This week I'm sharing some of my favorite summer activities for outdoor therapy sessions with kids. Check out the links below and you can do them, too!

1. Make giant bubble wands for giant bubbles.
2. Make toy boats using recyclables. I recommend corks, rubber bands, large paper clips, sturdy toothpicks, popsicle sticks, duct tape, and small plastic containers. Bring stickers or sharpie markers to allow the children to decorate their creations. (Can pair with the book Toy Boat, too.)
3. Make a mud kitchen using kitchen supplies from thrift stores. Play the Great Nature Baking Show game.
4. Balloon ball volleyball game
5. Make ice cream in the ice cream ball

What are your favorite activities for therapy sessions in the summer? Weigh in in the Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community here. (P.S. If you're down under, here's the listener-feature episode where we shared favorite WINTER activities.)

It's my 48th birthday today! So I want to give you a present as a thank you for being a listener of the podcast or a member of the TGO Community. I'm giving away a free copy of my book: Therapy in the Great Outdoors- A Start-Up Guide to Nature-Based Pediatric Practice with 44 Kid-Tested Activities. I'll throw some Therapy in the Great Outdoors stickers in there, too!

All you have to do to enter is leave a review for the TGO podcast, screenshot it, and share it on Instagram. Don't forget to tag me @lauraparkfig so I can put your name in the drawing to win the book! If you're not on Instagram OR if you have ALREADY left a review for the podcast (thank you!), you can enter by leaving a review for Therapy in the Great Outdoors on Google here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Therapy+in+the+Great+Outdoors/@14.1576412,-149.1384369,3z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4a2341b4ba5fa709:0x5cb6536199ef896!8m2!3d14.1576412!4d-149.138437!16s%2Fg%2F11stb6yb0m?entry=ttu

Make sure to send me a DM on Instagram or in the TGO Community after you leave your Google review so that I can put your name in the drawing! I will draw the winner live on Instagram and in the TGO Community on Wednesday June 26.

Also, I want to invite you to come work-cation with me! I'm hosting a nature-based business retreat from November 7-10 in Santa Cruz CA. We have 16 spots left. I'm selecting some really great mentors to help me facilitate this time together. You know how you always wish you had time to step away without distractions and take a 10,000 foot view of your business, so that you can plan and make wise decisions? That's what this retreat is for! You will intentionally set your 2025 annual plan in place so that next year will be your best one yet in your nature-based practice. I hope to see you there. You can register for the retreat here by August 1: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/retreat

xoxo

Laura

In this episode, I'm sharing a template we developed in my practice for sending a monthly newsletter to families. This helps you share free and helpful information with your potential clients, and communicate the unique value of the therapy services you provide. Tune in to hear real examples of things I've sent in our newsletter and the 3-topic template that we use to come up with simple ideas to share with families each month.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:21 Importance of Email Lists in Nature-Based Therapy

01:11 Newsletter Template Overview

03:19 Creating Engaging and Effective Newsletters

04:58 Tip of the Month

08:07 Resource of the Month

10:06 Story and Service Updates

14:53 Conclusion and Contact Information

Resources from this episode:

Flodesk affiliate link to get 50% off your first year of Flodesk (it is the BEST email service provider, hands down. Easiest to use and a beautiful user interface to make emailing your people EASY and FUN.) https://flodesk.com/c/Y63MIS

My previous episodes on email marketing:

TGO Podcast - Email Marketing for Your Nature-Based Practice https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/podcasts/therapy-in-the-great-outdoors/episodes/2147735255

Mind Your OT Business episode- Why You MUST Have an Email List to Grow Your Practice: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/podcasts/mind-your-ot-business/episodes/2147505784