Alligator Grabber For The Win!

My family and I traveled to New Orleans over Christmas break a couple years ago for a little vacation. I had a wonderful time, but I can never truly turn off the SLP brain. Perfect example - we visited an aquarium while we were there and they had these cool little alligator grabber toys. I brought it home, took it to my therapy room, and immediately lost it. When moving to my new job, I found it! (It had fallen behind a bookcase!) I've been using it ever since. I've decided it was the best $7 I spent on that vacation! 

So how have we been using it? 

1. We practiced spatial concepts by having students grab bears stationed around cups. They had to identify the bear that was in a verbally presented location and grab it with the alligator. 

2. We also grabbed mini items that contained our articulation sounds. 

3. We used the grabber to "eat" body parts on a baby doll (hey, whatever gets that minimally verbal kid talking, right?). 

4. We grabbed mini items that belonged to specific categories or had a specific function (eat the item that you use to draw). 

5. We ate up items by their descriptions ("eat the animal that says moo").

6. We practiced sequencing concepts by following directions to eat items in a specific order ("eat the bear AFTER you eat the zebra). 

 I love that it also incorporates some fine motor practice for our friends that need it. Anyway, we had SO MUCH FUN! If you see one of these somewhere, grab it!