Ever wonder how you can get your child to participate in therapy-based activities without them even knowing? Well, have a treat for yourself! This blog post highlights so many great ways for kids to stay active throughout the day while also targeting gross and fine motor development. Here are our top 5 ways to get your kids doing therapy without them even knowing.
1. Use Imaginative Play
- Activities with kid lead imaginative themes will allow them to develop their creative thinking and encourage them to play a meaningful role. While your child comes up with the storyline, encourage them to incorporate gross and fine motor activities such as running, climbing, jumping, tying knots, and writing to name a few.
2. Go to a Playground
- Local playgrounds are fantastic for kids of all ages to explore and test out their skills on various surfaces and heights. Be sure your child isn’t challenging themselves too much but do encourage novel experiences with supervision.
3. Take Your Dog for a Walk
- Having your child join you on your daily dog walk is a great way to keep the heart and lungs in tip-top shape.
4. Go for a Bike Ride with the Whole Family
- Biking riding is an excellent activity for simultaneous upper and lower limb (arms and legs) coordination practice while also challenging all aspects of balance. In all environments, whether training wheels are used or not, always wear a helmet!
5. Include Your Kiddo in Cooking Creations
- Have your child help in the kitchen, which will allow them to explore new textured foods, utensils, and tastes.
Other ways you can get your kids doing therapy without them even knowing include:
- Participating in arts and crafts activities
- Singing along to new or favorite songs
- Block out time for shared reading
- Download the Cosmic kids app from the apple or android app store
- and following along with their activities on all your devices.
Find More Therapist-Approved Activities in the NAPA Blog:
About the Author
Simon was born and raised in Eastern Canada. He travelled to Australia in 2019 to begin his physiotherapy journey, graduating with his Doctor of Physiotherapy from Bond in 2021. Simon has worked with children of all ages in various settings – summer camps, after school programs and sports teams. He has known for a long time that he wanted to work in the area of pediatrics, and his time at Queensland Children’s Hospital during one of his clinical placements solidified this. Upon completion of his 6-week clinical internship with NAPA Sydney, Simon knew that he could not pass up the opportunity to join the NAPA team. Simon is a committed and passionate team member who is eager to meet with families, set goals and create a safe, fun-filled environment for children to reach their full potential. When not working, you will find Simon in the outdoors hiking to lookouts to find a view or searching for waterfalls to swim in. Simon is also active in the running community and has completed three half marathons.
