Movement is one of our first languages. From the moment a baby rocks in the womb, their brain is starting to build an internal map of movement, balance and space. Long before a child speaks their first words or takes their first steps, their vestibular system is already hard at work, helping them feel grounded in their body, connected to the world and safe in their surroundings.

The vestibular system is a powerhouse. It influences the way children move, learn and relate to others. When the vestibular system is working well, it’s like the body’s compass, helping children stay steady, focused and confident in everyday life. But when it’s struggling to process information efficiently, it can quietly affect everything from posture and play to emotions and friendships.

Why The Vestibular System Matters

The vestibular system lives in the inner ear and helps the brain understand where the body is in space. It’s responsible for detecting motion, gravity, and changes in head position. This information forms the foundation for:

• Building core muscle tone and balance to sit, stand and walk.
• Developing bilateral coordination to dress, write, and play.
• Navigating space to judge distances, move through the environment and engage with others.
• Managing arousal and emotion through co-regulation and regulation – how calm, alert, or connected a child feels throughout the day.

These are not just motor skills but they’re building blocks for identity. As children gain more control over their movement, they begin to develop a stronger sense of self and confidence in their abilities.

What We Notice When Vestibular Processing Is Off Track

We have supported children who seem constantly in motion, always jumping, spinning, crashing, because their nervous systems are craving movement to feel stable. Others avoid swings, slides or climbing equipment because their vestibular system isn’t sending clear messages of safety. Some struggle to sit upright at a table, slouching or lying down because their body just doesn’t have the postural endurance yet.

One child we have worked with would often lie across the classroom floor in the afternoons, unable to sit upright and engage. It wasn’t defiance, his body simply lacked the postural endurance to stay engaged. Rather than expecting him to push through, we introduced short bursts of movement across the day e.g. linear and rotational play on a scooter board, bouncing and crashing into pillows with an exercise ball, crawling over uneven surfaces and sliding down ramps. These vestibular activities with intensity, helped his body build the tone and stability he needed. Over time, we saw steady changes, not just in his posture, but in his ability to attend, regulate and join in with group learning and play.

Another child we have worked with was overly cautious in movements up off the ground or through space, struggling to climb and interact on uneven or unpredictable obstacles. His body interpreted the unpredictable movement and changes as threatening. It wasn’t fear, it was about survival, resulting in the vestibular system not feeling organised or safe. Instead of pushing through the activity, we shifted to more slow and supported vestibular input with gentle bouncing on a therapy ball while singing, slow rhythmic rocking and rotations. Over time, as his system became more integrated, he became more confident, exploring new surfaces with greater ease, reducing his heightened state and expanding on social interactions where he could show more of his personality and playfulness.

Supporting Vestibular Development Can: 

• Help a child feel less anxious in a new environment.
• Increase stamina to keep up with peers at the park.
• Improve confidence in group games and sports.
• Reduce emotional outbursts or meltdowns linked to fatigue or overwhelm.
• Make transitions (like from home to school) smoother and more successful.

When children feel steady in their bodies, they’re more open and confident to try new things, fail, and try again, join in with group play, or explore new places. Feeling secure like this helps them connect with others and build a stronger sense of belonging in their community.

When to Seek Occupational Therapy

If you notice your child is regularly avoiding movement, is known for being clumsy, struggling with balance, spatial awareness or having trouble keeping up with peers, it might be time to check in with an occupational therapist.

At Explore & Soar, we gently assess a child’s vestibular processing and create playful, meaningful activities to build confidence and capacity. 

We also work with families and educators to embed helpful strategies into real-life settings, so progress isn’t limited to the therapy session. 

Supporting vestibular development doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be intentional. With the right support, children can build a strong foundation for movement, emotion and connection. And when they feel balanced on the inside, the world around them feels a little easier to navigate.

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If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Until next time, 
Maddie

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2025

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Self-care is a significant part of our lives, often taking up periods of time in daily and weekly routines. It is a part of us; routines are established when we are newborns as our parents or caregivers navigate new routines for our sleep, eating, toileting, bathing and playing. The first 2 years of life are critical for understanding and laying the foundations for self-care skills and mimicking these self-care activities and routines within our play. This leads to a greater understanding of how self-care activities significantly contribute to our lifelong wellbeing, meaning in the world, transitions and supports our ability to show up everyday for ourselves, family members, work colleagues and connections within our communities.

What is self-care? 

Self-care within occupational therapy is often referred to as activities of daily life. This includes activities such as dressing, showering, grooming tasks including brushing our teeth and hair, sleeping and eating. These are all vital skills and activities that are completed each day. However, everyone’s definition of self-care differs, as can the activities or the time spent on them each day can too. Whenever I think of self-care, my mind goes to skin care and exercise – these are personally meaningful self-care tasks that support my wellbeing and enable me to confidently show up and be myself everyday at home, work and in the community. 

Self-care tasks are vital to contributing to your whole wellbeing. Engaging in these activities can support your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, play and occupational (school/work) wellbeing. Here are just a few examples of what self-care activities can look like and the contributions they play in your everyday life.

Supporting your development in self-care!

Sleep is one of the most impactful self-care activities that we can do. Sleeping is so important to support our health and wellbeing. By prioritising our sleep and ensuring we get enough each day has significant impacts not only on our emotional and mental health but our social wellness as well, by supporting our ability to engage in our community in social situations and build connections with others. However, for some people, sleep doesn’t always come easily. As OT’s, we love being able to support our children and families with a range of strategies to help or problem solve with you around how to better improve sleep. Check out our blog for more ideas or share your concerns with one of our OT’s today. Here is a link to a blog all about improving sleep hygiene to support your child’s health. 

Eating is another way to continue to improve your wellbeing. Finding a balanced diet that suits your individual needs, fostering energy, growth and enjoyment in your daily life is vital to building upon your wellbeing. This can look different for each individual as no one size fits all. There are a range of recommendations out there, however, what we love about food is that it can be a tool for connection. It is a great time to sit down at a dinner table and connect with your family. Or, a way to connect with your extended family and friends throughout different times of the year, especially when life can get busy. We are known for enjoying a shared meal, such as having a barbeque at the local park, going out to dinner or for a coffee, as a way to connect/reconnect with others in our support network as well as provide opportunities for others to share in the joy of food and company together. Do you have other favourite ways of connecting with others through food? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Exercise is a self-care task that is known for its ability to not only improve your physical wellbeing, but your emotional, social and mental wellbeing too. There are a number of ways you can utilise exercise to support your engagement in the community. Here’s a blog about gross motor movements and engaging within the community. 

Personal care further assists in achieving wellbeing. This term encompasses an array of tasks that include styling your hair, brushing your teeth, shaving, skin care, applying deodorant. While these may not be tasks you can complete socially, they help us to feel and be clean, to refresh, to feel stylish and express ourselves, and stay physically healthy,  which in turn enables us to access the community with confidence.For me, completing my skin care routines assists me to feel refreshed, clean and supports my overall energy and wellbeing in actively participating each day in everything I find joy in. Do you have routines that help you start or end the day feeling good or productive? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

I love that the way I dress is another form of self-expression. We all share who we are to the world via the way we dress. It can be used as a way to support appropriate and safe access to the community by supporting our spiritual, emotional and mental health through true expression of ourselves. Often allowing for how we dress can assist in the creation of connections. For example, wearing the same pokemon or minecraft shirt as someone else, or the same sparkly dress can be a great ice breaker and quick form of connection with others when out and about. Additionally, we have our own biological rhythms that help us identify the temperature outside, and any additional environmental demands that support us in making decisions on how to best to dress to suit the conditions such as rain, wind or sun directly assist us in achieving wellbeing. 

The Power of Self-care 

Overall, self-care activities are everyday tasks that we complete and they may be second nature. Some are conscious everyday decisions, others need more direction because we know it’s what we need but may not enjoy them as much. That is ok. We all have activities that we love and those we don’t. 

The power we do have over self-care activities includes doing the necessary ones, often known as non-negotiables, and then choosing which activities help us, make us feel good, bring us joy and allow us to be the best person we can be. Finding the comfort in these activities and sharing to the world who you are and what you enjoy only increases your opportunity for connection, with you and everyone around you benefiting greatly. 

At Explore & Soar, we love working with our clients, helping them figure out who they are as people, sharing themselves, building their independence in self-care skills and developing these routines. If you want to know or learn more, reach out to one of our clinicians today.

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If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Until next time, 
Sophie

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2025

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At Explore & Soar, we believe that skills grow best when they are nurtured through connection.

Over the past few years, we’ve shared insights into how fine motor skills form the foundation for many essential childhood tasks, from handwriting to self-care to creative expression. But as we move into our theme of Community for Wellbeing, we’re reminded that development doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s through relationships, shared experiences and everyday interactions that children learn how to use their hands and how to belong.

Fine motor development is often associated with pencil grip or using scissors and it also plays a powerful role in fostering participation, collaboration and emotional connection. When children use their hands to contribute to a group activity either at home, in therapy or within their school, they’re not just practicing motor control – they’re discovering what it means to be part of something bigger.

What are fine motor skills and why do they matter?

Fine motor skills involve the precise coordination of the small muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists. These movements are necessary for daily activities such as:

• Holding and using utensils
• Buttons and zips on clothing
• Using scissors or craft tools
• Manipulating toys and puzzle pieces
• Drawing, writing, or building
  

As with all motor development, fine motor skills do not emerge in isolation. They are supported by underlying systems such as postural control, visual input, sensory awareness and strength. Key foundational components include:

• Whole arm development: refers to the development of gross motor skills including strength of the shoulder, upper arm and forearm.
• Hand and finger strength: provides foundation to grasp and stability for gripping, squeezing, and stabilising objects.
• Finger isolation: is an important stage in the development of grasp. It is the ability to move certain fingers apart from the rest of the hand/fingers.
• Thumb opposition: refers to the ability of the thumb to rotate and reach to touch all other fingertips of the same hand.
• Pincer grasp: using the thumb and index finger to pick up and manipulate small objects.
• Bilateral coordination: using both hands together with purpose.
• In-hand manipulation: moving and adjusting an object within one hand.
• Tactile discrimination: identifying texture, size, shape through touch.
• Visual-motor integration: coordinating hand movements with visual input, e.g. coordinating what we see with how we move.

While therapy can help target each of these skills individually, we’ve found that the most meaningful growth occurs when fine motor activities are embedded in relationships, shared routines and joyful experiences.

The power of participation: why connection matters.

One of the biggest questions we hear from parents is, “how do I keep my child engaged in therapy activities at home?” Our answer: make it social, make it meaningful and make it shared.

When fine motor activities are framed as moments of collaboration, rather than tasks to complete, they become less about performance and more about participation. Here are some everyday opportunities where families can build connection and capability…

Cooking together

Cooking is a natural fine motor workout and an opportunity for shared purpose. This can include:

• Peeling and grating: builds hand strength and control.
• Pouring and measuring: enhances grip precision and bilateral coordination.
• Using tongs or picking up ingredients: strengthens pincer grasp and refined hand movements.
• Stirring or whisking: supports upper limb coordination and endurance.
• Mixing or kneading dough: builds endurance and upper limb coordination.

TRY THIS!
Host a weekly ‘Family Pizza Night’. Children can grate cheese, spread sauce, and decorate their own pizzas. Each action supports motor skill development, while also giving children a sense of contribution and joy in shared mealtimes.

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Creating through art and craft

Art projects offer endless fine motor opportunities with the added bonus of expression and imagination.

• Cutting with scissors: enhances bilateral coordination and motor planning.
• Drawing and colouring: supports pencil control and visual-motor skills.
• Threading beads or using lacing cards: develops eye-hand coordination and precision.
• Gluing and sticker play: promotes finger isolation and in-hand manipulation.

TRY THIS!
Crafting with a shared goal, such as making a birthday card for a grandparent or decorations for their room, helping children see the value of their efforts and strengthening social-emotional skills.

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Games and construction play

Play is a child’s primary occupation. Play can not only support fine motor development, but moments of play also build patience, frustration tolerance and social connection, all essential for long-term wellbeing and family connections.

• Board games with small pieces: promote refined grasp, finger dexterity, and turn-taking.
• Card games: require in-hand manipulation and strategic thinking.
• Construction play (e.g. Lego or magnetic tiles): supports bilateral coordination, hand strength and visual-spatial reasoning.

TRY THIS!
Plan a family Lego challenge where each person contributes to a shared build, maybe a house, a zoo, a spaceship OR plan regular family games nights where different family members can select the game.

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Reframing therapy: from task to togetherness

Fitting home therapy into days that already full can feel overwhelming. But, when those goals are part of moments families already value, like dinner prep or playtime, it feels less like a chore and more like time well spent. By embedding therapeutic goals into enjoyable, shared activities, we reduce resistance and increase participation.

This approach allows for:

• Increase carryover of skills to real-world settings
• Stronger emotional connections between children and caregivers
• Reduced pressure on families to ‘get therapy right’ to simply connecting

Children, in turn, are more likely to feel included, successful and motivated. Therapy then becomes less about compliance and more about shared experience and growth.

Final thoughts

Fine motor skills help children do things, but even more importantly, they help children connect. When we weave these skills into our daily routines through mealtime, art or play, we not only build hand strength and coordination but emotional security, family culture and a child’s sense of place in their world.

At Explore & Soar, we know that helping hands don’t just build towers or hold pencils. Helping hands build relationships. That is the foundation of wellbeing. They wave to friends, stir the cake mix, pass the game pieces and craft birthday cards and self-expression.

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If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Until next time, 
Maddie

PUBLISHED JULY 2025

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Finding something you are interested in and engaging in your community is a vital step in enhancing your wellbeing and your overall health! Using your whole body through gross motor movement not only builds your confidence to explore the world around you, but also provides motivation to use your body in new and exciting ways, like going for bush walks, playing a team or individual sport or playing at a park with other local children.

What are gross motor skills?

By definition, gross motor skills are the physical abilities acquired during early childhood, those which require whole body movement such as standing up, walking or running.

Gross motor skills develop through the use of large muscles in the body in a controlled and organised manner including the torso, arms and legs to complete whole body movements. Skills involve both the coordination of muscles and the neurological system in the body. The development of these skills impact balance, coordination, body awareness, physical strength, endurance and reaction time. They are developed through experience, practice and repetition during everyday life and impact upon confidence and the execution of further skills such as; walking, running, skipping, sitting, jumping, hopping, hand-eye coordination (catching a ball), dressing, bathing, feeding oneself and even academic skills such as the ability to sit at a desk, manage a full day of school or carry a heavy school bag. 

Children need to be exposed to a range of diverse opportunities in order to move freely and practice their gross motor skills, with each skill building on the one before and preparing your child for the next challenge. They are a vital part of childhood development for movement during daily activities and also provide a stable base for the development of fine motor activities, such as writing. As a child continues to develop their gross motor skills and overall body awareness, their self-esteem and confidence grows, allowing them to explore the world around them, interact socially and develop relationships. Check out our previous blog on gross motor skills that further breaks down the development of these skills.

Why are gross motor skills important?

Gross motor skills are just the beginning of many other skills and motor movements we are required to use to interact and connect to others and everything we do in this world. Gross motor skills allows us to be able to sit and not fall over, to be able to problem solve and move our body out of the way of something before getting hurt, to be able to keep our muscles turned on for a period of time to get through a day at school or a swimming lesson or to learn how to drive a car. To be able to continue to develop these skills, over our childhood, we are also required to learn other gross motor skills such as motor planning and coordination, activate muscle tone, and have a strong core and posture skills.

Where can we build our gross motor skills in our local communities?

There are many different ways that you can build gross motor skills for yourself and your child/ren in your local communities. Moving your body and developing gross motor skills doesn’t just benefit children, but it also benefits us as adults. 

Below are a list of different strategies and ideas for you to try in your community today:

• Playing games with friends/peers at school: Recess, lunch, afternoons and weekends are a great way to connect with your friends, family and siblings and play games. There are a range of sports/activities our children love to play; such as handball (watch out for all those sneaky new rules), playing soccer or kicking a ball, playing basketball hoops or even ‘Red Rover Cross Over’ or ‘What’s The Time, Mr Wolf?’.
• Going to a park: Not only do some of our children love getting outside, they also love being challenged by different equipment. Check out new or different parks near you, there are some great ones that challenge climbing up in heights with bog slides, bike tracks and shopping for pretend play, flying foxes, the list goes on. The best part about parks is there are always opportunities to connect with other parents and children who are playing there too. We definitely have some great local ones in the Hunter Valley. 
• Team sports: Sports require significant gross motor skills including the activation of large muscle groups including your core, legs and shoulders and arms. It is a great opportunity to find children of the same age and interest to try, experiment or love playing a sport together. There are so many local sports both summer and winter sports, including touch football, hockey, netball, football, soccer, basketball; the list goes on. It not only continues to build and challenge our children with body coordination skills but also social and emotional skills, such as win/lose. I have recently started playing netball again to continue to build upon my own community connections and motor skills. .
• Individual sports: Tennis, swimming, little athletics, dancing, gymnastics, karate, all individual sports but also done with people. Sometimes we love to challenge ourselves to be better, to learn a new skill and beat personal bests. These sports are just as important and fabulous as team sports in building so much personal resilience, motivation and determination. 
• Community events; such as Park Run: or in my case, park walk. This is a sport that is gaining lots of attention for finding a community, where people with similar interests engage in running/walking – no matter what level they are at – to build a community. It is amazing just how many children get out and give it a go, or it has become a whole family outing each week. 
• Exploring your community: Getting to know what is around you can be so much fun. You can go on bush walks, go for walks in a new direction or find a new place or field to go to and see what it is like. Grab a Frisbee or a tennis ball to take with you, you never know what you will find!
• Creating a treasure hunt: Depending on the age of your children, you can either create a treasure hunt (there are some great resources like AI that can help with riddles to unlock clues) to see what you can find in local parks or ovals, or the children can create them for each other and yourself. Who can find all the treasure the quickest?!?
• Use an APP! There are so many fun ways to connect with your community, even technology has joined in to help with, Geocaching is one example.
• Create your own game: Maybe you want to leave a random person a surprise and create your own fun! Rock painting or leaving hand made treasures out for others to find. Going back a couple of days or weeks later, to see if they are still there or not? 

Explore & Soar continues to find new and fun ways to help share our knowledge, support our families, develop confidence in gross motor skills and connect with others in their community. If you are finding that even with all these ideas that you still have concerns, then please contact us. We are more than happy to help!

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Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Until next time, 
Sophie

PUBLISHED JUNE 2025

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