Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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Motor Smart Toys and Tips

September 21, 2010 by Stacy Menz

Ball Pit: One of the greatest ideas we have received, from a parent, is how to make a sturdy ball pit.  If you have a pack and play that you are no longer using or you are still using but you want to spice it up a little, get a bunch of balls and put them in the pack and play.  It is a great way for your child to work on body awareness, core muscle strength, motor planning and having fun!  You can even hide stuffed animals or bean bags in there and have them find them.

Crash Pad: This is a great tool for kids of all ages.  Take a duvet cover and fill it with high density foam scraps.  If you have a foam shop near you, call them for their scraps (this is a less expensive route) or you could go to a store and buy high density foam (this is more expensive and time consuming) and cut it into smaller pieces.  Other options are getting old cushions from couches and cutting them up.  Fill the duvet cover with the foam and then let your kids have fun.  They can ‘crash’ on it, or crawl over it, or walk over it, or make up new games.  The crashing is great for those kids who seek proprioceptive input and the crawling is great for core strengthening.  Walking works on balance and coordination.  All in all, the kids get to have fun – its kind of fun for adults too!

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Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: balance, climbing, coordination, crawling, education, exercise, gross motor development, kids, motor planning, Motor Smart Kids, physical therapy, playing, sensory exploration, Starfish Therapies, strengthening, walking

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“My child has been diagnosed with hypotonia, we brought him to Starfish Physical Therapy since he was 8 months, he started from not moving at all, to crawling, to a little walker, he is now 3 years old running around everywhere with confidence and happiness. We can see his obvious improvement , that just tears us up sometimes! Every exercise he did in each session and everything the therapist thought he was applying into his daily life. Moreover, Starfish therapists are so nice and loving, the session is not just a therapy activity anymore, it becomes a part of our family life, the most important exciting activity for my son every week. Starfish is our family!! We feel so lucky to have Starfish helping our son, the endless effort you provided to him, changed his life. As a parent, nothing is more grateful than this.”

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  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
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