News

OT student Brittany Peppard (L), Kids Day participant Amy and OT student Kaitlyn Fry at the face painting station.

On September 20^th, OT students held the 27^th annual Kid’s Day. Since the 1980s, student occupational therapists have been hosting a day of activities for children in the Halifax area who live with a physical or cognitive disability.

This year, 17 child participants spent the day playing games, making friends and learning from more than 50 OT students.

“The goal of Kid’s Day is to give these amazing children an opportunity to interact and play with other children,” says Jazmyn Perrins, an OT student and one of the Chairs of the Kid’s Day organizing committee.

The day’s activities are guided by current research that shows the effectiveness of play in helping children reach their therapeutic goals. This year, the participants took part in a variety of activities that challenged multiple skill sets, such as fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and sensory integration.

 Kid’s Day is one of a number of initiatives organized by the Dalhousie Occupational Therapy Students Society (DOTSS) that sees students using their developing OT skills around campus and Halifax.

For more information on DOTSS and how you can get involved: http://dalhousieot.wix.com/dotss