Last week we ran our very popular Holiday Shack group programs at Muddy Puddles. This program is designed by our Occupational Therapist and we were very lucky to have great support from our OT Masters Students from University of Canberra.
The objectives of this fun and engaging program include to develop gross motor skills, to learn life skills to become more independent, to learn how to work effectively in a team, to enjoy the benefits of social interaction and to have the opportunity to try new activities. The children cooked up a storm, making delicious pikelets which were a huge hit. Cooking is a great way to practice planning, following instructions, and to work on fine motor skills by cutting and spreading on toppings.
The most popular activity of the day by far was laser tag. The children worked both independently and in a team to come up with a plan of attack. They used their gross motor skills to manoeuver through the laser tag course, hiding behind obstacles and weaving in and out using both balance and coordination. The children all had an absolute blast - we look forward to doing more of this next holidays. Participants also completed an outdoor obstacle course which again focused on gross motor skills development. So many laughs were had by all.
Thank you to those awesome young people who signed up for Holiday Shack. And a big thank you to Heidi Hanes, our amazing Occupational Therapist and OT Students Sophie and Marilli.