the hidden therapy in play
Some of the most important work we do with children looks a lot like play.
Not always structured activities.
Not defined therapy sessions.
But play. Sometimes the kind that involves spiderwebs (hear me out), wobbly balance, nervous giggles and triumphant cries of "I did it!"
Recently, we spent the morning at Networld at Treetops on the central coast of NSW, a little over an hour’s drive north from Sydney. The opportunity to navigate a giant netted adventure playground high among the trees, kinda like huge spiderwebs! From below, it looked like a whole lot of fun - children bouncing through giant nets, tumbling into ball pits and disappearing into epic games of tip.
As paediatric physiotherapists, we see something else too. We see courage growing with every "Watch this!". Problem solving unfolding mid-climb.
We see muscles strengthening, balance improving and coordination developing in ways that feel completely natural to children - because to them, it's simply play. And that's often where the magic happens.
One of our favourite moments from the day was watching a little boy cautiously make his way across one of the bouncy net bridges. At first, he moved slowly, carefully testing each step before transferring his weight. As the morning unfolded, his confidence grew. Before long, he was running, jumping and laughing with his friends, his body instinctively adapting to the movement beneath him.
What looked like a simple morning of fun was actually packed with learning.
Every time children navigate uneven surfaces, climb over obstacles, jump between platforms or regain their balance after a wobble, their brains are gathering valuable information. They're learning where their bodies are in space, how to adjust to movement and how to coordinate different parts of their body to achieve a goal.
As physiotherapists, we often talk about the vestibular system and proprioception. These are two of the lesser-known senses that help us understand movement and our body position. They're the reason we can stay upright and know where our feet are without constantly looking at them.
The wonderful thing is that children don't need to understand any of this. Their brains learn through experience. This is one of the reasons we are so passionate about play based therapy at Little Leaps.
Therapy doesn't always need to happen in a clinic room. Many meaningful opportunities for growth happen when children are challenged just enough to try something new and have so much fun that they don't realise how hard they're working.
Whether it's a playground, a bushwalk, a backyard obstacle course or a morning climbing through giant nets, movement-rich play gives children countless opportunities to develop strength, balance, coordination, confidence and resilience.
Sometimes the best therapy doesn't look like therapy at all!
PS. In case you’re wondering about the blog photo. If you happen to book a climbing spot in the morning, as the sun comes up and shines through some of the giant inflated balls it makes for some pretty epic photo backdrops.