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Growing Hands-On Kids

Growing Hands-On Kids

Child Development Tips, Tools, and Strategies

You are here: Home / Sensory & Behavior / H is for Heavy Work Ideas for Kids

H is for Heavy Work Ideas for Kids

February 26, 2015 By Heather Greutman 1 Comment

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What is heavy work? Learn about some great heavy work ideas for kids.

Affiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.

I am very excited to have Dayna of the very successful blog, Lemon Lime Adventures guest posting in the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series here on GRB. Dayna is sharing with us some great heavy work ideas for kids. Be sure to check out the amazing download she has for you all too!

I am excited to be sharing with you today about the illusive “heavy work”. You might have heard the term thrown around, you might have never heard of it. Whatever the case, I think it is an extremely useful tool that all parents and educators should know.

What is heavy work? Learn about some great heavy work ideas for kids.

What is Heavy Work?

Just like adults, children need to be able to calm their bodies and self-regulate. Not all children can do this on their own, however, which is why heavy work is so important. Heavy work is any activity which requires you to use your muscles and joints, putting pressure on them as you move. It provides your body with necessary proprioceptive input to self-regulate.

What are the benefits of Heavy Work?

  • Generally Helps Organize the Brain
  • Can be Calming
  • Alerts Children Before Mental Work
  • Improves Attention
  • Helps with Body Awareness
  • Strengthens Muscle Tone

What does Heavy Work look like?

Heavy work can be done through a variety of activities. One misconception is that heavy work involves something “heavy”. Think of it as heavy weight bearing activities on ANY of your joint and muscles. This can include chewing, cutting, writing, squeezing, pushing, carrying and pulling.

Heavy work is great for all children, not just children with sensory processing disorder. In fact, heavy work is AWESOME in the classroom, at home or out and about. I've included some of my absolute favorite heavy work activities!

10 Brain Break Exercises – Growing Hands-On Kids

Simple Activities for Kids that Jump and Climb – Growing Hands-On Kids

Simple and Fun Animal Walks – Lemon Lime Adventures

 

Brain Breaks that Really Work – Lemon Lime Adventures

Chores that Help Calm and Focus {free printable} – Lemon Lime Adventures

Click to download

Simple Tools to Encourage Heavy Work

project sensory

Project Sensory is dedicated to increasing sensory awareness for all children and empowering children to be their best self. Many of the tools available in the Sensory Fix toolkit are great for encouraging simple heavy work activities. Besides the backpack itself, some of our favorite items are the DoGo putty, the Stress Ball, and the Water Bottle with bite valve.

 

Dayna is a National Board Certified teacher, with over 12 years of experience in early childhood education, who now homeschools her 3 children, one of which struggles with Sensory Processing Disorder. She is the author at Lemon Lime Adventures and owner of Project Sensory, where she is dedicated to sharing real life stories with parents and educators about the pretty and the not so pretty days involved in raising children. You can connect with Dayna over on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and G+!

For more sensory play ideas, be sure to follow my sensory fun Pinterest board and keep up with the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series.

Follow Heather G. | Golden Reflections Blog ‘s board Sensory Fun on Pinterest.

The A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids from therapists, teachers, parents, and kid bloggers.

 

Sharing with: Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Living Montessori Now, Hip Homeschool Moms, 3 Boys and a Dog

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Filed Under: Sensory & Behavior Tagged With: Gross Motor

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CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.
Do not rely on the information on the Website as an alternative to advice from your medical professional or healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website. All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only.
All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY The Website was developed strictly for informational purposes. You understand and agree that you are fully responsible for your use of the information provided on the Website. Growing Hands-On Kids makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees. You understand that results may vary from person to person. Growing Hands-On Kids assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear on the Website.

Comments

  1. Samantha @ Stir the Wonder says

    May 9, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    Great ideas! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you join us again next week!

    Reply

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