Ideation

What is it? The ability to generate ideas of what to do in novel situations or conceiving play ideas when presented with unfamiliar toys or objects (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015, p. 272). 

Why is it important? Children who have difficulty with ideation may have difficulty with creating motor plans or navigating their environment with purpose, therefore may wander around aimlessly (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015, p. 272). Ideation is a skill necessary for occupations across the lifetime, such as: 

• Activities of daily living (functional mobility, dressing, grooming) 
• Play and leisure activities (pretend play) 
• Academic performance (interacting with peers, participating in play, crafts) 
• Job performance 
• Driving

5 activities to try at home: 

1. Asking “What if…?” questions. 

Tip: Present various silly scenarios and see how your child responds! 

 2. Presenting the child with a “design challenge”. 

Tip: For example, ask the child to create something tall and see what they come up with! 

3. Play a game they enjoy, but ask them to change one thing about it. 

Tip: For example, play tag but change one rule (i.e. each time someone gets tagged they have to act like an animal when they are chasing others [hopping like a frog]).  

4. Creating their own craft. 

Tip: Provide the child with various materials and ask them to create something with them! 

5. Adding a new component to a preferred toy. 

Tip: For example, if your child prefers playing with play-doh, introduce a new toy with it such as dinosaurs or figurines to facilitate pretend play (i.e. making play-doh beds for dinosaurs to sleep in, etc.).

References 

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1-S48. 

Case-Smith, J., & O’Brien, J. (2015). Occupational therapy for children and adolescents (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby, Inc.