Occupational therapy games
Occupational therapy games for telehealth have several therapeutic and practical benefits and there’s a seemingly never ending list of games to try. The key is to perform each activity with therapeutic goals in mind.
Summary
- Telehealth games can increase motivation, especially in pediatric clients, while targeting skills like fine motor control, executive functioning, and visual-motor integration. Download our fine motor skills activities list.
- From interactive whiteboards to movement-based activities like “Simon Says” and “I Spy,” therapists can choose from many no-prep or low-prep games that align with therapy goals.
- Success with OT telehealth games depends on choosing goal-aligned activities, preparing technology ahead of time, adapting to client needs, and documenting outcomes effectively.
- Features like built-in apps, screen sharing, and an interactive whiteboard make it easier to incorporate games into virtual sessions while also managing documentation and billing. Utilizing a telehealth platform like TheraPlatform with exclusive interactive features can help therapists streamline prep and deeply engage their clients.
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Follow along as we explain how incorporating occupational therapy telehealth games can be valuable, share nearly a dozen ideas for games and provide tips for implementing occupational therapy games for telehealth in your practice.
Why use occupational therapy games for telehealth?
From higher engagement to encouraging social interaction, occupational therapy games for telehealth offer many advantages.
Games build engagement and motivation
Games may capture the attention and boost the motivation of pediatric clients who may be disengaged or anxious in virtual settings. Occupational therapy telehealth games create a fun, low-pressure environment where clients are more willing to participate and try new tasks.
Support functional skill development
Therapists can tailor games to target specific occupational therapy goals, such as:
- Fine motor skills (e.g., clicking, dragging, or using a stylus)
- Executive functioning (e.g., planning, attention, memory)
- Visual-motor integration (e.g., tracing, puzzles, matching)
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) through gamified simulations
Encourages cognitive and social interaction
Games can stimulate problem-solving, turn-taking and communication, decision-making, and impulse control.
It makes telehealth more accessible and flexible
Occupational therapy games for telehealth can overcome the limitations of remote therapy by using interactive tools that don't require physical materials. Many games also provide built-in tracking or levels that allow therapists to measure progress over time.
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Types of occupational therapy games for telehealth
In the world of occupational therapy games for telehealth, games can take a variety of formats. From built-in apps to activities off of the screen to games with materials and screen sharing, occupational therapists have several options for incorporating games within our sessions.
Allow your client to tap into their competitive spirit with the following games that can be adapted to target your client's needs and address their goals.
There are many different OT teletherapy ideas and occupational therapy games that occupational therapists can utilize during office and virtual visits. Here are a few occupational therapy games that require almost zero preparation.
The Mystery Choice game
Fun and interactive, this is a nice way to build rapport with a new client. Here are a few ideas on how to play.
- Use plastic eggs, poster boards, cups, Post-it notes, or anything else to conceal something from your side of the screen.
- Give your client some control of the session by allowing them to pick which one they want.
- Underneath, provide directions for the next task. For example, if you are doing animal walks, your client might select different-colored plastic eggs that you show them on the screen to find other animals in.
- Are you working on letter sequencing? Hide the letters you are working on behind colored squares of paper and let the client pick which color they want to do first.
World Record Challenge
Are you having trouble keeping your client motivated? Invoke some competitiveness by asking them if they can set their own world record! This works especially well for timed activities, including dexterity tasks (stacking 10 pennies) and sensory activities (the highest jump challenge).
You can also use the number of repetitions to motivate your client. For example, the number of reciprocal actions completed without making an error or even the number of letters aligned correctly on the baseline.
Search and Find
Another great occupational therapy game for telehealth is Search and Find. Finding items in hidden pictures can facilitate visual scanning skills, along with cognitive strategies, and address visual discrimination.
To make the search even more challenging, you can select to list the hidden items by name rather than showing the pictures. This can be a great way to reinforce left-to-right and up-down scanning skills and can be very challenging!
TheraPlatform offers a built-in app that allows you to quickly make your own searches and finds with bright and colorful pictures, perfect for preschool students. Highlights Kids also offers digital hidden pictures of varying complexity that can be used for older children through adults.
Free Resources for Therapists
Click below and help yourself to peer-created resources:
I Spy
Building intentional movement into teletherapy sessions is essential, especially when incorporating plenty of seated work. Playing a game of I Spy is another quick and no-prep activity you can use between seated activities.
Instead of using the standard format, the therapist will say, for example, "I spy something fuzzy," and the client will get up and move to try to find something that fits the description.
It gives your client the movement break they need and provides a natural way to work on functional short-term memory skills.
Pictionary!
Pictionary is a fun and interactive game that can be graded to meet your clients' levels. It is a no-prep activity that simply requires an interactive whiteboard, such as one on TheraPlatform.
To demonstrate how to play, begin by drawing your own picture and allowing your client to guess what you are making. Then, allow your client to take the lead with their drawing. This game easily targets visual motor integration skills and the ability to draw representational pictures.
Simon Says
Simon Says is a popular game for in-person and teletherapy occupational therapy sessions. Why? It can be customized to target so many different skills! Examples include Motor planning, auditory processing, midline crossing, following one or two-step directions, left/right differentiation, and sensory regulation!
Sequencing Fun
Sequencing skills are essential for many functional activities, like washing hands, dressing, or completing a simple household chore. TheraPlatform features many built-in games, including a sequencing game that contains pictures for your clients to drag and drop into the correct order.
Because it is built into the teleconferencing platform, when your client gets a sequence correct, they will receive a digital token. This is an excellent way to work on a foundational skill while also keeping your client motivated!
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Mazes
Another must-have occupational therapy game for telehealth is mazes. They are great for developing problem-solving and visual perception skills and can be enticing for many clients.
The website Toy Theater offers free mazes that you can cast on your screen for your client to navigate. Even better, your client can move through the maze using a simple click rather than drag and drop to draw lines. This is a great alternative for isolating those visual perception skills without the challenge of the motor component.
Bingo!
Bingo Baker is a simple website that allows you to create a one-of-a-kind bingo card. You can type whatever you want into the squares or even drag and drop pictures for clients who cannot read. Highly customizable, use bingo to reinforce self-regulation strategies at home, write sentences, or simply fill the squares with several motor activities and help your client perform the activity on the card.
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Tips for implementing occupational therapy games for telehealth
As with all games, a few rules of engagement go a long way in helping you help your client to make progress on their goals. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
- Choose games that match therapy goals: Target specific skills like fine motor control, executive functioning, or visual-motor integration.
- Prepare the tech in advance: Test games beforehand, share links clearly, and have backups ready.
- Engage actively during gameplay: Guide the session, ask questions, and use the game to encourage participation and skill-building.
- Adapt games to fit client needs: Modify difficulty, break down tasks, and provide prompts as needed.
- Document with intention: Clearly record what skills were addressed and how the game supported therapeutic outcomes.
Using occupational therapy games for telehealth is a great way to keep your pediatric clients engaged and motivated while helping them achieve excellent outcomes.
In addition to built in video conferencing, TheraPlatform offers:
- An interactive whiteboard and apps
- A personalized resources library
- Screen sharing
- EHR
- Scheduling
- Documenting
- Billing
- Insurance and much more
Streamline your practice with One EHR
- Scheduling
- Flexible notes
- Template library
- Billing & payments
- Insurance claims
- Client portal
- Telehealth
- E-fax
Resources
TheraPlatform is an all-in-one EHR, practice management, and teletherapy software built for therapists to help them save time on admin tasks. It offers a 30-day risk-free trial with no credit card required and supports different industries and sizes of practices, including occupational therapists in group and solo practices.
More resources
- Therapy resources and worksheets
- Therapy private practice courses
- Ultimate teletherapy ebook
- The Ultimate Insurance Billing Guide for Therapists
- The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Private Therapy Practice
