Why Do We Play?

We get it! In occupational therapy all you see us do is… PLAY! Swinging, building and going through obstacle courses, playing in sand, foam soap, water buckets, ball pits, finger painting, throwing balls.. But, WHY? Well, there’s a purpose to everything we do. Play with a purpose. Kids learn best through play, through experiences, through movement and through interactions with others. It’s how our brain develops and ultimately how we evolve into higher functioning, emotionally regulated adults. 

SWINGING! WEEEEE!! What are the benefits of swinging in occupational therapy? Swinging stimulates the body and the mind, building a foundation for complex learning. It supports sensory integration, helping the brain organize, interpret and filter sensory information from our environment and the senses our body perceives. Swinging increases blood flow to the head and the rocking motion stimulates the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that helps you focus and attend. Slow, rhythmic movement reduces sensory seeking behaviors, like hyperactivity, by providing sensory input for improved attention. It improves body and spatial awareness. It encourages social interaction and enhances language development. It strengthens and challenges core strength, and helps with the development of balance, righting reactions and motor skills. It releases endorphins, which boost your mood and helps you feel more alert. It positively affects the brain for 6-8 hours - after just 15 minutes of swinging! Depending on the type of swinging, it can be an “alerting” or “calming” sensation to the brain. 

OBSTACLE COURSES! The act of building an obstacle course targets multiple centers in the brain. The “heavy work” to carry objects across the room is a “calming” strategy. Challenging the mind to create an obstacle course enhances their ability to “think outside the box” and challenges their safety awareness and body scheme. “Will this be safe if I put a ball on the hard floor vs. the mat?” or “How do I PLAN how to move my body to climb through the tunnel or over the bean bag?” Going “slow like a turtle” through the obstacle course is a “calming” strategy. It targets the proprioceptive center which is calming to the nervous system. Going “fast as lightning” is an alerting strategy and targets the vestibular system in the brain. 

PLAYING GAMES OVER A BALL! OH MY! There are so many benefits and layers to laying over a ball while playing games. The feedback through our arms not only strengthens our shoulders, and arms, but it also sends that “calming” sensation to our brain, targeting proprioception. It also helps with integrating ATNR primitive reflex. Which improves eye tracking, hand grasps, and body awareness. Depending on the game chosen, we are strengthening grasp patterns, hand muscles, sequencing, increasing the ability to follow directions, improving attention to task and hand-eye coordination.