Uncategorized – Active Play Therapies

17 Mar

Screen Time

Ok this has sat in my drafts since June 2025. I guess I was a bit scared to press publish in case by the time I put it out there we were back to daily hours of screens. But I can thankfully confirm, we’re still very Low Screens here. Not screen free. But maybe once or twice a week, which from where we were is a big old U turn! And this includes TV, our phones, tablets. Anything. The TV was our biggest one, and tablets have never been a big thing here yet. My other half Mike works in computer gaming, so gaming is certainly in the kids future but right now when their brains are so little, it just doesn’t feel the right time for us. So here goes…..

📺✨SCREEN TIME✨📺

Oh no. Not another thing to feel guilty about.I know. I have the overwhelming mum guilt too. This isn’t a post about how you have to do what I do, or how if you don’t copy me then everything will be terrible.It is however, what we have been doing the last 3 weeks in my house. If someone else told me they did this a month ago, I’d scroll past, muttering about unrealistic expectations and feeling annoyed at them. So, bear in mind, this is not a “do what I do” post. I know from years of working with incredible families that it is impossible to know what anyone is going through at any one moment in time, and right now may not be the time to change.So, that being said, I present to you…. WEEK 3 OF VERY MINIMAL SCREENS. (For my children. Not me. I’m not superhuman. And also typing on my phone right now). It may be by the time of pressing publish on this, my children are once again an hour into Paw Patrol with no end in sight 🙈. But, take your wins where you can, and this is ours right now.The other week, me and my other half attended a talk by GP, and PAPAYA advocate, Dr Helen Thomas. It was a wake up call. It was geared to children older than mine (3 and 6 years) using social media and playing games, which my children don’t do yet. But it made me reassess what I was modelling around them. I constantly feel I need to put my phone down and connect more with the life right in front of me. But also, so much of my connection to the outside world lies in my phone (there is a poem by the incredible @lorynbrantz that speaks to my soul about this). The stat that shocked me most was that there’s a decrease of 70% of children experiencing injuries from the outside world like breaking an arm from falling out of a tree. And now 90% of all children’s hospital admissions is for mental health. 90%. It’s shocking and awful and heartbreaking. But it doesn’t apply to me right? Because my kids are just watching TV in my control.Fast forward to the next day. My toddler woke up from his nap crying as per usual. Crying for Paw Patrol. Crying to watch it on TV. Usually, I’d put it on, cuddle up with him on my lap and let him watch an episode whilst he woke up and regulated so we could turn it off and get on with the rest of our afternoon. But I didn’t put it on. He was livid. Confused. Angry and sad.I realised in this moment, he was relying on the TV to regulate his emotions. And not just this moment. “I watch Pawtrol on TV” had become his catchphrase for any big emotion. Sad? Paw patrol. Angry? Frustrated? Bored? Paw Patrol. Of course we don’t always put it on (honest!), but he did always ask and often to the point I’d give in because I just _need_ to cook dinner (and attempting something healthier than nuggets and chips because, another layer of mum guilt, which takes more time).I spoke to him about “big tummy breaths”. Which bless him, he tried. It was so cute and so sad to see him taking his big breaths with his hands on his tummy. (Thanks to my lovely friend who recommended the ‘What to do when you feel like hitting’ book by Cara Goodwin, which had already started laying some seeds for him). It didn’t quite cut it. I offered cuddles, a puzzle, reading a book. Nothing. He was trying to calm but it just felt too big for him.Eventually I suggested we go and find our cat and this was the magic switch. We went outside and sat on the back step. The outside air, cat nowhere to be seen, seemed to change it up enough for him to get his breath and calm. And then he cuddled on my lap and our cat came out from her hiding place. This probably took 10 minutes but it felt like a lifetime. (More so for my other half trying to work from our office! It was a very noisy and sad 10 minutes) But I felt like it was a real turning point. Not for my son who repeatedly asked again for Paw Patrol, but for me.So, over May half term, we went away for a weekend where the TV remained off. It was so nice that we just haven’t turned ours on since at home other than on a couple of occasions. The requests for TV, although still present, are SIGNIFICANTLY less which is such a welcome relief.At first, I thought that it may be that it was lucky timing with half term where I wasn’t working, and my other half only worked 2 days. I predicted when I went back to work, the TV would make a dramatic reintroduction. But so far, it hasn’t.Initially, when we were both off, when one of us has cooked dinner, the other played with the kids. Without our phones. They’re now playing more with their toys independently. Half term was an expensive week. But we also went to the park, flew our kite, blew giant bubbles, played with playdoh, made our train set, ran around the garden and got the kids more involved with food prep again.I’ve felt less guilt because I know screens aren’t a healthy crutch. They’re addictive and the rate of change when watching a program is so fast that real life feels boring in comparison. But they are part of our life. I know in school my daughter will likely be watching Numberblocks in class and little videos to support lessons and that’s not the end of the world.Our children can and do quickly forget how to play, how to self occupy, how to emotionally regulate, without relying on screens. But they can learn and adjust. So if you need to hear this, could you try a screen holiday sometime? Even for an afternoon and evening. If this just doesn’t feel possible, then don’t worry. If you’ve read this far, it may be that sometime in the future, it will feel possible. If you do feel your child is using screens to regulate with, do check in and see what other strategies they have available to them. Co-regulating with a trusted other person is a pre-requisite to self-regulation, but I’m wondering if sometimes screens are replacing our connection to others in these moments.If your child needs help in learning regulation strategies, and you feel you need extra support, we’re always here to help too. Feel free to DM me or email hello@activeplaytherapies.com# #screentime #papaya #screenfree #parenting

30 Jun

Thoughts from a Sleep Deprived Therapist

Originally published on Sensory Integration Education on 26 February 2024.

In this month’s Thoughts From a Therapist article, Anna Willis, Occupational Therapist and Advanced Practitioner in Sensory Integration, looks at the sensory aspects of sleep and the emotional and cognitive impact on everyone involved.

Ah, a good night’s sleep. Something I’ve been dreaming of (ironically!) since the end of pregnancy. My little one is now 15 months old and yet to treat us to sleeping through the night. It’s got me thinking about the sensory aspects of sleep and the emotional and cognitive impact on everyone involved.

Our health visitor is now starting to work with a sleep specialist for us. She showed me an image of a circus tent, likening the aspects needed for sleep as the ropes holding the tent up. One being ‘environment’ which as an OT, I have already spent a long time considering from a sensory perspective. The black-out blinds are up, the white noise is on (then off another night because maybe it’s too loud (?!), then on again the next and repeat), the heating is perfected to 18 degrees, the sleeping bag is tog matched to the chart, the routine is in place and I’ve perfected my dull yet reassuring “It’s sleepy time now” statement.

Oh, and the amount of money I have spent on gadgets that will get my toddler to sleep is verging on horrifying. I’m looking at you Sooth ‘n’ Snuggle Otter, Starlight Polar Bear, Wubbanub, funny mattress vibrating Zed thing, Merino wool sleeping bag, silky comfort blankets, a myriad of dummies (all of which are rejected), soft toys with the “right” squishiness, soothing sleep music apps…! So the environment has been well and truly OT-ed to the max.

Which has got me thinking. Of all the equipment recommendations we give. Of the information we impart. If sleep is involved – it’s a whole new level of desperation for it to work. And also a whole new level of brain fog for clients, parents or caregivers to cope with. Implementing new things on top of sleep deprivation is hard. Doing anything that may result in less sleep seems almost painful.

So if your clients mention poor sleep (which a lot of our sensory friends do struggle with), bear in mind if they or their caregivers are also sleep-deprived as a result, they are likely to need more concrete things to work on. Write things down. Keep it simple. And keep the equipment recommended as brief as possible to avoid them buying everything in desperation (ahem).

Right, I’m off to Google more things to buy that will guarantee me a good night’s sleep!

Sweet dreams,

Anna

Thoughts From a Therapist is a regular series written by Advanced SI Practitioner Anna Willis about something that piqued her professional interest or inspired her in some way over the last month. Anna, an occupational therapist and owner of Active Play Therapies, has over ten years of experience working with children and adults with a range of learning disabilities and autism.

31 May

DIY Crash Pad

This soft, lumpy crash pad is an absolute hero of rough and tumble play. Got a little one who likes to leap off high places? The crash pad is here to help. It helps challenge balance, it’s an interesting tactile experience and it provides a rustle-free crash landing (unlike beanbags that tend to make quite a noise! As well as not being that soft to land on when the fabric is at it’s maximum stretch).

Crash pad - medium — Crash pad made with a single duvet

Crash pad - large — Crash pad made with a single duvet

So… To make the crash pad you will need:

Zippable allergy duvet protector (single duvet is fine but double if you want to go giant!) (Link as an example) Zipped is key! Don’t get one with buttons or poppers – you need the zip to hold all the foam in.
Duvet cover (in whatever colours and patterns you/ your little person likes) – in whatever size your duvet protector is.
Lots of foam offcuts (I sourced some for free from a local Upholstery business – they often have offcuts they would like to go to use)
Bread knife
Scissors

Instructions

I lay out all the foam pieces to check for any pins. I also used a fabric cleaning spray to make sure all the pieces were clean.

2. Open your duvet protector and hang it somewhere so it’s open – this makes it easier to throw all the foam pieces in as you cut them.

3. I cut the foam outside – it creates lots of mess so it was easier to sweep up this way. I used a combination of tearing some pieces with my hands, using a bread knife, and scissors for thinner pieces. In terms of size, I cut them up to about the same size pieces as the length of my scissors. You can cut them smaller or larger depending on whether you want it more or less lumpy! The smaller you cut, the more foam you’ll need.

*Bread knife and scissors – cut the foam up*

4. As I cut, I threw all the foam pieces into the zippable duvet protector. Once all the pieces are in there, zip it up!

5. Now wrestle your giant crash pad into the outer duvet case – put the zipped end in first so it’s not at the end with the duvet opening (this is to prevent curious fingers unzipping the inner protector and foam going everywhere!) Ta da! You did it!

31 May

Bouncy Barrel

DIY Bouncy Barrel

This came about when I was trying to create a Movement Space/ Sensory Gym in a Junior school. I really wanted a soft play barrel to add to the space, but these were around £500 each which was out of the budget.

So – this easy, no sew bouncy barrel does the job brilliantly!

Barrels are great therapeutic tools. They give lots of proprioceptive, tactile and vestibular input. They challenge motor planning and bilateral integration and provide great escape spaces with a blanket over the top.

Bear in mind the method below means you CANNOT access the valves easily, so don’t make this if you want to inflate and deflate your tyre barrel regularly. Unless you’re OK with the valves sticking out, but it makes them a bit unsafe for vigorous play as there’s hard pokey bits in the area you’ll be rolling around in.

Inner tubes are also just great play objects without being made into a barrel too – they can be bounced on, into, through, stacked and used for all sorts of fun, so they can be repuprposed if needed also.

ALLERGIES: Also, please be aware that I believe inner tubes often contain latex, so these won’t be suitable for people with latex allergies.

Ingredients for 1 Bouncy Barrel:

3x 20” inner tubes (or around 20”) (You could also use 4 or 5 tyres to make an even bigger barrel!)

2m Lycra

Thick foam (I used soft foam and firm foam for extra security.)

Gaffa tape

Scissors

Glue gun (optional, only if using 2 types of foam)

Instructions

Inflate your tyres – you’ll probably need to take them to a garage tyre pump unless you happen to have a special pump at home. Bear in mind these tyres are BIG! So only inflate all of them if you have enough room in your car.

2. Securely Gaffa tape the valves down sideways.

3. Cut out a small square of soft foam, just bigger than the valves. Cut a larger square out of the soft foam and glue gun these together. (Or you can just use one layer of firm foam – I used two for extra safety!)

4. Gaffa tape the foam over the top of the valves securely. You’ll want to use lots – I completely covered the foam so it didn’t look like a tempting thing to try and access!

*More Gaffa taping! Covering the foam completely*.

5. When you’ve got all the valves securely covered, stack them on top of each other. Get your Lycra and wrap it round the tyres. Tie two sides of the fabric together at the top and the bottom, leaving some spare fabric before the corners. As you tie the knots, pull the fabric taut around the tyres so it holds them together. Tie the fabric together in the middle where there will now be a gap also. You can now put the corners through the centre of the tyres and tie the top to the bottom so there’s some lycra covering the inside also.
This is just a guide to how I knotted it – but anything that holds the tyres together is fine!

6. Enjoy playing in your new bouncy barrel!

Roooolll!