Blog • Aug 28, 2018

FUN WAYS TO INTRODUCE FOODS: MESSY PLAY

Patrick McLean serves as Administrative Director and Co-CEO of Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, a comprehensive pediatric therapy practice he co-founded with his wife…

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Patrick McLean

Patrick McLean serves as Administrative Director and Co-CEO of Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, a comprehensive pediatric therapy practice he co-founded with his wife Rose in 2014. With over a decade of healthcare business leadership, Patrick has transformed their vision of coordinated, family-centered care into a thriving multidisciplinary clinic serving families throughout Chicago. After graduating from Western Illinois University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Business and Finance, Patrick developed expertise in healthcare operations, strategic planning, and organizational growth. His business acumen combined with a deep commitment to serving children with developmental needs has positioned Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center as a trusted resource for families navigating speech delays, sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorder, motor delays, and behavioral concerns. As Co-CEO, Patrick oversees essential operational pillars including marketing and community outreach, human resources and staff development, financial management and insurance coordination, and long-term business strategy. His leadership has enabled the clinic to expand from offering single therapy services to providing integrated physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and social work—all coordinated under one roof for maximum family convenience and clinical effectiveness. Patrick's management philosophy centers on creating systems that empower both staff and families. He has built a culture of collaboration where therapists from different disciplines communicate seamlessly about each child's progress, ensuring holistic treatment plans that address the whole child. His proudest moments come from witnessing families' journeys—from initial concerns through celebrated milestones and hard-won achievements. Beyond his professional role, Patrick brings personal perspective as a father of four children. He actively coaches his kids in various sports, enjoys creating barbecue masterpieces on his smoker, and values connection time with friends on the golf course. This balance between professional purpose and family life reinforces his understanding of the families Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center serves every day.

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Does it seem like your child is a picky eater? Do you dread every mealtime because you feel like you are force feeding your child? Does your child refuse to put certain foods near his or her mouth? If this sounds familiar, don’t worry—there are methods to introduce foods into a child’s repertoire in fun but meaningful ways. Feel free to introduce and work with these foods in PLAY fashion…once your child has fun with these foods, he or she may be more apt to try and taste them!

SOME MESSY PLAY IDEAS ☺

Painting with spaghetti: Cook the spaghetti, and then when cooled, let your child paint with the noodles.
Painting/stamping with vegetables: Does it seem like you cannot get any vegetables near your child’s mouth? Use potatoes/carrots/radishes/peppers or any vegetable that you are trying to introduce into your child’s repertoire to paint or use as stamps. You can also use targeted fruits to paint or stamp.
Painting with purees: A puree is a creamy smooth substance made of fruits or vegetables such as applesauce or yogurt. Feel free to smooth the puree onto the table and play with your child by using your fingers to draw in the puree. Your child can working writing letters or numbers or draw pictures in the puree! If your child displays a sensory aversion to using his or her fingers, you can have him or her use a paintbrush instead.
Sorting/stacking by color/shape into ice trays: You can work on introducing new foods while simultaneously working on increasing your child’s cognitive abilities! Pick a couple of foods that you want to introduce and use the ice trays to work on sorting. You can sort the foods by size/shape/color/ etc.
Jello Sensory Bin/Bag: Make some jello and then put it into a container or bin and let your child play with it. You can use cookie cutters to create shapes/animals/letters. Or, you can put the jello into a bag, put small toys and/or manipulatives into it, seal it up, and use the bag as a “sensory scavenger hunt” (e.g., your child squeezes the outside of the bag in order to find the manipulatives hidden inside of it).

Remember, the more FUN you make it, the more apt your child is to experiment with these foods and eventually try them! As stated by the SOS protocol, the five steps to eating are as follows: tolerates, interacts with, smells, touches, tastes, eats. Messy play involves those first four steps in working towards eating!