Playworks Learning and Development Center

15/10/2025

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When a child is melting down, our instincts can take over — and not always the helpful ones.
We might lecture, rush to fix, or tell them to calm down… but these actually block co-regulation rather than build it.

Let’s talk about what not to do — and what to try instead — so we can truly help a child borrow our calm instead of our chaos.

IN THE RESOURCE STORE - instant electronic download with secure global checkout.

Managing Big Feelings: A Toolkit for Parents & Educators, a Parent and Educators Toolkit

Helping children turn big emotions into skills for life.

When a child’s emotions feel too big to handle, it can be overwhelming — for them and for you.
Managing Big Feelings: The Toolkit is your go-to resource for guiding children through strong emotions with empathy, clarity, and proven strategies.

What’s Inside:
• Step-by-step calming strategies for moments of overwhelm
• Practical activities to build emotional awareness
• Visual aids to help children recognise and name their feelings
• Scripts and prompts for supportive conversations
• Tools for parents, educators, and support staff

This toolkit is grounded in evidence-based approaches to emotional regulation. It’s designed to work in classrooms, at home, and in one-to-one settings, helping children learn how to manage their emotions in ways that are safe, healthy, and empowering.

Download now and start turning emotional overwhelm into growth, resilience, and connection.

Electronic download available at
link in comments.

11/10/2025

Why you should put your child to work…

You may be thinking we are suggesting chores and giving kids extra jobs to help around the house. But, we are getting kids involved in “heavy work” activities for another purpose.

We’re building the child’s proprioceptive input! Many kids who have ADHD-like symptoms or sensory seeking behavior often need play that requires “heavy work” to calm their body and the brain.

Activities or even certain types of “chores” can send messages to the proprioceptive system helping regulate the child’s behaviors and emotions.

Some “heavy work” activities may include the following:

💪Carry a backpack and fill it with books or collect rocks and branches while on a hike
💪Push a wheelbarrow
💪Shovel snow
💪Play leapfrog
💪Climb a rock wall

You can use a variety of activities to help the child push, pull, jump or climb. For more “heavy work” ideas, grab the link below for several more ideas.

🔗https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-05-heavy-work-activites-heavy-work-prevents-proprioceptive-dysfunction-and-fosters-proprioceptive-success/?utm_source=Google%20Ads&utm_medium=Test2&utm_campaign=Test3

05/10/2025

Happy Teachers’ Day!!!🥰💜💚

03/10/2025

WHY AUDITORY ISSUES ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT

If you think your child has a hearing problem, it may be an auditory processing issue instead. How to know the difference and what you can do to help.

https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-04-auditory-processing-how-to-recognize-an-auditory-processing-disorder-in-my-child/

02/10/2025

Comment “CORE” for a free Pumpkin Slide Deck that supports posture, attention, and learning…

Looking for a fun way to help kids strengthen their core while boosting focus?

The Pumpkin Core Stability slide deck can support a child’s ability to:

🎃Sit upright in their desk
🎃Hold up their head to copy notes
🎃Stay seated for longer periods of time
🎃Develop handwriting and letter formation

A child with poor core strength may experience several challenges in the classroom and with their attention and focus.

To grab your copy of the core stability slide deck and to find out the signs of weak core strength, comment “CORE” and we’ll send you the link.

28/09/2025

What regulation strategies work best for you? Here are some ideas:

https://www.theottoolbox.com/zones-of-regulation-activities-2/

https://www.theottoolbox.com/sensory-coping-strategies-for-kids/

28/09/2025

Working memory is a skill we need for everything we do! From answering the phone to shopping at the grocery store; working memory is happening at every given moment. Kids who struggle with executive functioning skills often times have working memory challenges.

WORKING MEMORY
Let’s talk about what working memory is and how to improve working memory in kids so they can be successful in those everyday tasks... 📲
https://www.theottoolbox.com/how-to-improve-working-memory/

28/09/2025

When bilateral coordination or bilateral integration is intact and progressing appropriately through development, it is an indicator that both sides of the brain are communicating effectively and sharing information during functional tasks.

Younger toddlers and babies can be observed using both hands in play as they pick up objects in their line of sight. However, they typically will pick up items with the hand that is closest to the object or toy.

As toddlers progress in development, they will begin to establish a dominant hand and crossing midline. This ability to utilize a dominant hand and a non-dominant hand in activities indicates a maturation of the brain and lateralization in functional tasks, which is very important for motor planning, directionality, and visual motor skills.

When a child is challenged in development of bilateral coordination skills, there can be resulting difficulties.

In fact, impaired bilateral coordination skills can lead to difficulty in the classroom. Science tells us that problems with bilateral coordination can have an impact on academic performance, with slowness and disinterest in schoolwork.

In the school setting there are many areas that can be a challenge as a result of bilateral coordination struggles:

+performance in school tasks that require coordination
+using scissors
+writing- including holding the paper and erasing
+tracing
+using tools such as rulers
+managing clothing- buttons, zippers, snaps
+managing lunch containers
+putting on and taking off a backpack
+turning pages in books
+managing and organization skills in folders and backpacks

Development of bilateral coordination in self-feeding depends greatly on the child’s developmental level. The baby who is learning to place dry cereal in their mouth will be vastly different level than the child who is scooping soup or cutting a piece of chicken. Development of fine motor skills and visual motor skills have an impact on coordination of the hands in self-feeding.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/bilateral-coordination-activities/

27/09/2025

Proprioception allows us to apply more or less pressure and force in a task. Instinctively, we know that lifting a feather requires very little pressure and effort, while moving a large backpack requires more work. We are able to coordinate our movements effectively to manage our day’s activities with the proprioceptive system. The brain also must coordinate input about gravity, movement, and balance involving the vestibular system.

Kids who are showing signs of proprioceptive challenges might do some of these things:

Appear clumsy
Fidget when asked to sit quietly
Show an increased activity level or arousal level
Seek intense proprioceptive input by “crashing and bashing” into anything
Slap their feet when walking

For more information and proprioceptive activities check out: https://www.theottoolbox.com/proprioception-sensory-activities/

26/09/2025

🧠 When a student’s nervous system is overwhelmed or under-responsive to sensory input, it can be hard to stay calm, focused, or in control.

Supporting sensory needs isn’t just about comfort—it’s key to helping students manage their emotions, behaviors, and attention throughout the day. 🧠

20/09/2025

Our families fight for a mere ₱5,000 subsidy, forced to submit a 6-month price quotation, while the corrupt government squanders billions without shame!

This is injustice.
This is corruption.
And it is our children with special needs who pay the price.

Playworks stands in solidarity with the September 21 Rally Against Corruption!!!

18/06/2025

🔺is foundation.💜

WHY CHILDREN NEED TO DEVELOP EACH PART OF THE PYRAMID

"The Pyramid of Learning is a way of looking at the whole child. The very foundation of the pyramid is a child's central nervous system which is closely linked to their sensory-motor systems. Adequate sensorimotor development is built on adequate registration and processing of sensory information."

https://play-spark.com/products/pyramid-of-learning-informational-handout?fbclid=IwY2xjawKQx1RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFvWDg5Q2J1ZnFWNVZ5NnJkAR5HWVI8M0PXNVSGVvnmipQ

Reference: Pyramid of Learning (Taylor, Trott) 1991.