Here are some ways that you can bring the fun to physical therapy exercises.
Practice and repetition is the key to success when it comes to physical therapy. That is why doing physical therapy exercises at home is so important. But, most people don’t consider physical therapy very fun or enjoyable, and it can be challenging to get your child to cooperate. Here are some ways that you can bring the fun to physical therapy exercises to encourage your child to keep working on them at home.
Make it a Game
Across the board, children respond much better to lessons and exercises when they are in the form of games. This idea has carried over into adulthood when you think about various smartphone apps that use games to encourage healthy habits like exercising and drinking more water. The way to make physical therapy exercises into a game for your child is by making the process feel interactive and offering rewards.
Freedom of Choice
Another way to make physical therapy exercises fun is by giving your child some of the control. You can let them pick which exercises each day. Also, you can add another element of fun with dice or a spinner from a board game and let them choose randomly. Or you can do a combination by allowing your child to choose the exercise, and then they can roll the dice for the number of repetitions they need to do. Either way, make sure that they eventually cover every exercise they need to that week.
Set Goals
Often the best part of a game or fun activity is winning. You can make your child feel like they are winning at their physical therapy exercises by charting their progress and setting clear goals. You can do this with a physical chart, like a calendar, and let your child add a sticker of their choice to mark each time they complete a set of exercises for the day.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center is a top therapy center serving families of children and adolescents with disabilities. Our team consists of the leading experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavior sciences. We offer intensive, hands-on therapy for children and adolescents as well as resources for families. We are real therapists helping real families with real issues. If you are concerned about your child’s behavior, take a moment to fill out our quick questionnaire. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, call 301-577-4333 or contact us via our website. Want to keep up with our latest news and blog posts? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.