The secret ingredient behind a brilliant pediatric physical therapy session is making it fun through games. When kids find therapy fun, they are more willing to try the activity again and again. Plus, when they are having fun their body absorbs learning faster.
7 Fun Pediatric Physical Therapy Activities for Kids
Here are 7 fun physical therapy activities for kids, designed to pack in both fun and developmental learning:
Wheelbarrow Relay
Wheelbarrow Relay is a great way to improve core strength and upper body strength.
What you will need:
- A wheelbarrow or wagon
- Obstacles (cones, pillows, small buckets)
- 8-10 Toys
How to Play
- Create a small obstacle path using cones, pillows or small buckets.
- Next, scatter the toys around the obstacle path
- Offer your child the wheelbarrow, and ask them to collect the toys while moving through the obstacle pathway
- The activity ends when the child is able to put all objects in the wheelbarrow and come back to the start position.
Animal Walk
This fun game is a guaranteed giggle producer. Animal walks can help improve balance, body coordination, and flexibility.
What you need:
- Animal Walk Poses: Bear Walk, Crab Walk, Frog Jump, Snake Slither, Donkey Kick, Turtle Crawl.
How to Play
- Show a card to your child and ask him to imitate the walk
Tightrope Walk
Tightrope Walk strengthens the child’s core. A strong core helps in balance and stability. It also improves a child’s gross motor skills.
What you need:
- A piece of tape
How to Play:
- Stick a piece of tape from one corner of the room to the another
- Ask your kid to walk on the tape, and pretend they are walking on a tight rope
- If they step away from the tape, they have to start over
- Extend the activity by asking them to walk on tiptoes, sideways, backward, giant steps, or baby steps.
Dancing
Dancing is a fun activity that covers many pediatric physical therapy moves. It encourages kids to jump, run, hop, bounce and skip to their heart’s delight.
What you need:
- Some good music. Some good songs we recommend are
- Row, Row, Row your boat
- Here we go Looby Loo
- Magic Beat Follow the Beat
- The Dinosaur Stomp
- I’ve got a body
How to Play
- Just turn on the music and show ’em the moves
Rocker board
Rocker board offers a range of fun activities for kids to build their leg and feet muscles. These are especially great for kids who toe-walk.
What you need:
- Rocker board
- A wall for balance
How to Play:
- Get the child on the rocker board.
- Allow him to use a wall for balance if it’s difficult for him in the beginning
- Ask the child to place both feet on opposite sides of the board to balance
- Now rock the board a little and encourage the child to try to rock it on his own.
- Extend the activity by asking the child to stand sideways on the board and repeat the same motion.
Stability Ball Game
Stability balls are great for core strengthening.
What You Need:
- Stability Ball
- Small Balls
- Tong
- Medium-sized bowl
How to Play:
- Scatter Balls around the area
- Get your child to lay down on the ball on his tummy
- The object of the game is to collect all the small balls using the tong and transfer them to the bowl.
Simon Says
This classic game can be a great way to sneak in therapy with loads of fun. Some things Simon can say are:
- Bend Your Knees
- Clap Your Hands
- Stand on one foot
- Touch your toys
- Snap your finger
- Stamp your feet
- Pretend to sit on a chair
- Jump
- Laugh
- Hop on the right/left foot
- Wave your hands
- Stand on your toes
- Wiggle your fingers
- Move like a robot.