PARENT RESOURCES FROM ASAPC’S GROW & LEARN COMMITTEE

• September 2026

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  Available in English & Spanish
  
  Fine Motor Activity
  Cut apples in different shapes and sizes and dip them in paint. This helps children with hand strength and positioning with controlled pressure. Now you have apple stamps to make a great art project with!
  
  Gross Motor Activity
  Leaf pile up time! Make a giant pile of leaves and have your child practice going through the pile of leaves in different ways such as a two foot jump, one foot hop, stomping through them, skipping through the leaves, etc.
  
  Sensory Activity
  Make a fall themed sensory bin with dried leaves from outside, pieces of dried corn, red, yellow, and green pom poms for “apples”, sticks, and/or pinecones. Add a measuring cup or tongues for fun play!
  
  Speech-Language Activity
  Go on a fall sensory walk outside and talk about all the things you are experiencing. Talk about how you can SEE the different colored leaves, FEEL the wind, HEAR the leaves crunching under your feet, and SMELL the plants!
  

  Oral Motor / Feeding Activity
  Make edible playdough and color it red for an apple or orange for a pumpkin. Put different fruits or vegetables on it and push them on your dough to make fun faces in your pumpkin or apple!
  
  Bedtime Tip
  Shut off all electronics such as TVs and iPads at least one hour before bedtime to help the brain adjust and get ready for sleep.
  
  Toy of the Month
  Tunnels! Tunnels can be used inside when the weather outside is getting cold and wet. Tunnels help your child build their core strength, improve coordination, enhance balance, boost spatial awareness, help with problem solving, and so much more!

• August 2026

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  English & Spanish included

  Fine Motor Activity
  Have your child help you water the garden! Get a small colored spray bottle and have your child use the spray bottle to water the plants. This builds hand strength and endurance!
  
  Gross Motor Activity
  Set up a hula hoop as a target around your yard and have your child practice kicking the ball across different surfaces to hit the target.
  
  Sensory Activity
  Have a bucket or tray full of dirt and flower seeds and have a seed scoop! Use plastic measuring cups, shovels, spoons, etc for a variety of items to scoop the dirt and seeds for sensory exploration.
  
  Speech-Language Activity
  Go on a nature walk in your neighborhood or around your yard. Walk slowly around and label the items around you such as bugs, plants, sounds, colors, shapes, etc. Bend down and get on your child's level when labeling items. Encourage your child to point to the items to establish joint attention if they are able to.

  Oral Motor / Feeding Activity
  Have a teddy bear picnic with some of your child's favorite stuffed animals on a blanket. Pretend to feed the stuffed animals a variety of foods and encourage your child to take a bite of the foods as well if they feel comfortable to do so.
  
  Bedtime Tip
  Use a relaxed lukewarm bath at night before bed to help lower your child's core body temperature before bed. Adding this into your routine also signals to your child that it is almost time for bed.
  
  Toy of the Month
  Sprinklers or splash pads are going to be a child's best friend in the summer for hours of enjoyment and to help them stay cool!

• JULY 2026

  CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE FLYER
  English & Spanish included

  Fine Motor Activity
  Create a sensory bin of red, white and blue rice or beans. Add colored star buttons, pom poms or small toys. Use a set of tweezers to sort items into red, white and blue piles.
  
  Gross Motor Activity
  Use hula hoops to make an obstacle course on the ground and have kids do different animal walks to the different hoops (e.g. “bear walks”, “frog hops”, etc). You could also use bean bags to throw into the hoops.
  
  Sensory Activity
  Get a star shaped ice cube tray. Add a drop of food coloring to each tray and make colored star ice cubes for a cold summer sensory bin. Add to rice, sand, your driveway, or coffee filters to make “fireworks”.
  
  Speech-Language Activity
  Hide red, white, and blue objects around your house and/or yard. Have your child locate the objects and talk about them and where they were located (e.g. “the white ball was under the table”).

  Oral Motor / Feeding Activity
  Make patriotic fruit skewers with your child by threading foods onto popsicle sticks. Use foods such as pineapple, watermelon, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, etc. This encourages fine motor skills, safe play with foods, safe biting, and interacting with new textures.
  
  Bedtime Tip
  With the changing seasons and lighter evenings, try installing blackout curtains or using a temporary blackout shade. This will help ensure the room is completely dark at bedtime, so your child knows it is time to sleep.
  
  Toy of the Month
  A bucket and shovel/rake set so your child can explore at the beach, in a sand box, in rocks, etc.