Category Archives: Gross Motor

The OT’s Role in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

April 16, 2025Daily Living, Gross Motor, Life Skills, Occupational Therapy, Sensoryhealthy eating, mental health, movement, Occupational Therapy, OT, physical activity, self care, sensory, sensory regulationAllyson Locke, M.S., OTR/L

Occupational therapy (OT) plays a vital role in promoting a healthy lifestyle by supporting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. From physical activity and sensory regulation to healthy eating habits and stress management, OTs empower individuals to build routines that enhance their overall health.

This Occupational Therapy Month, let’s explore key strategies OTs use to promote healthy lifestyles and share resources to support therapists in their work.

1. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Physical Activity & Movement 🚶‍♂️💪

Regular movement is essential for strength, coordination, balance, and overall well-being. Occupational therapists encourage fun, engaging activities that promote motor skills and physical fitness in both children and adults.

Therapro’s Top Picks for Movement & Mobility:

🔹 Wobble Chairs & Stability Discs – Great for improving core strength and active sitting in classrooms and therapy sessions.
🔹 Balance Boards & Stepping Stones – Help with coordination, balance, and motor planning while keeping movement engaging.
🔹 Therapy Balls – Ideal for vestibular input and postural control exercises.
🔹Resistance Bands – Fun ways to develop upper body strength, endurance, and proprioceptive input.

🔹 Browse more movement tools here: Therapro’s Move-To-Learn Collection

💡 Therapist Tip: Incorporate movement breaks throughout the day to help children and adults maintain focus, regulate energy levels, and reduce stress.

Two Yellow Balance Pods used by OT’s in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles — Balance Pods

Kore Kids Wobble Chair used by OT’s in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles — Balance Pods

2. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Sensory Regulation & Mindfulness 🧘‍♀️

Managing sensory input and practicing mindfulness are essential for reducing stress and supporting mental well-being. OTs use sensory-friendly activities to help individuals stay calm, focused, and self-regulated throughout the day.

Therapro’s Top Picks for Sensory Support:

🔹 Fidget Tools – Support focus and self-regulation with tools like Therapro’s Fidget Kit and Koosh Ball Fidgets.
🔹 Weighted Products – Deep pressure input from Weighted Blankets, Compression Vests, and Shoulder Wraps can provide a calming effect.
🔹 Chews & Oral Motor Tools – Items like Chewable Jewelry and Bite-N-Chew Tips help with oral sensory needs and self-soothing.
🔹 Sensory Seating – Products like the Disc ‘O’ Sit Cushion promote active sitting while offering subtle movement input.
🔹 Therapeutic Brushes & Tactile Sensory Items – The Wilbarger Therapressure Brush supports sensory defensiveness, while Cuddle Balls provide rich tactile input.

🔹 Explore more sensory tools here: Therapro’s Sensory Collection

💡 Therapist Tip: Create a sensory toolkit for home, school, or therapy sessions, including fidgets, weighted tools, and calming visuals to support self-regulation throughout the day.

Chewelry Necklace/Bracelet a tool OT's use in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles — Chewelry

3. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Healthy Eating Habits & Self-Care 🍎🥗

Nutrition and self-care routines are essential parts of a balanced lifestyle. OTs help individuals with feeding challenges, adaptive utensils, and personal care skills to promote independence in daily routines.

Therapro’s Top Picks for Mealtime & Self-Care:

🔹 Adaptive Utensils & Cups – Products like the TheraBear Drinking Cup and Maroon Spoons support individuals with oral motor and self-feeding challenges.
🔹 Plate Guards & Non-Slip Placemats – Tools such as the Inner Lip Plate and Dycem Mats help prevent spills and encourage independent eating.
🔹 Visual Schedules & Timers – Supports like the Time Timer can help establish structured mealtime and self-care routines.
🔹 Dressing & Grooming Aids – Items like Button Hooks, Shoehorns, and Zipper Pulls assist with developing dressing independence.
🔹 Oral Motor Tools – Whistles, straws, and chew tools aid in strengthening oral muscles for feeding and speech development.

🔹 Explore more daily living tools here: Therapro’s Daily Living Collection

💡 Therapist Tip: Encourage families to set up predictable daily routines using visual schedules, timers, and adaptive tools to promote independence and reduce stress.

4. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Social Participation & Mental Health 🤝💬

A healthy lifestyle includes building meaningful relationships, developing social-emotional skills, and managing emotions effectively. OTs support clients in fostering social communication, emotional regulation, and self-awareness to promote overall well-being.

Therapro’s Top Picks for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):

🔹 Social Awareness & Conversation Tools – Games like Let’s Talk Cubes and Webber® Photo Cards – What Are They Thinking? encourage turn-taking, perspective-taking, and conversation-building.
🔹 Coping & Self-Regulation Tools – The Big Feelings Pineapple and My Spark Cards Tool Box teach essential strategies for stress management and emotional resilience.

🔹 Explore more SEL resources here: Therapro’s Social-Emotional Learning Collection

💡 Therapist Tip: Use visual supports, role-playing, and structured social games to reinforce emotional regulation, problem-solving, and positive interactions in therapy sessions.

Join the Conversation! 🗣

💡 What are your favorite OT strategies for promoting healthy lifestyles? Tag @Therapro in your social media posts!

Let’s work together to empower individuals to move, learn, and live well every day!

Celebrating Pediatric Physical Therapists

October 18, 2024Gross MotorGuest Blogger

October is National Physical Therapy Month, a time to spotlight the incredible benefits of physical therapy (PT) across all ages. This month, we want to focus on and celebrate pediatric physical therapists, their invaluable work, and the impact they have on the lives of children. With over 4,000 pediatric PT practitioners in the U.S., their expertise, commitment, and compassion shine brightly in the healthcare landscape.

Understanding Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy is a specialized practice dedicated to addressing movement disorders, developmental delays, sports injuries, and orthopedic conditions in children. Utilizing evidence-based practices, pediatric PTs focus on:

Posture and movement analysis
Functional mobility training
Balance training
Dynamic bracing
Electrical stimulation
Parent training

Pediatric PTs work in various settings, including neonatology, early intervention, schools, and both inpatient and outpatient facilities. Their primary goal is to enhance a child’s physical function, address impairments, and help them reach their fullest potential at home, in school, and within their communities. Through PT, children gain increased strength, flexibility, and independence, while preventing the progression of movement issues.

Importance of Early Intervention

Monitoring a child’s physical development and the value of early intervention cannot be overstated. Early detection and treatment can prevent more serious issues down the line, leading to benefits such as improved mobility, enhanced motor skills, and better overall health.

Role of Family and Caregivers

Family members and caregivers, including educators, play a critical role in a child’s therapeutic journey. By collaborating with pediatric PTs, they can help integrate therapy gains into everyday activities. For instance, a therapist may recommend that a child practice moving from sitting to standing through an activity like picking up toys from the floor while squatting, then standing to place them in a toybox, promoting both skill development and play.

Passion of Pediatric Physical Therapists

Pediatric PTs are uniquely trained to engage with children through play-based and enjoyable activities. Resources like pediatricapta.org offer insight into the specialized training and techniques employed by these professionals. They incorporate age-appropriate and motivating activities—think balance pods, obstacle courses, yoga, and more—to ensure therapy is both effective and fun.

Two Yellow Balance Pods used by physical therapists for balance activities

Liquid Floor Tiles used by pediatric psychical therapist for obstacle courses and balance activities

Transformative Success Stories

The impact of pediatric physical therapy is profound. Take, for example, a 3-year-old referred for PT due to postural instability and low muscle tone. After six months of focused therapy on core stability and strength, the child demonstrated remarkable progress, experiencing less fatigue in the classroom and successfully participating in an obstacle course with peers. Such transformations illustrate the power of dedicated PT intervention.

Final Thoughts

National Physical Therapy Month provides a fantastic opportunity to recognize the essential contributions of pediatric physical therapists to children’s growth and development. By sharing knowledge, resources, and inspiring success stories, we can encourage parents and caregivers to advocate for their children’s health.

At Therapro, we proudly honor the dedicated professionals in pediatric physical therapy who work tirelessly to help children develop the mobility skills they need to reach their full potential. Let’s celebrate their hard work and the positive changes they bring to countless lives!

Guest Blogger: Filomena Connor, MSOT Retired

Boosting Skills with Games!

December 19, 2023Activities, Education, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Handwriting, Occupational Therapyeducational games, executive functioning, fine motor, Handwriting, language, Occupational Therapy, OT, physical therapyGuest Blogger

In the world of education and therapy, finding engaging and effective tools to boost skills can be a game-changer. Fortunately, Therapro has developed a trio of unique games designed to not only boost skills but to also make learning an exciting adventure. In this blog we are exploring how the games Trunks, Letter Treasure Hunt, and Novenops are helpful tools for boosting skill development.

Trunks: The Game of Motor Memory

“Remember, perform, and succeed!”

Trunks®: A Game: boosting Motor-Memory skills

Trunks is the brainchild of an occupational therapist, carefully crafted to promote memory, motor sequencing, and cognitive skills. The concept is simple yet brilliant: players draw a card, study the given action, and then perform it from memory. But here’s the twist – on their next turn, they draw an additional card and must execute both actions in the correct order without peeking.

The real magic lies in the creation of a “trunk,” a series of four cards that, when combined, forms an elephant’s trunk. Through this engaging game, players not only sharpen their memory and sequencing abilities but also enhance their attention to detail and focus. Trunks is an excellent therapeutic tool for those seeking to strengthen cognitive and motor skills in a fun and interactive way.

Watch the short video below for a review of Trunks by physical therapist, Laurie Gombash!

Letter Treasure Hunt: A Multisensory Learning Adventure

“Learning to write, one treasure at a time.”

Letter Treasure Hunt game: boosting handwriting skills

Letter Treasure Hunt is a game that seamlessly blends handwriting skills, gross motor challenges, and language development. It’s an exciting adventure where children explore the world of letters while engaging in activities that improve their handwriting and motor coordination.

In this game, kids embark on a quest to discover hidden treasures, all while completing ‘captain’s orders’, fun gross motor tasks that challenge balance, coordination and strength. This dynamic blend of gross motor challenges not only keeps children active but also enhances their physical development. Moreover, the game fosters language skills by encouraging communication among players.

Letter Treasure Hunt is the perfect example of how education can be both fun and effective, making it an excellent choice for parents, teachers, and therapists looking to boost various skills in an engaging manner.

Watch the short video below for a review of Letter Treasure Hunt by physical therapist, Laurie Gombash!

Novenops: Mastering Grammar through Play

“Grammar made fun, one card at a time.”

NOVENOP is an acronym created from the words NOun, VErb, NOun, and Phrase and is a board game for children of ages 6 and up

Novenops is a game that focuses on enhancing the player’s understanding of the basic elements of grammar. With 60 carefully designed cards, this game creates a captivating learning experience that continuously reinforces sentence structure concepts. As players progress, their word familiarity improves, subsequently boosting their reading and writing skills.

The beauty of Novenops lies in its ability to turn grammar lessons into an enjoyable activity. By gamifying language learning, it removes the traditional barriers associated with grammar education and replaces them with excitement and engagement. It’s an ideal tool for educators and parents who want to transform grammar from a chore into a rewarding adventure.

Watch the short video below for a review of Novenops by physical therapist, Laurie Gombash!

Therapro’s games— Trunks, Letter Treasure Hunt, and Novenops —are shining examples of how education and therapy can be both effective and enjoyable. These games are not only designed to boost skills but also make the learning process a memorable and fun experience. Whether you’re a therapist, educator, or parent, consider incorporating these games into your toolkit to unlock the full potential of skill development. With Therapro, learning is an adventure waiting to be discovered!