By: Kati Berlin, MS, OTL/R

Osmo is one of my new favorite therapy activities!  It mixes the technology of an ipad with hands on activities that are engaging and challenging.  I use the Osmo Monster game to work on drawing skills.  The game is set up with a stand for your ipad and a mirror that goes over the camera.  The camera can then take pictures of your drawings  below.  The game asks you to draw a picture and it is embedded into the game.  This game is fun, animated and very rewarding for younger elementary school children.

The Osmo Pizza Company game is one of my personal favorites.  Customers order pizzas and you have to use manipulatives to match what they ask for.  Next, you flip the pizza board over and make change for the customers.  The game can be modified to include only quarters, nickels, dimes, pennies, or bills.  It’s a fun way to practice working on money and making change for older kids.  Younger kids benefit from matching and following a pattern.

Osmo Coding Awbie is an introduction to early coding skills.  Awbie is a monster that walks and jumps around different obstacles to collect items.  The manipulatives for this game allow you to code for how he moves, how many squares he moves, and what direction he moves in.  You can do one movement at a time, or you can work on planning ahead by setting up multiple moves in advance.  These challenges help to address spatial planning and executive functioning skills.

The Osmo game system offers a number of activities that address a variety of skills.  Other products include, letter games, number games, drawing games, and hidden picture activities.