Physical therapy is for kids who have problems with movement due to injury, illness, or disability. Kids need assistance in learning how they can get back to their normal activities even with their incapability. Also, physical therapy can be beneficial for those suffering pain.
Physical therapists ask kids to do a number of exercises so that their strength would be improved and their flexibility would be developed. Sometimes, these exercises tend to be repetitive and once that occurs, kids start to lose their interest. Kids have short attention spans. That is why physical therapists use numerous methods to keep the kids interested. This is when physical therapy games come in handy. Here are some good examples of physical therapy games:
Catch
Catch is a popular game for kids who want to improve their baseball pitching skills. For those who are in physical therapy, catch can be a good game that helps them develop their hand eye coordination. With physical therapists, they can toss the ball back and forth. As time passes by, the distance between the players can go farther. Reflexes can be well developed with this game. Also, as kids grip the ball, their hand strength can be improved.
Kick ball
A variety for catch would be kick ball. All a kid needs to do is to kick a ball to another person and intercept that ball as it is kicked back to him. This game helps develop coordination as well as improve the leg muscles. By playing kick ball, kids can learn how to have better control of their leg muscles. They would be able to control the softness and hardness of their kicks. Balance is also developed as it is necessary to kick a ball properly.
Simon Says
Simon Says is a classic game that kids love to play in their early years. The leader will command the kids to do various things, like raise hands or make funny faces. But the commands that kids would have to follow are only the commands preceded by the phrase, “Simon says.” This game is very ideal for those needing physical therapy especially the ones who need to improve their focus and attention. Kids need to learn to focus on what the therapist says. Of course, to make the activity fun, the therapist has to think of numerous fun movements that the kids can imitate.
Video games
Video games can also have a positive effect on kids. These video games refer to the ones that require kids to be physically active rather than just sit down and use the controller. Gaming consoles such as Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstations 3 and 4 have games that require kids to stand up and be active. Examples of activities include baseball, bowling, and even dancing. Aside from the games released by various game developers, there also games created by specialists whose designs fit kids needing physical therapy.
As you have realized by now, physical therapy can be fun and definitely beneficial.
See Some Of Our Play-Based Physical Therapy For Yourself!
At Cheshire Fitness Zone, we use a variety of play-based activities to treat kids of all ages and abilities. If you’re interested in finding out more about how our team of physical therapists can help your child, you can view our physical therapy services, call us, or fill out the form below.
