Recently, I had a customer who bought an outdoor play gym from Bubby Cubby, with the intention of using it as a form of extra physical therapy, or physiotherapy for her child with mild Cerebral Palsy or CP. (Not the child in the picture)
Cerebral Palsy has levels of severity and it can range from mild mobility problems to being wheelchair bound or even bed bound. And one of the treatments for children with CP is physiotherapy to achieve improved:
- Coordination
- Balance
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Endurance
- Pain management
- Posture
- Gait
- Overall health
The amount of physical therapy and type will vary with the severity, and ability of each child, and for children with mild CP, having a climbing frame, slides, and ladders all help with the child’s coordination, balance, strength and flexibility.
And it will also help the child gain more confidence in their own physical abilities, which will in turn improve their mental resilience when other challenges present themselves. By being able to practice many of these physical moves with their own play gym in the privacy of their own home, they will also gain more confidence when playing with other children in social settings like playgrounds and in school.
So outdoor kids play gyms can have uses beyond play. They can make therapy fun, and at the same time build physical and mental resilience.
* Source for Physical Therapy and Cerebral Palsy comes from:
1. Cerebral Palsy Guide (https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/treatment/physical-therapy/)
2. CerebralPalsy.org (http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/treatment/therapy/physical-therapy)
** This blog is not medical advice. Please consult your treating physicians or physiotherapists to see if a home play gym will be useful for your child.
Other resources and organisations who provide help and information for parents with children who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy:
1. Cerebral Palsy Group: https://cerebralpalsygroup.com/cerebral-palsy/