~ Balance Disc/Wiggle Seat ~

 4 Ways to Foster Development of Balance, Strength, and Attention! 

This handy therapy tool goes by many names depending on your goal for how to use it! You may hear it called a balance disc, wiggle seat, or wobble cushion! You may see them used by all our therapists in their speech, occupational, and physical therapy sessions!

 

Improving Core Strength: Your child can sit on the balance disc while engaged in play at a table, on the floor, or even on their belly! The wiggling engaged core muscles in the stomach and back to stay up on the cushion!

 

Exercises: Add a challenge to exercises like plank, push ups, or bridges by putting hands or feet on the balance disc!

Improving Attention: Having your child sit on a wiggle seat instead of just the flat chair surface provides a little bit of movement which can help some kids focus better in school and at home. The wobble cushion provides vestibular input, proprioceptive input, and tactile input if the cushion has a texture! This is great for sensory seekers to meet the need for more input.

 

Improving Balance: Working on balance in sitting, kneeling, standing, or with one leg up on the disc is a great way to build balance skills! This is a great idea for toe walkers to get full foot contact on the surface and strengthen the muscles of the feet and ankles! Add a challenge by reaching, throwing and catching, or balancing on one foot!

Try one out and let us know how you use your balance disc/wiggle seat/wobble cushion for play, strengthening, and learning!

 

If you’re interested in more of our Toys that Teach series, keep an eye out for new posts by following us on our Facebook page and checking out the Blog!