Have you noticed that your child loves to jump, crash, spin, climb, or wrestle? Or maybe they avoid swings, dislike climbing, or become overwhelmed with movement.
Some children are constantly on the go. Others seem tired, flat, or hard to engage.
These patterns are often linked to sensory processing —how your child’s body and brain takes in movement information, makes sense of it, and responds. In many ways, your child’s movement and behaviour are communicating what their body needs.
At Ocean Kids Health, our Paediatric Physiotherapist team supports families to understand these patterns and choose activities that help children feel calmer, comfortable, and more confident.
What are sensory needs?
Sensory needs describe the type and amount of sensory input a child’s nervous system needs to feel organised, calm, and ready to engage.
Some children need more. Some need less. Some children fall in between. Sensory needs can change with fatigue, stress, hunger, illness, or busy environments.
A helpful way to think about this is imagining your child has different sensory cups.
- If a cup is too empty, the body may seek more input.
- If a cup is too full, the body may try to avoid input.
When cups are out of balance, you might notice changes in behaviour, attention, movement, or emotions.
The Body Awareness Sense (Proprioception)
If your child seeks more input from their muscles and joints, you may notice they:
- Love crashing into people or furniture
- Have trouble sitting still or staying in one place
- Enjoy rough-and-tumble play
- Chew on clothing or objects
- Use too much or too little force
With the right amount of deep pressure or heavy work (push, pull, carry, lift), your child can feel more grounded, organised, and secure. Your Paediatric Physiotherapist can help you find the right activities.
Physio Top Tips:
Try activities such as:
Carrying groceries, pushing a laundry basket, animal walks, climbing, hanging from monkey bars, jumping on a crash mat, scooter boards, or weighted blankets.
Try short, frequent movement breaks
The Movement and Balance Sense (Vestibular)
If your child seeks more movement-based input (such as motion, speed, or balance), you may notice they:
- Jump frequently
- Love running
- Are often in constant motion
- Seek out spinning activities
Physio Top Tips:
Try activities such as:
- Swinging, rocking, sliding, jumping, spinning, and climbing on monkey bars.
- Choose slow, rhythmic movement to help calm and settle the nervous system.
- Choose faster or more intense movement to help “wake up” the body and improve focus.
Find activities they like and experiment
After an activity, ask:
- Are they calmer?
- More organised?
- Or more unsettled?
Use this information to guide next time.
How we can help
Our Paediatric Physiotherapy team work with families to understand each child’s unique sensory patterns and provide practical strategies for home, kinder, and school.
You may benefit from support if:
- You’re unsure what your child’s body is asking for
- Regulation challenges affect daily life
- Safety is a concern
- Your child avoids many movement experiences
- You’d like to build confidence with water or swimming (hydrotherapy)
If you’d like guidance, a Paediatric Physiotherapist at Ocean Kids Health is here to help.
View out helpful parent/carer handout here.
References
Guardado, K. E., & Sergent, S. R. (2023). Sensory Integration. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559155/
Hannant, P., Gartland, R., Eales, H., & Mooncey, S. (2023). A tool to profile neural, sensory and motor development in children at school entry, identifying possible barriers to learning and emotional well‐being in early childhood. Support for Learning, 38(4), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12455
Justanti, C., Peristiowati, Y., & Nurwijayanti, N. (2025). The Effect of Sensory Integration and Treadmill Therapy on Sensory and Behavioral Improvement in Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research, 7(2), 931–936. https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v7i2.5698
Meeks, M., Crasta, J. E., & Sheridan, E. (2024). Effects of Play-Based Sensory Interventions on Self-Regulation in Preschoolers With Developmental Conditions: A Systematic Review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(Supplement_2), 7811500270p1-7811500270p1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.78s2-po270
Pountney, T. E. (2007). Physiotherapy for children. Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier.
Van Dalen, T. (2023). Sensory Parenting for Sensory Children. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
