July news & updates

July | 2024

Director's Note

Hear from Stephanie about Amaryllis' latest news.

July Schedule and Classes

Check out classes happening this month and take note of our holiday schedule.

Resources

Learn tips on how to stay hydrated this summer from feedinglittles.com.

Family Time

Celebrate the 4th with a fun science experiment - Fizzy Stars!

Community Events

Find other fun events happening around town this month.

Director's Note

Happy Mid-Summer! Welcome to July's Newsletter. Recently, our team shared what we each like about summer and almost everyone agreed that it was spending time outside, especially with the longer days of sunlight. I hope you and your family are also finding fun ways to spend time outside but staying cool and hydrated! Check out our tips on staying hydrated below.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's therapy journey. We look forward to another month of growth, learning, and achievements together! As always, feel free to send me any feedback or concerns to Stephanie@amaryllistherapy.net.

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July,

Stephanie

OTR/L, Director

stephanie@amaryllistherapy.net

July Schedule and Classes

In observance of Independence Day, our office will be closed July 4th-6th. Talk to your therapist and the front desk staff about rescheduling appointments.

Lil' Feeders

Weekly Infant Feeding Support Class

Thursdays | 10:15am-11:15am

Lil’ Feeders is a group with individualized and parent-to-parent support that teaches participants how to help their baby develop the mouth skills needed for all forms of infant feeding! Whether you're looking for general support, preparing for a tongue tie release, or working through tongue tie recovery, this class is for you!

Infant Massage

In-Person & Virtual

July 10th, 17th, 24th | 12:30pm-1:30pm

This 3-week class is designed especially for parents of young infants, including those who were born prematurely and/or who have medical issues or special needs. Each week parents will learn how to massage different parts of their baby and how to adapt those strokes to meet their infant’s individual needs.

Led By: Robin Hoffman, OTR

Little Book Worms

Early Language and Literacy Workshop

Mondays | 10:00am-11:00am

Learn developmental milestones and foster early language and literacy skills in your little one through stories, songs, and interactive activities!

Led by: Ms. Julie & Ms. Grace

Cost: $15

For ages 0-5

Yoga with Ms. Mary

July 27th

Ages 3-5*: 9am-9:45am

*with caregiver

Ages 6-10: 10am-10:45am

Ages 11+: 11am-11:45am

Come for a morning of mindfulness designed to build flexibility, strength, and confidence!

Led by: Ms. Mary OTR/L, RYT

Cost: $15 (walk-ins welcome)

Resources

What can I do to keep my child hydrated?

By: Feeding Littles

Set a timer or other digital notification that reminds everyone in the family to drink more water. Have a visual kiddo? Check out the app Plant Nanny (on iTunes or Google Play Store) and watch your plant grow and thrive – or not – depending on how much water you drink.
Offer water in a designated water bottle or cup, and make sure you have water with you at all times to offer to your tot. We have so many favorite straw bottles – check them out here in our Amazon shop!
Put a mark on your child’s cup or water bottle as a visual cue to drink down to the mark. A rubber band or hair tie can also serve as a visual cue. (“Let’s drink down to this line!”)
High water volume veggies and fruits like watermelon, tomatoes, cantaloupe, broccoli and cucumber are great summer staples that have high water content.
Figure out how your child likes water best – with a straw? Iced? Room temperature. Try to serve it in their preferred form when possible to promote more hydration.
Make homemade popsicles! Try combining coconut water or coconut milk with fruit and a bit of sweetener like honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup if desired. Freeze in popsicle molds until set.
Use novelty (just like we teach in our online course) to encourage more sipping! Break out silly straws, have your child use a clean medicine syringe or eye dropper to pipe water into his mouth, whip out small cups or unique drinking glasses, or even practice drinking water out of an ice cube tray using a straw. You can also make up a funny dance or song every time your child takes a drink.
Serve broth-based soups or cold soups like gazpacho.
Make water more flavorful with creative water infusions, such as strawberry and lemon, watermelon and lime, or blueberry and orange.

4th of July Fizzy Stars Baking Soda Science Experiment

The kids are going to love this 4th of July Fizzy Stars Baking Soda Science Experiment!

Ingredients

Star ice cube tray or silicone mold
Pipettes, droppers (to add the vinegar to the stars)
About ⅔ cup of baking soda
About 2 tablespoons of water
Up to 1 cup of vinegar
Optional: blue or red food coloring

Instructions

The amounts needed will vary based on the size of your star molds and how many stars you would like to make so you can adjust as needed.
For this exact tray, we used about ⅔ of a cup of baking soda and about 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste. Add the water slowly and mix in only enough so it is pliable (if there is too much water the stars will be diluted and won't fizz as much when you add the active ingredient (vinegar).
Push the mixture into the corners of the stars with a toothpick, spatula, or similar pointed item to ensure you have a crips star shape.
Once the mixture is in the trays, freeze until solid, this will help remove the stars in a solid piece. They will start to soften right away though so if reusing the tray to make more stars, plan to put the finished stars right back in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
When everyone is ready to play, simply place the stars on a plate or tray and have them explore what happens when they add the vinegar to the stars.