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Follow @playmoreot for tips on nurturing your litt

Follow @playmoreot for tips on nurturing your little one’s play, development and therefore - their full potential 🚀

Comment PLAY SECRETS for a freebie on discovering YOUR child’s play motivations. In this freebie I include my top three questions to unlock a greater understanding of your child’s inner play world 💫 so that you can take steps towards supporting them to be captain of their own play adventures. The freebie is sent directly to your inbox, no email address required 😉

How about that quote at the end of the reel 🙌

In case you missed the first reel in this series, lets unpack what is meant by play schema.

“A play schema, simply stated, is a repeated pattern of behaviour or action that a child engages in to learn more about themselves, their environment, the things in it and how these objects work.” Ferreira, 2021, p.72

Play schema unlocks a world of discovery and wonder for our little ones.

Head over to pages 74 and 102 in my book, Born to Play, to learn more about the disconnecting play schema and ideas for play materials you can provide your little to support their play interests.

Want to grab a copy? Head over to my website if you are based in sunny 🇿🇦 or the link in my bio for 🌎 distribution and shipping options and let’s PlayMore!

Follow @playmoreot for more on nurturing your litt

Follow @playmoreot for more on nurturing your little one’s play, development and full potential. Share this post with a mama, dad or a caregiver of a little one about to start moving or currently learning to crawl.

Traction and early crawling - consider if your home surface or baby’s sweet little outfit may be hindering or supporting their ability to learn and master crawling.

Traction helps our little one’s to get into and sustain a forward motion of crawling versus slipping out of the position (assuming they have all the crawling building blocks in place - see previous reels).

Going pants and socks free can assist with traction and additionally provides our little ones with more sensory input and body feedback as they practice and learn how to coordinate the crawling movement pattern.

Once little one’s build strength, endurance and expertise in this position and coordinate the movement pattern they will zooooom away on varying surfaces and in range of attire. Making sure you also get your daily steps in 😉

Last week I shared a reel on how I am supporting a

Last week I shared a reel on how I am supporting and expanding little bear’s interest in rotation and received questions on why repetition in play is important. Time to bring this post back- Swipe to learn more ☝️

Do you struggle with the “not that again” 🤦🏻‍♀️ thoughts? (it’s okay if you do 😉) There is an important difference in how we expand our children’s play based on THIER interests versus attempting to fix or change it. You can learn more about this and my approach in my book, Born to Play, by visiting the link in my bio.

What “Again, again!” or “Watch this!” phase are you experiencing at the moment?

If you would like to learn more about varying sens

If you would like to learn more about varying sensory processing differences, comment SENSORY DETECTIVE and I’ll send you a freebie (no email address required 😉) to set you on your detective journey.

What a gift it is to have insights into our own, our child and our partner’s varying sensory triggers, needs and preferences.

To be able to advocate for or provide accommodations and sensory tools when required. To utilise strategies to support ourselves and our children to engage and participate to the best of our abilities in play, home and learning environments.

Through understanding varying sensory needs and triggers, we can create lifestyles that support successful participation, allowing us to be the best versions of ourselves. What a gift that is✨

Follow @playmoreot for tips on nurturing your litt

Follow @playmoreot for tips on nurturing your little one’s play, development and therefore - their full potential 🚀

A play schema unlocks a world of discovery and wonder for our little ones. But first you might wonder what I mean by play schemas…

“A play schema, simply stated, is a repeated pattern of behaviour or action that a child engages in to learn more about themselves, their environment, the things in it and how these objects work.” Ferreira, 2021, p.72

Head over to pages 74 and 103 in my book, Born to Play, to learn more about the rotation play schema and ideas for play materials you can provide your little to support their play passion.

Rotation not your little one’s thing, but not sure what it could be? I discuss a list of other play schemes in the book along with developmental and sensory considerations to support your little one to be a captain of their play adventures.

Head over to my website if you are based in sunny 🇿🇦 or the link in my bio for 🌎 distribution and shipping options and let’s PlayMore!

Less Toys = More Play Yup you read that ☝️ co

Less Toys = More Play

Yup you read that ☝️ correctly.

Studies have shown that children:
-Engage in more free play;
-have a deeper sustained focus and longer engagement;
-become less overwhelmed during play;
-process and come up with more inventive play ideas and play scripts;
-play with toys and prompts in novel and interesting ways;
-and...clean up time is reduced when there are less toys in their play space.

It’s a win win all round 🙌

Always consider your child’s play motivation, developmental skill, sensory needs and preferences when it comes to play prompts and setting up an invitation to play. More on this in the weeks to come 👀

Who wants to support more play in their home and school contexts? Comment LET’S PLAY to grab a freebie with 10 tips for play materials to support your little one to be a captain of their own play adventures ✨

Have you noticed a change in behaviour in your chi

Have you noticed a change in behaviour in your child after the initial back to school excitement or were they a bundle of nerves last week and settling in more?

Swipe for more on part 3 and considerations for low demand and regulating play opportunities for children with varying sensory needs☝️

❓🙋🏻‍♀️Are you a school or organisation interested in learning more about supporting varying sensory needs and preferences in your context as part of training this year? I have an on demand course and context specific options - comment or message me SENSORY for more information

Before you finalise this term’s extra murals, RE

Before you finalise this term’s extra murals, READ this ☝️and share with a fellow mama, dad or caregiver who might not have considered these points as yet.

In part ✌️ I share a few considerations when it comes to after school activities or extra murals as we refer to them here in 🇿🇦

Before I get into the discussion I want to add a note on overscheduling:

Let us be mindful to:
-support time and opportunity for free play for ALL ages;
-support time and opportunity for children to regulate themselves according to their individual sensory preferences outside of structured activities and
-to cherish the period of childhood.

I tried to be succinct in this post, but could have used one or two more slides at the end 😋

Over the years I have had interesting conversations with parents around extra murals ranging from overscheduling, child development considerations, social pressures associated with some extra murals choices, identifying and nurturing interests outside of the traditional schooling system and so on…

However, I often found that a child’s sensory bucket sizes, sensory triggers and preferences where not considered when it comes to selecting extra murals. Swipe for more on that ☝️

Share if you experienced an Aha moment and make sure to keep an eye out for Part 3 early next week 👀

Share these back to school tips with a fellow mama

Share these back to school tips with a fellow mama, dad or caregiver and follow @playmoreot for parts 2 and 3 to follow over next two weeks.

Last year’s feedback on the post “I wish I had this information ahead of time” - here you go 🙌 I had a reminder set for this year ahead of back to school week here in 🇿🇦

@littledreambig.co.za have beautifully crafted, fully customisable visual planners if you are still shopping around for one.

🙋🏻‍♀️Which tip/s are you going to include this year?

Follow @playmoreot for more on nurturing your litt

Follow @playmoreot for more on nurturing your little one’s play, development and full potential 🚀Share this post with a mama, dad or a caregiver of a little one about to start moving or currently belly crawling.

Wow I had this reel in my drafts folder from before the festive season break and it’s incredible to see how far he has come - he bow has endurance crawling sessions (haha for both of us 🤣).

Once I noticed little bear’s arms, shoulders and hips strengthened (see previous planking and kneeling reels). We started more play in hands and knees position (also referred to as four point or quadruped position).

➡️ I combined this play position with moving in and out of sitting by placing play materials on either sides of my legs
➡️ Initially he could only sustain short bursts in this position
➡️ As he strengthened and built endurance in this position he would sustain play with an object over my leg for longer periods (pictured with board book)
➡️ I positioned play materials on an angled surface (you can also use a busy board or fold and tilt front of a plastic push walker). This motivated him to lift one hand to engage with the play materials, shifting his weight to one arm only - just as he would when doing a reciprocal crawl. He occasionally still needed support at hips as his legs would slide out at times (see kneeling video for more on this)
➡️ I placed play materials across from my leg, a cushion or soft toy which motivated him to climb across using a reciprocal hands and knees crawling pattern to build and strengthen that movement pattern

Little bear is a sensory seeker who was keen to get moving and exploring asap, that combined with imbalance of hip muscles could have seen him staying or being “stuck” in belly crawling. I wanted him to experience the benefits of hands and knees crawling (see previous reel) by supporting his crawling journey.

Oh boy, has he taken flight!! What a privilege it is to be part of supporting his little play adventures ❤️

“How do I support my baby’s vestibular sensory

“How do I support my baby’s vestibular sensory system without baby swings?” Share this with a mama, dad or caregiver of a high movement needs baby ❤️

Vestibular sensory system = movement sensory system (make sure to go have a 👀 at recent post I did on why this sensory system is important and varying individual sensory preferences and needs)

We can support our baby’s movement system in so many different ways, with our own bodies, baby wearing (which I haven’t pictured here, but if you’ve been following me for a while, you know we both love to do), laundry baskets or boxes, foam roller, towels or blankets and more.

What is important is an understanding of YOUR baby’s movement sensory preferences and needs. My little bear is a high movement needs baby, he has a large sensory movement bucket (in a way you can think of this as his body is hungry for more movement in comparison to other babies). I understand how to regulate his movement needs with regards to amount, type, intensity and frequency of movement input to best support his nervous system. When to include calming input versus alerting input during our day and wake times. Too little or too much movement input can contribute to dysregulation.

Your baby and their cues will give you insights into what their needs and preferences are 🫶 Although some of the ideas in this reel may inspire you, ALWAYS look to YOUR baby, their sensory needs and preferences and respect their body signalling. It can take some time to become a sensory detective, but it is such an empowering process!

Share this post with a mama, dad or a caregiver of

Share this post with a mama, dad or a caregiver of a little one about to start moving, belly crawling or getting ready to pull to stand.

Kneeling play builds strength in the core, hips, glutes and quads - all in preparation and to support crawling, pull to stand, cruising and walking skills.

The kneeling play progression includes:

Short kneeling (bum on legs) ➡️ Tall kneeling (bum in air) ➡️ Half kneeling ➡️ Pull to stand

(We will discuss half kneeling and pull to stand in future posts)

Once baby is proficient with independent sitting you may observe them naturally transitioning into a kneeling position to reach higher play materials.

You can support short kneeling in a similar way as demonstrated for tall kneeling. For strength benefits we want to work towards maintaining tall kneeling.

Tall kneeling challenges balance and requires muscles on front and back of body to cocontract (to work together) to remain upright and prevent them from falling. This position strengthens trunk, hips, glutes and quads - these muscle groups in addition to 💪 (see previous baby planking video) will assist baby to get into and sustain a hands and knees/four point position. With time and practice they will collapse less onto their tummy, I will share more on this hands and knees position this week.

* Ensure play surface (laundry basket, box etc) will not topple over eg consider that back end is against wall or other surface, weighted down or use soft pieces like a play couch.

Baby planking tummy time play position 💪 Save t

Baby planking tummy time play position 💪 Save this reel for your little one’s play adventures or share with a mama, dad or caregiver of a little one.

Little bear continues to be interested in rotation play and always enjoys good splashy fun, so I combined these two with this play invitation. He loved splashing and making ripples in the water with the spinners. See the end of the reel for a dry alternative if splashy fun isn’t on the cards today.

Tummy time on extended arms builds strength in arms and shoulders💪 which will support their crawling adventures as well as strengthening neck and back extensors. Hold finger on screen to pause the reel and read more on how you can adjust your physical support to provide more or less support as they strengthen in this play position.

💦Always supervise your little one closely around water - including small amounts as in this tray. See previous reels on other water play positions from gentle tummy time to seated play.

Have a peek at my tummy time highlight for supporting progression of tummy time from the early newborn days onwards 👩🏽‍🍼

A few signs that you should start baby proofing if

A few signs that you should start baby proofing if you haven’t already - baby will be on the move soon! Many babies start crawling between 6-10 months of age.

As our little one’s work on stability, strength and coordination required for crawling on all fours you may notice: baby planking, “adapted child’s pose” or even face planting as they learn to coordinate pushing themselves up with both their upper and lower bodies at the same time. Later on you will notice them pushing up on all fours, rocking and even crawling in reverse as they work out motor plan and coordination for forward motion.

Some babies army crawl before crawling on all fours/hand and knees, while others go straight to all fours.

Army crawling is not a necessity before crawling on all fours. Babies who are highly explorative and/or sensory seeking may be motivated to get moving and engage in army crawling whilst building strength and coordination in their arms, shoulders, core and hips for crawling on all fours.

It is helpful to keep an eye out that little one is making attempts to push themselves up, get in all fours and working on this position and coordination whilst army crawling.

I will share more on play positions movers enjoy while supporting their arm, shoulder, core and hip development.

Is your baby showing any of these signs?

Starting the crawling series off with a look into

Starting the crawling series off with a look into the benefits associated with the brain-boosting hands and knees or classic crawling milestone (hold screen to read at the end 😉). Crawling on all fours requires the coming together of stability, strength, balance and coordination of various parts of baby’s body.

As little bear’s classic crawl software is still processing (see IG stories 🥹) I used a few stock videos.

What are some of your crawling questions you hope to see covered in this series?

Feeling sensory overwhelm build up, touched out or

Feeling sensory overwhelm build up, touched out or overstimulated, but can’t leave the room or kids to reset your nervous system?

Here are only a few sensory ideas to try out. As mentioned in previous posts, strategies and tools need to match each individual’s sensory preferences and needs - it starts with empowering yourself with knowledge on sensory differences and may take some trial and error as you learn and reflect more on your own, your partner and children’s sensory needs, triggers and preferences.

Many of the suggestions in the reel are based on the proprioceptive or position sensory system. “When in doubt, prop it out” something I am sure you have heard us OTs say on occasion. The proprioceptive or position sense plays an important organising and regulatory role. It calms the nervous system and increases our feel good hormones to name only a few of its benefits here. Deep pressure or heavy muscle work input can help override overstimulated sensory systems such as feeling touched out.

➡️ Chewing gum or eating crunchy or chewy snacks
➡️ Head compressions (interlace fingers, place hands ob top of your head and gently push down)
➡️ Palm pushes and finger joint compressions (place palms together and push towards each hand a few times, release and interlace fingers, gently push towards and pull apart a few times)
➡️ Cupped hand compressions (cup hands, place over eyes - not directly on eyes - and gently push down over eye socket area)
➡️ Lie back against a wall for some added prop input (added bonus it can reduce additional sensory input)

Additionally:
➡️ Reduce or limit sensory input based on your sensory needs and triggers e.g. dimming lights or switching off bright lights, @loopearplugs for noise sensitivities (not pictured here) as there are various options suited to different individual needs, alternatively headphones or noise cancelling headphones.

‼️Only three days left to access my webinar to learn more about your own, your partner and children’s sensory needs, tiggers and preferences as well as strategies for the upcoming festive season! See link in bio☝️

😉 Don’t forget to save this post so you can be reminded of the strategies

Arching baby? Diaper changes and dressing can brin

Arching baby? Diaper changes and dressing can bring on an additional level of discomfort for these babies due to tightness and body tension. Save this reel for later and don’t forget to share with a mama, dad or caregiver that can find this helpful

Frequent body arching can occur due to a range of underlying causes such as babies with reflux, allergies and other gut sensitivities, constipation,tongue and/or lip ties or body and neck tension from time in utero, difficult birth and/or post-birth experiences or limited freedom of movement due to excessive container usage and can be a sign of overstimulation.

If your little one tends to arch their back and have other accompanying symptoms ➡️ I would recommend that you get curious as to underlying causes, discuss with your paediatrician and find additional support.

Although this sequence can help support day to day discomfort associated with back arching, it is important to understand & support the why and underlying causes as well.

This is a snapshot of full sequence
- happy baby rolls and body rocks (5 happy baby rolls followed by a body rock and repeat other side)
- Peekaboo stretches (time hold varies on day and resistance felt)
- Full stretches 10-15

It took us some time before we found a health care professional team that could fully support little bear’s medical needs. We have been managing tongue tie, GERD, IGE and non-IGE allergies and gut bleeding associated with FPIAP, gut sensitivities, anemia and associated constipation from iron protocol which have contributed to back arching.

Management of these underlying causes and support in form of body work through cranio-sacral and visceral therapy for our little bear has seen his back arching lessen over months.

However, as we started our solids journey and iron protocols, which have come with discomfort, gut sensitivity and constipation, he has days where he arches more. I include this (and another sequence specifically for constipation, which I’ll share later in the week) multiple times on those days ❤️

Who else has a baba who back arches?

Part 3 I’m back with my yearly series on how we

Part 3 I’m back with my yearly series on how we can support more cheer than tears during the festive period.

Nope uncle Dave “Let’s go faster, it’ll be fun!” isn’t for everyone…

What I hope you can take away from this post:
➡️ Children have varying movement needs and preferences
➡️ Movement input can have varying effects eg calming versus alerting
➡️ Look out for signs of overwhelm and always respect a child’s verbal and/or body signals

✨If you want to be equipped with strategies for a more cheery than teary festive period and holiday ➡️ My Supporting your and your family’s sensory worlds webinar replay has been extended to 9th December based on your requests✨

Part ✌️I’m back with my yearly series on how

Part ✌️I’m back with my yearly series on how we can support more cheer than tears during the festive period and to add some more 🔥 to those sensitive and/or complicated family dynamics. You’re welcome 💁🏻‍♀️

If you’d like to learn more about
➡️ Your own and your child’s sensory needs
➡️ Your own and your child’s sensory preferences
➡️ What to include in a visual schedule
➡️ How free play supports sensory needs
➡️ Ideas on what to include in an on the go sensory kit
➡️ What are calming and organising sensory strategies
and more…

✨If you want to be equipped with strategies for a more cheery than teary festive period and holiday ➡️ My Supporting your and your family’s sensory worlds webinar will be available until 2nd December ✨

What else would you add to this list? Give me some

What else would you add to this list? Give me some spice in a comment below 😉

I’m back with my yearly series on how we can support more cheer than tears during the festive period and yes to add some more 🔥 to those sensitive and/or complicated family dynamics. You’re welcome 💁🏻‍♀️

Feel free to forward along these posts to your Susan, Jo, Dave or Jim, to get the pre-holidays conversations going.

✨If you want MORE tips to support more cheer than tears as you head into the festive season ➡️ My Supporting your and your family’s sensory worlds webinar will be available until 2nd December ✨

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Online Play Coaching

Discover the magic of child-led play along with practical how to strategies. This is relevant for all caregivers, including parents, early childhood teachers, carers, aupairs, therapists or anyone who would feel that they could benefit from guidance and support in developing children’s play between the ages of 0-8.

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Furthermore, Anandé can be booked for talks to both professionals and parents on various play and child development topics. Please enquire via email.

Assessment and Therapeutic Intervention

Special interest in:

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Sensory integration
Developmental delays
Gross and fine motor development
Visual perceptual development
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