The Move Room NZ

The Move Room NZ The Move Room is an Auckland based private paediatric occupational therapy clinic working with children/teenagers up to the age of 21.

05/01/2026

⭐️ THERAPISTS ARE MORE THAN JUST THERAPISTS… ⭐️

Hayley, one of our OTs isn’t just an , she’s also know as a:

⚽️ Coach: working on coordination, gross motor skills and not smashing windows.
📚Librarian: giving the kids the tools and strategies to navigate their way through a book and tell obscure yet wonderful stories.
🏴‍☠️ Pirate: captain of the ship, helping kids climb the rope and finding treasure.
👩‍🚀 Astronaut: going on an adventure to a new planet every session.

It looks like play. It often feels like chaos.
But this is where connection happens.
Where regulation occurs and movement happens.

Because when feel understood, they’re willing to try. That’s where the real work begins 🤍

⭐️PUGLICIOUS ⭐️From pushing paws to feeding snacks - this one was definitely a highlight with our clients. He will defin...
23/12/2025

⭐️PUGLICIOUS ⭐️

From pushing paws to feeding snacks - this one was definitely a highlight with our clients. He will definitely be hungry when we return to clinic 🙌🐾🦴

🎵Puglicious - defnicious… making therapy FUN🎵

⭐️ CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS: LOOM BANDS⭐️With it being the first of December, you maybe looking for a gift that’s fun and su...
01/12/2025

⭐️ CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS: LOOM BANDS⭐️

With it being the first of December, you maybe looking for a gift that’s fun and supports development? Thats where loom bands are perfect!

From an Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech-Language Therapy (SLT) perspective, they help children:
✨Strengthen fine motor skills – pinching, looping, and weaving improve hand and finger strength.
✨Boost hand-eye coordination – following patterns requires precision and focus.
✨Encourage sequencing and planning – creating designs teaches step-by-step thinking.
✨Support attention and patience – completing a bracelet or keychain is a satisfying, achievable goal.
✨Facilitate social and language skills – trading colours, describing designs, or explaining steps encourages conversation and vocabulary.

🎁 A loom band kit isn’t just a gift – it’s a mini therapy session disguised as fun!

🧠💪 LITTLE HANDS BIG SKILLS ! 🧠💪 Learning to open a zip lock bag might seem simple — but it’s actually a powerful fine mo...
12/11/2025

🧠💪 LITTLE HANDS BIG SKILLS ! 🧠💪

Learning to open a zip lock bag might seem simple — but it’s actually a powerful fine motor and sensory workout! 🌟

Here’s what’s happening when a child practises this skill:

👋 Bilateral coordination – using both hands together in a coordinated way (one to hold, one to pull).
✋ Finger strength and dexterity – squeezing and pinching those tiny grips helps build the muscles needed for pencil control, buttons, and shoelaces.
👀 Visual-motor integration – eyes and hands working together to find where to start and line it up.
🧩 Motor planning – remembering the sequence: pinch, pull, separate!
👂 Sensory feedback – feeling and hearing the ‘zip’ helps the brain know how much pressure to use next time.

It’s a small everyday task with big developmental benefits. 🙌

✨ Try it at home by hide small toys or snacks inside zip lock bags for a fun “mystery bag” game.

⭐️ THE THERAPY ROOMS MINI MART ⭐️Whether we’re an SLT or OT, everyday activities like shopping are full of rich learning...
10/11/2025

⭐️ THE THERAPY ROOMS MINI MART ⭐️

Whether we’re an SLT or OT, everyday activities like shopping are full of rich learning opportunities!

🧠 Why we love it:
Shopping routines build executive functioning, fine motor skills, social communication, and numeracy concepts — all in a meaningful, real-world context.

💬 In The Speech Room:
⭐️Practising asking for help and making requests (“Can I please have…?”)
⭐️Using sequencing and retelling skills to plan the shopping trip (“First we get fruit, then milk…”)
⭐️Expanding vocabulary around categories (fruit, dairy, snacks) and attributes (heavy, round, cold)
⭐️Exploring money language — “How much?”, “costs”, “change”, “expensive/cheap”

🤸‍♀️ In The Move Room:
⭐️Pushing a trolley or carrying a basket builds core stability and bilateral coordination
⭐️Picking items from shelves or counting coins strengthens fine motor control and hand–eye coordination
⭐️Practising planning and sequencing (“Find 3 items on your list”)
⭐️Using play-based money handling encourages numerical awareness and visual–motor skills

💡 Therapy idea:
Set up a “Mini Mart” in your clinic or classroom! Include picture shopping lists, real packaging, play money, and price tags.

Children can:
📝 Write or match shopping lists
💰 Count out money
🗣️ Practise polite exchanges with a “shopkeeper”
🏃 Move around to collect items

These playful experiences make functional learning stick — connecting movement, language, and real-life independence.

🙌 PEGBOARD POWER! 🌈Who knew a simple peg board could pack such a big punch? 💪🧩At therapy, we love using peg boards to he...
02/11/2025

🙌 PEGBOARD POWER! 🌈

Who knew a simple peg board could pack such a big punch? 💪🧩

At therapy, we love using peg boards to help kids build:
✨ Fine motor skills – strengthening those fingers and improving dexterity.
✨ Hand-eye coordination – planning where each peg goes and following through.
✨ Focus & patience – small wins lead to big confidence boosts!
✨ Bilateral coordination – using both hands together in fun, meaningful ways.

Plus, it’s fun, colourful, and motivating – the perfect combo for playful learning! 🌈

Whether it’s creating patterns, sorting colours, or racing against a timer, peg boards make therapy active, engaging, and full of smiles. 😄

✨ BUTTONS + BUBBLES ✨ Little fingers doing big work! 💪 At The Move Room, we love finding playful ways to build fine moto...
28/10/2025

✨ BUTTONS + BUBBLES ✨

Little fingers doing big work! 💪

At The Move Room, we love finding playful ways to build fine motor control — and buttons (or a bubble machine!) are perfect for strengthening finger isolation and developing the use of the pointer finger ☝️


Why it matters:

👉 Encourages separation of hand movements (so one finger can move independently)

👉 Builds coordination for tasks like writing, zipping, and using scissors

👉 Supports communication through pointing and gesture


Some of our favourite activities:

💡 Pressing buttons on light-up toys or musical boards

💡 Taking turns pressing the bubble machine for cause-and-effect play

💡 “Press to start” games — think cars, switches, or sensory buttons


Each press builds confidence, control, and connection — all through play. 🫧

🌟 SENSORY PLAY + FOOD 🌟Food isn’t just for eating — it can also be a powerful sensory tool! 🍎🥦🍋Exploring food through pl...
23/10/2025

🌟 SENSORY PLAY + FOOD 🌟

Food isn’t just for eating — it can also be a powerful sensory tool! 🍎🥦🍋

Exploring food through play helps children:
✨ Get comfortable with different textures, smells, and colours
✨ Reduce mealtime anxieties by building positive, pressure-free experiences
✨ Strengthen fine motor skills through scooping, squeezing, sorting, and pouring
✨ Expand language as we describe what we see, feel, and taste

Whether it’s squishing peas, stacking crackers, or making patterns with pasta — sensory food play can open the door to more confident eaters and more curious learners 🤍

🟧 IT’S ALWAYS LEGO FOR US!!! 🟦In our clinic   isn’t just play, it’s a powerful   tool that helps us support children’s d...
20/10/2025

🟧 IT’S ALWAYS LEGO FOR US!!! 🟦

In our clinic isn’t just play, it’s a powerful tool that helps us support children’s development in fun yet motivating ways.

When we bring out the LEGO, we’re targeting so many skills at once:
✨ – strengthening little fingers through pinching, pressing, and pulling pieces apart.
🧠 Planning and sequencing – following instructions, organising pieces, and building from an idea.
💬 and – describing, requesting, problem-solving, and collaborating during play.
🎯 – matching, spatial awareness, and recognising patterns or shapes.
💪 Bilateral coordination – using both hands together efficiently.
😌 Emotional regulation – focusing, persisting, and managing frustration when things don’t go to plan.
🤝 Social interaction – turn-taking, sharing ideas, and working as a team.

LEGO builds so much more than towers, it builds confidence, resilience, and creativity. ❤️

It’s one of our absolute favourite tools to use in sessions because it meets kids where they are ✨ through play ✨ and helps them grow in ways they don’t even realise!

Address

A3/18 Oteha Valley Road Extension, Albany
Auckland
0632

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 1pm

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