Movement Toys

Of all the toys, these need the least explanation - movement toys require and encourage big movements. Think swings, slides and climbing frames - anything you might see in your local park or soft play center.

What is worth discussing in more depth is WHY children need to learn to enjoy movement toys.

We each have our own pace for living. Some of us are happy to sit on the couch, others are constantly on the go. In the clinical setting an Occupational Therapist may call this your 'Sensory Profile.'

Children who prefer quiet, slow-paced activities may not get the exercise they need to build strong muscles. When working with Occupational Therapists, I always find it surprising what muscles are needed for future, more difficult tasks - did you know you need a strong core (tummy muscles) in order to have a good up-down/nodding head movement to copy from the board?!

On the other side, we have children who need to burn off energy. Exercise is one of the most established interventions for reducing Challenging Behaviour and increasing task engagement. Again, an Occupational Therapist may call or incorporate these types of toys as a ‘movement break’ - movement toys provide these kids an outlet to let off steam.

There's no getting around it, movement toys are more expensive. They need to be strong enough to be safe, so Wish won't cut it here! But there is still value to be had - it's a great category for picking things up second-hand as they often last so long!