Category: Well-Being

Caring for a child with special needs can be challenging. It can be emotionally and physically taxing- and definitely requires professional guidance. However, adding fun and engaging activities to your routine can make a significant difference.

Specifically, flower arranging can be an interactive and beneficial activity both for you and your physically or mentally-challenged kid. This creative outlet promotes focus, fine motor skills, and sensory stimulation. Furthermore, it allows you both to bond together in a relaxed and joyful environment.

This post covers the benefits that a kid with special needs can gain from flower-arranging workshops.

Benefits of Flower Arranging Workshops for Children with Special Needs

Besides home-based flower arranging sessions, attending flower arranging workshops together offers the added benefit of socializing with others, fostering a sense of community and shared enjoyment in your child’s learning experiences.

Here are a few ways flower arranging workshops can be beneficial for kids with special needs.

1. Enhancing Fine Motor Skills

Perhaps just like swimming lessons, scavenger hunts, or obstacle courses, flower arranging workshops can enable children to improve their motor skills. Grasping stems, positioning petals, and securing blooms in place, the activity specifically allows them to practice hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

Moreover, these incremental improvements can positively impact a child’s ability to perform daily tasks with more ease and independence.

2. Sensory Stimulation

Working with different types of flowers exposes children to a range of textures, colors, and scents. For what it’s worth, even ‘digital flowers’ have a way of stimulating one’s senses before delivery or receipt.

For instance, the Bouqs’ tulip collection offers a vibrant array of hues and subtle fragrances that engage the senses, enriching children’s sensory experiences. Furthermore, this stimulation helps increase their awareness and appreciation of their surroundings, nurturing their curiosity about the world around them.

3. Creative Expression

Flower arranging allows space for self-expression and imagination without any pressure for perfection. Children with special needs can explore different arrangements suited to their preferences, fostering a sense of pride in their creations.

This creative outlet also supports emotional well-being specifically for these children, providing a calming and therapeutic activity they can turn to when facing challenging moments in life.

4. Social Opportunities

Attending workshops opens doors for social interaction between families facing similar challenges. This connection not only benefits the child but also provides support and networking opportunities among caregivers.

5. Building Confidence

As children progress in their flower arranging skills, they experience the satisfaction and accomplishment of mastering new techniques. This sense of achievement helps boost their self-esteem and confidence as they tackle other aspects of life.

Special Needs in Children Where Flower Arranging Can Help

Children with various physical, cognitive, and emotional special needs can benefit from flower arranging workshops. For those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for example, these activities provide an avenue for refining motor skills, while the sensory exploration can be calming and regulating.

Similarly, children with cerebral palsy may improve their dexterity by handling delicate petals and balancing flower stems.

Kids facing emotional challenges or developmental delays can also find value in flower arranging workshops. The relaxed atmosphere facilitates self-expression and creativity which boosts confidence and reduces stress.

As we’ve seen, flower arranging workshops present an incredible opportunity for children with special needs to learn, grow, and express themselves creatively. These workshops not only foster the development of vital skills but also create a supportive and inclusive environment that enhances the emotional well-being of both children and caregivers.

What to get your child insterested in the joys of nature?  Read about these 5 fall adventures for sensory sensitive children.

Mental health is a vital aspect of overall well-being, and team sports have proven to be a powerful catalyst for promoting positive mental health in adults. Engaging in team sports offers numerous benefits that can lead to positive changes in mental well-being and overall quality of life.

Boosting Self-Esteem and Confidence

Team sports create an environment where individuals feel a sense of belonging and inclusion. Being part of a team fosters a supportive community where individuals can form deep connections with their teammates. This sense of belonging provides a powerful boost to self-esteem as individuals feel valued and appreciated for their contributions to the team’s collective effort.

When teammates acknowledge and recognize each other’s efforts, it reinforces a positive self-image and a belief in one’s abilities. This validation from peers and coaches helps individuals develop a stronger sense of self-worth, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence.

Setting and achieving goals and milestones in team sports play a significant role in enhancing self-confidence. As individuals work towards common objectives, they experience personal growth and witness their progress firsthand. Each small accomplishment contributes to a larger sense of achievement, building confidence in one’s abilities.

Moreover, the support and encouragement received from teammates and coaches during the journey towards these goals reinforce a belief in oneself. This positive reinforcement serves as a powerful motivator and further solidifies an individual’s self-confidence, empowering them to push their limits and strive for continued success both on and off the field.

Stress Relief and Emotional Well-being

Participating in team sports not only provides physical benefits but also serves as a powerful outlet for stress relief and improved emotional well-being. The physical activity involved in team sports triggers the release of endorphins, neurotransmitters in the brain that act as natural mood enhancers.

These endorphins help to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and promote a sense of well-being. Engaging in team sports allows individuals to channel their energy and emotions into the game, providing a healthy release and an opportunity to escape from the pressures and challenges of daily life.

The intense focus required during team sports activities offers a valuable mental break from work-related or personal stressors. In the midst of a game or practice session, individuals can temporarily disconnect from their worries and concerns, allowing their minds to reset and recharge. This respite from daily pressures contributes to stress reduction and aids in achieving a more balanced state of mind. Additionally, participating in team sports helps individuals develop better emotional regulation skills.

By engaging in physical activity and being part of a team, individuals learn to manage their emotions more effectively, cope with stressors, and maintain a healthier perspective when faced with challenges. The camaraderie and support from teammates also provide an avenue for emotional expression, creating a safe and supportive environment to share experiences and seek guidance.

Social Support and Connection

Team sports create a supportive and encouraging social environment, fostering social support and connection among teammates. The camaraderie built through shared experiences and common goals strengthens relationships, fosters a sense of belonging, and enhanves team building skills in other areas of life as well.

Teammates often become friends who provide emotional support, understanding, and motivation both on and off the field. This social interaction reduces feelings of isolation and enhances mental well-being through a robust support network.,

Building Resilience and Coping Skills

Participating in team sports offers a powerful outlet for stress relief and improved emotional well-being. The physical activity involved in team sports triggers the release of endorphins, which act as natural mood enhancers and reduce stress and anxiety. Whether it’s the pressures of work, mental health challenges, or being part of a drug rehab program, team sports provide a healthy and constructive means of managing stress and promoting overall mental well-being.  These rehab services are extremely effective for athletes and hard workers.

The intense focus required during games allows individuals to temporarily disconnect from the stressors of daily life. Engaging in team sports provides a much-needed mental break, allowing individuals to shift their attention and energy toward the game at hand. This diversion from stress can be particularly helpful for individuals who may be facing various challenges. who may experience heightened stress due to the process of recovery and the adjustments it entails.

In addition to serving as a stress reliever, participating in team sports promotes emotional well-being by facilitating the development of effective coping mechanisms. Engaging in physical activity within a team setting offers a supportive environment where individuals can share their experiences, seek guidance, and find encouragement from teammates. This social support contributes to emotional resilience, helping individuals better navigate through stressful situations and build a stronger sense of emotional stability.

Improved Cognitive Function and Mental Sharpness

Engaging in team sports positively impacts cognitive function and mental sharpness. Physical exercise involved in team sports enhances blood flow to the brain, improving brain function and cognitive abilities. Team sports require strategic thinking, decision-making, and quick reflexes, stimulating mental agility and problem-solving skills. The constant engagement and focus demanded during games sharpen concentration and attention skills, leading to improved mental acuity both on and off the field.

Developing Healthy Habits and Discipline

Participating in team sports not only promotes physical fitness but also instills a range of healthy habits and discipline in adults, contributing to their overall well-being. Regular practice sessions and training routines in team sports cultivate discipline and time management skills. Athletes learn to prioritize their commitments, balance their schedules, and make the most efficient use of their time. This discipline extends beyond the field and permeates other areas of their lives, allowing them to effectively manage work, personal relationships, and other responsibilities.

Furthermore, engaging in team sports encourages individuals to adopt healthy lifestyle choices. Athletes recognize the importance of fueling their bodies with nutritious foods to optimize performance. They understand that proper nutrition is essential for sustained energy levels, muscle recovery, and overall well-being. As a result, participants in team sports tend to make conscious choices about their diet, incorporating wholesome and balanced meals into their daily routines.

Enhancing Overall Well-being

Engaging in team sports has a profound impact on overall well-being. The physical activity and social interaction inherent in team sports contribute to improved mood and overall happiness. By promoting a holistic approach to well-being, team sports enable individuals to address both their physical and mental health needs, leading to a higher quality of life. The long-term benefits of participating in team sports extend far beyond the playing field, impacting various aspects of an individual’s well-being positively.

Jennifer Bell is a mother of two, a wellness coach, and a writer for addiction clinics in the Philadelphia area. She enjoys helping others find physical wellness.

The importance of taking care of your body cannot be overstated. Regarding self-care, men’s health is often overlooked, but it should always be a priority. Men can nurture their bodies and promote good health in many innovative ways. And when you begin incorporating positive steps to your wellbeing, children are more apt to follow suit.

Ways To Nurture Your Body

Here are some great tips for incorporating habits into your daily routine that will help keep you feeling strong, healthy, and energized!

1. Move Your Body Regularly

It is essential to stay active to maintain physical fitness and overall health. Incorporating regular exercise into your schedule can help reduce stress levels, improve concentration and focus, boost energy, and prevent the risk of certain diseases.

Whether going for a walk around the block or joining a gym, make sure to move your body daily and get those endorphins flowing!

2. Get Enough Sleep

We’ve all heard that we need to get seven hours of sleep a night — the bare minimum — to function correctly.

However, men are often more prone than women to skimp on their Zzzs due to work stress or other commitments. Getting enough rest can help you feel alert and healthy throughout the day.

3. Eat Omega 3-Rich Foods

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for maintaining good health and promoting optimal nutrition for men. Foods such as salmon, tuna, walnuts, flaxseeds, and avocados are rich in these healthy fats.

There are many omega 3 benefits for men. These fatty acids can help reduce feelings of inflammation and help you think more clearly.

4. Take Supplements

If it’s tough to get enough of certain nutrients in your diet, consider taking supplements to make up for any deficiencies.  Vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and iron are all essential minerals that men should get regularly to stay healthy and balanced.

Speak with your doctor about which supplements may or may not be beneficial for you.

5. Cut Out Unhealthy Habits

We all have unhealthy habits that we could stand to cut out from our lives — smoking being one of the more obvious ones.

Even if you’re not a smoker, other bad habits, such as excessive drinking, overeating, and too much caffeine, can take a toll on your body over time. Make small daily changes in your life that will lead to healthier long-term habits.

6. Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating can be beneficial for both physical and mental health. This involves being aware of the food you put into your body and taking the time to savor each bite without distractions or feelings of guilt.

This helps us become more conscious of our cravings and satiety levels so we don’t overeat or binge eat out of stress or boredom.

7. Meditate

Meditation has become increasingly popular for its many benefits, including reducing stress and improving concentration.

Setting aside a couple of minutes daily to focus on breathing and clear your mind can help you feel more relaxed and in control of your emotions. Meditation can be a valuable habit to work on if you’ve had a difficult day or struggle with anxiety.

8. Avoid Stressful Situations

We all have to deal with stress in our lives, but it’s essential to know how to manage it properly so it doesn’t take a toll on your physical health.

Identify the sources of stress in your life and try to avoid them as much as possible. If that isn’t possible, find ways to cope with the stress, such as deep breathing or listening to calming music.

9. Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining a healthy body and avoiding dehydration-related illnesses. Ensure you always have a bottle of water handy to keep hydrated throughout the day.

10. Pamper Yourself

Finally, don’t forget to give yourself some much-deserved self-care now and then!

Take time out of your busy schedule to relax and unwind — whether treating yourself to a massage, going out with friends, or simply taking a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness exercises.

A little bit of pampering can go a long way in helping you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

What Are You Waiting For?

Taking good care of our bodies is essential for living a long, happy, and fulfilling life. Men should particularly pay attention to maintaining their health since it often gets neglected due to work demands or other commitments.

Thankfully, one can take many simple steps to nurture their body, such as eating omega 3s, taking supplements, maintaining a well balanced home routine, cutting out unhealthy habits, and practicing mindful eating.

Taking the time to nurture your body is an investment in your health that will reap benefits for years to come!

People might live in the technological age, but human hardware hasn’t changed. For your child to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, they need sensory play to engage with the world around them. The young serve as a valuable reminder to us all to step away from our phones and iPads and embrace real life, not a virtual one.

Children have managed just fine without screens since the dawn of humankind and continue to do so in some cultures today. Depriving this population of their need for sensory play stunts their growth, prompting mom and dad to step away from the computer and go outside.

Why is limiting the hours your child spends on a tablet crucial to their development? Here are five reasons you should encourage sensory play over screen time.

1. It Encourages Oral Language and Communication Skills

You communicate as much by how you say something — your tone of voice, attitude and inflection — as you do by the words you choose. Interacting on a screen helps children build written communication skills but can leave them woefully behind in speaking with others. This inability will plague them through life, as research shows that relationships play a far more vital role in getting ahead than talent. Your kids need to know how to speak with other people.

How do children develop this skill? They do so in large part by engaging in sensory play with their peers. In such relationships, there’s no power differential — kids don’t have to defer to authority as they do when speaking with adults. Nature and science guide them.

How? Sensory play encourages new neural connections in the brain. This helps your child see the world differently, including through others’ eyes. They also develop mindfulness, learning how they should express things to others and assert their needs while remaining respectful of other people’s desires.

2. It Keeps Kids More Physically Active

The obesity epidemic continues among America’s children. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past several decades, and one in three qualifies as overweight or obese today. Part of the problem is too much sedentary time spent on screens.

Sensory play gets young bodies off couches and moving. Even children who don’t enjoy competitive sports get into activities like kiddie yoga and dance. What child hasn’t spontaneously jumped on a bed? While you might want to take your kids to the park for a safer environment for rough and tumble play, most youngsters love to move, given the opportunity.

3. It Engages Children With the Wider World Around Them

Some psychologists consider children “blank slates,” but this innocence extends beyond not knowing how to read or write. It encompasses everything — from how they relate emotionally to other living things to looking at a pile of sticks and realizing they could build a miniature log cabin.

Everything is new to a child, not only their minds. They need to use their bodies, senses and emotions, developing and honing those, too. They do so by engaging with the wider world around them, getting dirty, making mud pies, climbing trees and occasionally scraping knees.

4. It Encourages Creativity and Problem-Solving

Even the best educational tablet game can only present so many possible answers to multiple-choice questions. However, life isn’t as neatly defined as an academic test. There are often dozens of ways to get to the “right” answer — and there may be five or six correct solutions to boot.

Sensory play encourages creativity and problem-solving. For example, a child playing with homemade play-dough has to figure out for themselves how to change the consistency if it won’t mold into the shapes they want. Adding a little extra water might not be a huge thing for an adult, but it represents a significant problem-solving step among tiny tots.

5. It Builds Resilience and Emotional Regulation

Resilience is your ability to bounce back from difficult situations. Emotional regulation refers to being able to recognize and effect change in how you feel by choosing behaviors that improve your outlook. Both skills are important to making it in a highly competitive world where your kids will eventually meet with challenges and uncomfortable situations.

You can’t learn to regulate emotions that you haven’t first experienced. Sensory play allows children to encounter these feelings in a safe arena first, so they can develop the skills to manage them when the stakes are higher. For example, losing a little league game teaches kids how to handle disappointment while remaining a good sport.

How do you develop resiliency? It’s very similar — you have to first undergo adversity. Sensory play allows children to encounter this in a safe, natural way.

For example, a child who is building a sandcastle might try several different techniques until they create a recognizable structure, but there are no harsh penalties for all the “buildings” that collapse while they hone the process. Your child’s only hurdle to overcome is their frustration — but that’s a crucial lesson to learn.

Encourage Sensory Play Over Screen Time

Today’s children spend too much time on screens, affecting their physical, mental and emotional health and development. This is why parents and schools should encourage more sensory play at home and while learning.

The five above reasons justify encouraging sensory play over screen time. Doing so fosters healthy development and emotionally resilient children.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!