Early Intervention through Play: How Everyday Activities Support Your Child’s Development
Author: Kristina Rautek Potocnik, BA (Hons) Ed. Rehab., HDip Early Childhood Studies, MA Early Intervention & Inclusion, Cert. Play Therapy | SI | ASD | Reflexes | ABA, ongoing MSc SLT
Early Intervention through Play: How Everyday Activities Support Your Child’s Development
Early intervention helps young children who have difficulties with daily skills like moving, playing, or communicating. The goal is to support your child so they can take part in daily activities—like eating, dressing, playing, and learning—with more independence and joy.
Each child is different, so early intervention focuses on the individual needs of your child. The therapist watches how your child moves, plays, and responds to the world around them, and chooses fun activities to help build skills step by step. These activities support your child’s motor, sensory, thinking, emotional, and social development.
What skills are supported through early intervention?
Your child’s early intervention program may include:
– Gross and fine motor skills (e.g., crawling, walking, hand use, grasping)
– Sensory processing (e.g., touch, sound, movement, balance)
– Thinking and learning (e.g., attention, memory, problem-solving)
– Social and emotional skills (e.g., playing with others, managing feelings)
– Daily life activities (e.g., feeding, dressing, toileting)
Play is the most important activity in early childhood. It’s how children explore the world, build relationships, and develop their personality. For children with physical or cognitive challenges, play may need to be adapted—but it is just as important.
Children with limited movement or strength, such as those with cerebral palsy, may need specially chosen toys or ways to play that match their abilities. The activities should be safe, engaging, and support both fun and development.
What can parents use at home to support development?
Here are some activity ideas that are easy to try at home:
– Use rattles, sound blocks, squishy toys, or soft balls to build grasp, hand control, and finger strength.
– Try colourful rings or stacking toys to practice hand coordination and moving both arms together.
– Offer toys in different shapes, sizes, and textures to help your child learn about weight, colour, and form.
– Play with dolls to encourage role play and social connection.
– Use play dough or soft clay to support creativity, focus, and hand muscle strength.
– Blow bubbles—let your child watch and reach for them to build eye-hand coordination.
– Use toys with lights or sound to encourage visual tracking.
– Show animal pictures and make matching sounds to help your child focus, look, and imitate.
Music and movement are great motivators—use them to make play more exciting. Keep sessions short and fun. If your child avoids certain tasks, make them into a game and let them choose when to start.
Why is early support important?
Early support helps your child grow with confidence. Children who get help at a young age are more likely to build the skills they need for preschool, home life, and making friends. You are your child’s best partner—your support at home makes a big difference.
If you have questions about your child’s development, don’t wait. A specialist in early intervention can help you understand your child’s needs and give you simple, practical ways to support them through play.
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