5 Minute Friday - Backpacks!

It is never a bad idea to practice using a backpack! Backpacks are not just for school aged kids and are packed with several benefits beyond hauling your stuff! Prepare for back-to-school with a backpack focused 5-minute Friday!

• Backpacks are amazing to practice zippers! Using a backpack is a great way to introduce the grasp pattern (lateral pinch) used for zippers. Typically, backpacks have a variety of zippers to work with and explore. The sooner you introduce zippers, the sooner your child will be able to manage their backpack, lunch box, and coat!
• Stuffing a backpack with a blanket, toys, stuffed animals, anything really and having your child walk around with it is a great way to get in some ‘heavy work’ and provide the proprioceptive input they need to regulate. Much like we find relief with a weighted blanket, your kiddos will feel more grounded doing some heavy work tasks.
• Backpacks also provide a great opportunity for babies, toddlers, and bigger kids to problem solve through putting objects inside, and taking them out. This skill requires visual motor integration, bilateral coordination, strength, and refined fine motor skills.
• For older kiddos, using a backpack to facilitate organizational strategies is also very helpful! Showing your child how the backpack can become big and bulky with items organized in one way, and more streamlined another way is a great way to facilitate visual spatial skill development and problem solving skills. Organization is a very important executive functioning skill for school age kids!
• Typically, backpacks are loaded with pockets! Placing small toys, pencils, snacks in the pockets are a great way to promote fine motor development, stereognosis, bilateral coordination and problem solving skills. Removing the objects and placing objects each have equal benefits
• Practicing putting on and taking off a backpack also helps facilitate body awareness and pre-dressing skills by way of placing arms through the holes. It is a great starter activity for tasks like putting on a jacket.

With back to school just around the corner, it’s a great time to use that new backpack for play and development opportunities!