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Occupational Therapy

Utilising Gross Motor Movement to Boost your Connection in your Community

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UTILISING GROSS MOTOR MOVEMENT TO BOOST YOUR CONNECTION TO YOUR COMMUNITY

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!

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

Until next time, 
Sophie

PUBLISHED JUNE 2025

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How to help children interact in their community

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HOW TO HELP CHILDREN INTERACT IN THEIR COMMUNITY

Working with kids to help them build social skills is such a rewarding part of my job as an Occupational Therapist. Social skills are about more than just communicating. It’s about building meaningful connections that help children feel a sense of belonging within a community and contribute to their overall sense of wellbeing. This is why I think this topic fits in so well with our yearly theme at Explore and Soar of ‘Community for Wellbeing’. 

Kids are struggling more than ever with social skills – possibly because they live in a world with more screens and less face-to-face interactions. Not to mention that they have also lived through a pandemic and have had to navigate social isolation during their formative years for building social skills! So, this month’s blog post dives into what social skills are, why they matter, and how you can support your child in building them.

What are social skills?

Social skills include a wide range of behaviours and abilities that help children interact effectively with others. This can include fundamental skills like making eye contact, initiating play with another child, sharing and taking turns, or demonstrating joint attention in an activity. As children get older, they start to learn more advanced skills like negotiating rules in games, building long term friendships, empathising with others, and communicating their emotion.

Why are they important?

I think we can all recognise the importance of social skills in making friends. Friendships create the perfect place to learn about relationships and to feel a sense of belonging. Friendships are crucial for a child’s social and emotional development. Playing together allows children to observe, learn from and challenge each other. Social skills are the ‘entrance ticket’ to playing a game of soccer, or making friendship bracelets, or colouring a picture. In this way, social skills can also impact gross and fine motor development. Social skills can also help children academically, especially when you think of all the group projects kids have to do. In essence, childhood development does not happen in isolation. Social development is not only important for the sake of social development but for development in all areas of a child’s life.

How do you respond to your child’s struggles with social skills?

If you are a parent reading this blog because you want to help your child develop better social skills, I want to encourage you to pause for a moment and reflect on how you feel when you see your child struggle in social situations. For example, when you see them playing by themselves at a party or when they come to you and tell you they have no-one to sit with during school recess or lunch? 

I think that simply taking the time to pause and reflect so that you can notice and name what emotions are coming up for you, can significantly shift the way that you show up for your child. Sometimes, it might be that watching your child play alone at a party brings up difficult memories for you of being lonely as a child – but maybe your child is perfectly happy playing by themselves. Or perhaps your deep care for your child makes you jump straight into problem solving mode (“I’ll make a list of all the kids you could sit with at recess or lunch and then maybe I’ll call their mums too…”) rather than just empathising and being there for your child (“That sucks. I remember when I had no-one to sit with too. Can you tell me more?”). 

I believe that when children struggle with anything, not just social skills, the most powerful factor influencing how they deal with and grow in their struggle is how their parent shows up for them. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to social development. Some children thrive in social settings, while others need more time and encouragement to feel comfortable. Being patient, offering reassurance, and celebrating small victories will go a long way in helping your child feel more confident and capable in social situations.

Practical ways to help your child develop social skills

Implement a few practical ideas below to help your child develop social skills:

  • For Babies and Toddlers: The foundation of social skills starts early with simple, reciprocal interactions. Playing games like peek-a-boo, singing, narrating your day out loud and asking what they think or even making noises back and forth with your baby helps them learn turn-taking and develop joint attention. By consistently engaging in these types of interactions, your child begins to understand the back-and-forth nature of social communication.
  • For Pre-schoolers: As children grow, they can start to practice more complex social skills. Using pretend play to act out social situations is great at this age. For example, when playing dinosaurs pretend that your dinosaur doesn’t want to share his teddy with your child’s dinosaur. Then let the dinosaur act out how to share. The key element in this scenario is not to go straight into dinosaur sharing perfectly. Model the struggle of different emotions and what may happen if they don’t want to share and then how to learn the skill for success. There are a range of different social scenarios you can act out, such as how to ask to play with a new person at a park or preschool, play dress ups, use of puppets or play different games like ‘Simon says’, musical chairs or ‘hide and seek’. Don’t forget to Practice, Practice, Practice! Here’s some more information on pretend play.
  • For Older Children: Opportunities to play in pairs, or small groups and negotiate group dynamics is really important as children get older. Team sports, social clubs or even group activities at the local library are all great ideas. Try to find something that works with your child’s interests. Just remember starting out small and building your child’s confidence up to move into larger group activities is a great way to help the success. Role playing specific situations also works out well with our older children. For example, if asking to join a group is something they struggle with, help them practice with you or in front of a mirror. Even if they are missing social cues and need help noticing different things in their friends, role playing and being silly during this are great ice breakers for our children. Alternatively if your children are wanting to connect in the online world learn more in our previous blog here.

Every child grows at their own pace

“Popcorn is prepared in the same pot, in the same heat, in the same oil, and yet, the kernels do not pop at the same time. Don’t compare your child to other children. Their turn to pop is coming.” – Anonymous 

Every child grows at their own pace, and that’s okay! That’s what makes us unique! Our theme at Explore and Soar, ‘Community for Wellbeing’, is not just about helping the children we work with build community, but also about being a part of your parenting community. If you are really concerned about your child’s social skills, reach out to us. We offer individual and group programmes that could support your child. You’re not alone in this journey. 

With patience, support, and a willingness to nurture these essential skills, you are giving your child the foundation they need to thrive in the world around them. Keep showing up, keep supporting, and trust that you are making a meaningful difference in your child’s life — and in the lives of those they connect with along the way.

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, 
Ciara

PUBLISHED APRIL 2025

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Emotional Regulation – Community for Wellbeing

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EMOTIONAL REGULATION – COMMUNITY FOR WELLBEING

Familiarising the team

In my role as Clinical Manager, I love to go out and see clients with our team, supporting both our families and our therapists. Over the past few weeks, I have been out and about in some of our local towns meeting and working with clients – some new and some more familiar to me. A couple of our newest clinical team members are also new to these areas so it has been great to familiarise them with some key locations in our towns – such as great parks or coffee shops to work in between sessions.

Strategies I use to regulate my emotions in unfamiliar surroundings

Bringing all this a little closer to home, I started thinking about the many different strategies that I use when I am accessing a place, new or familiar, to be able to support my regulation. It can be overwhelming sometimes, and I use these strategies to avoid becoming flustered or unable to participate in the activity that I want or need to do.

There is a certain level of uncertainty or anxiety that can come from unfamiliar key features within our environment – including but not limited to; knowing where the nearest toilet is, remembering how to get out of the shopping centre, locating my car, where the safest place for me to go is if I feel uncomfortable or worried, knowing how I can describe my location to a 000 operator if there is an emergency.

All of these things are examples of what I do automatically to help me regulate my thoughts, feelings and emotions when I enter a new shopping centre or drive into a new town.

How many strategies or things can you think of that you do in similar situations?

Imagine what it is like for our children when they may already be struggling to understand the world around them due to sensory processing challenges? Or those children that get overwhelmed by lots of noise or lots of people moving around them? As a team, we hear the challenges that our families can face when participating in their community. We hear stories around the daily adaptations parents are making to support their child in co-regulating when out in the community. 

Check out some of our go to strategies for supporting emotions:
EMOTIONAL REGULATION & TOOLS TO SUPPORT OUR EMOTIONS

Here are some simple strategies we can use to support our children to regulate with us when we access the community:

  • Ask your child to remember one key feature near the entry to the shopping centre to locate how to get back to your car. 
  • Give your child a role in helping you complete the essential tasks you need to do. I make a list of all the places and things we need to do and they become the chief ticker of the list. 
  • Timing: try to book appointments when you know you have been able to give your child plenty of warning and preparation time or for younger children, after nap times. I have always found if I spring an appointment on my children it normally sours quickly. When I have no choice but to book the unexpected, I need to take the time to explain why it has to be done now. 
  • Snacks: pack some snacks or know where you can access quick food so that the hangrys do not take over. Also make sure you take a drink too!
  • Games and activities: one of my favourite things to do when we go out for dinner is to take a card game, pens and small notebooks with us. A quick game of Spot It or Naughts and Crosses can help to break up and distract them from the waiting time for their meals. It is also a chance to connect with our kids without the pressure of conversation. Another simple game is to count the trucks that go by the window. 

What if there are difficulties with transitions? Check out our previous blog with even more suggestions on supporting emotions in transitions: MASTERING EMOTIONAL REGULATION DURING TRANSITIONS

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, 
Lori

PUBLISHED MARCH 2025

Latest Posts

Thriving Together: Building Your Parenting Community and Networks

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 THRIVING TOGETHER: BUILDING YOUR PARENTING COMMUNITY AND NETWORKS

Have you ever felt alone in your parenting journey, searching for meaningful connections and parenting support that truly understand your experience?

Parenting support is essential for building strong relationships and finding encouragement along the way. Whether you’re navigating sleepless nights, behavioural challenges, or simply the daily stress of raising children, having a solid support network can make all the difference.

The Impact of a Smaller Circle

As adults, whether parents or not, we often find that our support networks and the people around us tend to change. From my perspective, they tend to get smaller.

When our support networks get smaller, they can become more impactful. There can be more depth, and the support can be exactly what we need in those moments.

Many things can change or shift our support network and those around us. These could include moving to a new location, outgrowing different friendships, or experiencing and moving through different life milestones, such as starting a family. 

Parenting Support: Navigating Friendships in Parenthood

When we begin the journey of parenthood, it has a whole different impact on support. Suddenly, our friendships and community around you matter in a new way and with new meaning, and the level of support can change from an occasional text message to needing people close by and in your corner more frequently. Parenting can be a lonely, extremely challenging and yet a rewarding adventure. One that I don’t believe any of us are truly prepared for until we are in the depths of parenting. 

Parenting Support Helps You Build a Community

When talking to other parents, a theme that commonly comes up is: how do we build our community around us when we are a parent with a child who may be struggling or feel lonely or isolated? We all crave social connections and to feel heard and seen by having safe people in our corner, but on the other hand, reaching out, connecting with other parents and feeling vulnerable in this space can be quite anxiety-provoking and open us up to feeling judged, criticised and the parent guilt of “what did I do…”, when there are already so many places in our communities that make us feel like that. Just like going to the grocery store to get a couple of items is not always a simple or easy experience, neither is school. 

Carving Out Time for Yourself

It’s essential to carve out time for ourselves, to breathe, and to find moments of stillness amidst the chaos. In these moments, we want you to know: we hear you, and we see you. Parenting is hard and, at times, extremely isolating and lonely. We can often internalise so many feelings inside us as well as having little time for ourselves.

Recharging and Recognising the Challenge

We want to remind you that finding a time to yourself, to not be touched, to not have to answer a million questions or navigate sibling rivalry, but to find moments of stillness amidst the chaos to give back to yourself is so important. 

Don’t get me wrong — our children are our biggest teachers, giving us the most joy in this world. However, we also acknowledge the other side, the toll that parenting can take on our mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. 

Here are a few practical steps you can take to find that connection:

  1. Find Local Community Groups: There are a range of different parent-child groups within your local community that provide opportunities for you to connect with other parents of children of similar ages. This is a great way to build a parenting support system while also engaging your child in social activities. These include playgroups (playgroupnsw.org.au) and activities at the town library.
  2. Connect with Other Parents: Reach out to the parents of your child’s friends to determine if they suit your personality and slowly build your support network.
  3. Engage with Coworkers: If you are working, build a connection with your work colleagues who understand work-life commitments and the demands of juggling both. Consider organising lunch break chats to support one another.
  4. Take 5 Minutes: Set aside some time each day for yourself. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in silence, take a minute to breathe, no scrolling, and have time to decompress and recharge. 
  5. Join our Parent/Caregiver Group: At Explore and Soar, we will be holding a Parent/Caregiver Group every second Thursday of each month. Connect with other parents and enjoy activities like doing a puzzle, colouring or going for a coffee and walk; each month, the activity will be tailored to what the group wants to do. A fabulous and FREE way to connect with others in the Hunter region. We will have catchups in Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Branxton and Singleton throughout the year. Check our website for details and to register today!
  6. See the Benefits with a Wellbeing Planner: Jess Rodgers has designed a Wellbeing Planner for you and your entire family to use over the course of 12 months to either individually or as a family work on set goals and work towards improving your wellbeing in 8 different areas. This is an excellent opportunity for you as a family to sit down and set out some goals to achieve together while ensuring the family is on the same page and sharing activities, bringing joy and connection. Check here for more information
  7. Engage Online: Join positive, supportive, and inclusive online community groups. Connecting online can enhance your experience and help you feel less isolated.

At Explore and Soar, we focus on building supportive communities for families in our local regions. It’s essential to prioritise both your well-being and the well-being of your family while enjoying connections with others to maintain mental health and overall well-being. 

We’d love to hear about any other fantastic community or networking ideas you have so we can continue sharing valuable resources within our community.

Remember, being together, sharing life experiences, and supporting one another will strengthen us.

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, 
Jess

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2025

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Welcome to 2025: A Year of Community and Wellbeing!

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Girl Enjoying the outdoors - promoting community wellbeing

WELCOME TO 2025: A YEAR OF COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING!

Welcome to 2025: Explore and Soar is focused on community wellbeing!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Welcome to 2025! As we step into this new year, we’re thrilled to kick off our January School Holiday Group Programs and Intensives, starting January 13th. We can’t wait to see you all there!

Our Annual Theme: Community for Wellbeing

This year, Explore and Soar is focusing on community wellbeing by fostering strong connections within our local communities.

For us, being an active part of both the Explore and Soar and Occupational Therapy communities enriches our connections, support, and resilience, allowing us to provide the best practices for our clients and families. This highlights the importance of communities remaining connected to promote our collective wellbeing.

Every member of our Explore and Soar team is part of their own community outside of work—whether through hobbies, volunteering, or local activities. This community provides them with joy and support. When you think about “Community for Wellbeing,” what comes to mind for you?

What Does Community Mean to Us?

A community can be defined in many ways. While it’s more commonly known as a ‘geographical location or place of residence’, at its core, it’s about relationships that bind people together.

In occupational therapy, there are many definitions of community, but this one stands out for us:

“to do something that cannot be easily done in isolation

(Scaffa, 2001, Pg.8)”

It highlights that the basis of a community is in the relationships of people who come together. A community built around wellbeing thrives when its members come together to share values and cultures and support each other. For us, engaging in our community through jobs, schooling, sporting activities, volunteering, shopping locally, or advocating for community improvements (such as new parks or pathways) are just a few ways we can connect and support one another to achieve common goals.

When we contribute to something meaningful and can use our unique skills and talents within our community, we not only find joy but also enhance our contribution and connection within our community to help improve our health and, ultimately, our wellbeing. 

Understanding Wellbeing

Wellbeing is a personal and multifaceted journey. It is defined by what, how, and where each person is in a positive state. Wellbeing encompasses many aspects of our lives: Occupational/Work, Emotional, Financial, Social, Environmental, Intellectual, Spiritual, and Physical health. Each of these elements plays a vital role in our overall wellbeing, helping us find purpose, contribute, and find meaning in what we do.

When we actively work towards improving our wellbeing, we improve our health and enhance our everyday lives, by finding more motivation and meaning to keep going. 

Now, don’t get me wrong — improving our wellbeing isn’t always easy. It requires consistency, support, and adaptation. Some days, I find balance; other days, I need to focus on my social connections or my physical health. 

It is important to remember that everyone’s version of wellbeing and where they find meaning is unique, and that’s perfectly okay!

Building Connections for Your Wellbeing

Where can you start building connections to enhance your wellbeing? Consider your current relationships. Do they bring you joy, and are they conducive to my wellbeing? What areas could you improve? Reflect on the time you can dedicate to nurturing these connections.

These are all great starting points to direct yourself towards where you want to start building these relationships. 

Here are some great ways to enhance your wellbeing through connection:

  • Volunteer at your child’s school to meet other parents and teachers – This is both rewarding and helps build connections.
  • Say hello to someone who walks at the same time as you are taking a morning stroll – Connect over shared interests.
  • Join a group or activity that sparks your interest.
  • Sign up for a local team sport to enjoy camaraderie and physical activity.

Building relationships in your local community can significantly enhance your community wellbeing, helping you achieve a more balanced life.

Explore and Soar’s Commitment to Connection

At Explore and Soar, we are deeply committed to supporting our local communities and fostering meaningful connections. To learn more about our team, values, and the work we do to enhance community wellbeing, we invite you to visit our About page and discover how we’re making a difference in the lives of our clients and families.

Some ways we do this are:

  • We have continued to develop group programs to support our clients in socialising and engaging in fun activities with children of similar ages, consistently offering these opportunities within our local community in Branxton.
  • We have attended local community events and school expos. 
  • We have sponsored local sporting associations. 
  • Education has also been our way to connect. Volunteering our time to offer online and in-person educational talks to parents of children transitioning into Kindergarten and teacher education and training to further enhance their connection with our clients within the classroom and playground environments. 

Exciting New Initiatives!

We are continually creating opportunities for our clients and their families to connect, share their lived experiences, empathise, and feel supported in their communities.

This year, we’re excited to announce the launch of a Parent and Caregiver Support Group. Join us for coffee, conversation, and connection in a warm, welcoming environment. Keep an eye out for details in the coming weeks.

We cannot wait to see you there!!

Tracking Your Wellbeing Journey

Our own Jess Rodgers has been working behind the scenes to develop a Wellbeing Planner designed to help track goals and wellbeing progress. This planner originated during the rapid changes of 2020-2021 when Jess realised she needed a way to stay accountable and look after her health and wellbeing. 

Jess created a Wellbeing Planner to achieve this goal!

Our Explore and Soar team will utilise this Wellbeing Planner throughout the year to support our journeys and remain accountable for our health and wellbeing to ensure we are happy, healthy, and present to support you, our clients, and our families. And we’re thrilled to offer it to you as well.

If you’d like to join us on this journey, purchase your Wellbeing Planner today. With the new Wellbeing Planner, we hope this will help our clients track and improve their health through intentional goal-setting.

Wellbeing Planner for sale - https://www.jessrodgers.com.au/

We look forward to being part of our community this year, providing support, education, and engagement for all our clients and families.

By focusing on community wellbeing, we hope to inspire you to start building meaningful connections, too!

Stay tuned for exciting events and monthly blogs filled with valuable information just for you!

Until next time, 
Jess and the Explore and Soar Team

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2024

References

  • Hyett, N., McKinstry, C. E., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2015). Community-centred practice: Occupational therapists improving the health and wellbeing of populations. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(5-8).
  • Scaffa, M. (Ed.). (2001). Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Practice Settings. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

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