to recreate therapy sessions at home. Instead, occupational therapists can provide simple suggestions that fit within existing routines.
Focus on:
A simple handout with five to ten summer OT activities can go a long way in helping families feel prepared and supported.
Summer is more than a break from school; it’s an opportunity for students to build skills through meaningful experiences. By sharing fun, accessible, and developmentally appropriate activities, school-based occupational therapists can help students maintain progress while enjoying everything summer has to offer.
When therapy feels like play, skill development becomes a natural part of everyday life!
