Occupational Therapy Activities for Preschoolers

September 2025

 

Bridgewater has many wonderful playgrounds, both at the schools and at the local parks.  Time spent at these playgrounds are more than just fun, it also provides opportunities to engage in activities that strengthen muscles and provide  important sensory input, similar to that is provided during therapy.  Activities such as the swinging, climbing, sliding  help support the vestibular system, proprioceptive system, tactile system and visual system.  These systems play a key role in   balance, muscle tone,  body awareness, motor planning, attention and arousal level, visual tracking, and eye hand coordination just to mention a few. While the weather is still nice I encourage you to make the most of playground time. Over the next few weeks, see if your child can try something new at the play ground.  It is a wonderful way to build skills while having fun.

 

 Ladders and Steps

• Encourage reciprocal movement of feet and hands when climbing up and down to improve bilateral coordination. 
• Walking up and down steps improves leg strength, endurance, and proximal stability. 
• Arched ladders and cargo ladders improve arm, shoulder and hand strength as well. Encourage climbing up and down as a way to improve motor planning.

 

Slides

• Sitting down at the top of the slide improves motor planning.
• The movement down the slide encourages abdominal contraction and tone
• The movement increases attention and arousal level