Therapy Tools We Love and How They Help
At Cheshire Fitness Zone, we believe in using purposeful tools that meet each child where they are. From building strength and coordination to supporting sensory needs and communication, therapy tools play a key role in helping children reach their goals. Many families ask us, “Can we use this at home?” The answer is often yes, and we’re happy to share how!
Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite tools used in physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech therapy (SLP),plus how they’re used, who they help, and where you can find them.
Physical Therapy Tools
Goals: Strength, balance, coordination, mobility
1. Balance Beams & Stepping Stones
How we use them: Kids practice stepping, balancing, and motor planning in obstacle courses or guided activities. Sometimes we make it a fun challenge like walking across a “river” or “lava pit.”
Who they help: Children with poor balance, low muscle tone, sensory processing differences, or developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
Where to find: Amazon, Lakeshore Learning, or DIY versions with painter’s tape and foam mats.
2. Therapy Balls (Physio Balls/Stability Balls)
How we use them: Sitting, bouncing, or rolling over the ball to work on core strength, posture, and dynamic balance. Therapy balls can also make stretches and strengthening more fun.
Who they help: Children with hypotonia (low muscle tone), cerebral palsy, and gross motor delays like late crawling or walking.
Where to find: Walmart, Target, Southpaw Enterprises, Fun and Function.
3. Scooter Boards
How we use them: Kids ride belly-down, pushing with their arms, or sit and propel themselves with their feet. We often use scooter boards in obstacle courses to build strength and coordination.
Who they help: Children who need to build upper body strength, shoulder stability, or those who seek vestibular and proprioceptive input.
Where to find: Amazon, Lakeshore Learning, or school supply catalogs.
Occupational Therapy Tools
Goals: Fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care independence
1. Theraputty
How we use it: Kids squeeze, stretch, and hide small objects inside the putty to work on hand strength and dexterity.
Who they help: Children with handwriting challenges, weak grip strength, or finger coordination difficulties. Also beneficial for kids recovering from hand injuries.
Where to find: Amazon, Performance Health, Fun and Function.
2. Weighted Lap Pads & Vests
How we use them: Used during seated tasks or transitions, these tools provide calming proprioceptive input to help with focus and regulation.
Who they help: Children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, or anxiety.
Where to find: Harkla, Fun and Function, Target’s sensory sections.
3. Fine Motor Toolkits (Tongs, Tweezers, Pegboards)
How we use them: We set up activities like sorting, picking up small items, and using tweezers to build hand strength, precision, and coordination.
Who they help: Children with developmental delays, dyspraxia, or those working on self-care tasks like buttoning, tying shoes, and feeding.
Where to find: Lakeshore Learning, Learning Resources, craft stores.
Speech Therapy Tools
Goals: Language development, speech clarity, oral-motor control, social skills
1. Picture Symbol Cards & AAC Devices
How we use them: Children use pictures or speech-generating devices to request, comment, answer questions, and build expressive language skills.
Who they help: Children with autism, apraxia of speech, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, or who are nonverbal.
Where to find: Boardmaker software, PECS kits, AAC apps like LAMP Words for Life or Proloquo2Go.
2. Oral Motor Tools (Z-Vibe, Straws, Chewy Tubes, Whistles)
How we use them: Tools are used to strengthen muscles needed for speech and feeding, kids might blow bubbles, chew, or use vibration for stimulation and awareness.
Who they help: Children with articulation disorders, feeding/swallowing challenges, or oral-motor weakness.
Where to find: TalkTools, ARK Therapeutic, Amazon.
3. Repetitive Language Books & Turn-Taking Games
How we use them: Reading predictable books and playing simple games encourages language development, vocabulary building, and social interaction.
Who they help: Children with speech/language delays, social communication challenges, and young children working on early language skills.
Where to find: Local libraries, Scholastic, Amazon, and speech therapy blogs like Speech Room News.
Why These Tools Matter
While these therapy tools may look like toys, each one serves a specific purpose: to help your child grow stronger, more confident, and more independent.
They encourage practice, build skills, and bring therapy into everyday play.
Every child is different, and not every tool is right for every child, that’s why we carefully select activities based on your child’s goals, diagnosis, and interests.
Interested in trying some of these tools at home?
Ask your therapist about safe and appropriate options for your child’s age and needs. Even small changes at home can make a big difference in carryover and progress.
