Medically reviewed by Esti Naim, OTR/L — written by PLAYWORK.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting a person’s ability to move and maintain balance. It can be defined based on the body parts it affects and based on the brain injury location. Since, in most cases, the issue occurs during pregnancy or birth, there are a lot of children with CP that require special attention. Some of the symptoms are poor coordination, stiff muscles, tremors, and more.
While CP can limit some activities, playing games is an excellent way to improve the skills and increase motoric functions as much as possible. Enrolling your child in play therapy using proper toys will bring its abilities to a higher level.
Adaptive Toys And Games For Children With CP
While regular toys may be a bit of a hassle since they usually require fine motor skills, having adaptive toys is much more convenient and fun for those with CP. Not just that children will be able to play, but also to develop some skills and get to know the world around them.
Here are just some benefits of using adaptive toys:
Babies will get to know the world around them and adapt to it
Toddlers will have a chance to practice and improve different motor skills
Throughout their development stage, older children are expected to improve motor and cognitive skills with game interactions.
Some of the best-recommended toys for children with CP are kinetic sand, a trampoline, blocks, paint sets, and musical instruments.
Children will practice squeezing, pressing, rolling, smashing, building, creative thinking, and more by using kinetic sand. Trampoline will help them work on their balance and motor skills. Stacking blocks will benefit not just motor skills but with patience and creativity, as well as a paint set. Musical instruments are there for coordination practice as well as mood improvement.
Using Smart Balls For Children With CP
One of the methods we’ve recently discovered to help those with cerebral palsy would be a smart ball.
It’s a medical tool used for physical therapy, occupational therapy, coordination improvement, practicing motor skills, and more.
Since it’s an interactive way of exercising, it may stimulate your children to try more and interact more. The ball is connected to a monitor that tracks down results and gives information about progress.
Besides, it contains a package of games among which you can choose those most suitable for the condition. Squishing, squeezing, rolling, practicing fine motoric skills, balancing the ball are just some of the things your child may enjoy in the most fun way.
Every exercise is monitored and can be shared with experts as well for consulting and finding tailor-made therapy for every patient. As we already said, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders, and each of them requires a different approach. Having fun and practicing simultaneously is something that every child needs while given the opportunity to socialize and communicate with others in a similar situation. Adopting this type of therapy can only be beneficial for those involved.
Learn More: rehab ball, rehabilitation ball, hand exercise ball, therapy ball