The Center for Childhood Development

03/23/2026

We couldn't agree more!

It is officially SPRING! No matter the weather, we're ready to spring into the beauty of ability, inclusion, and community.💪🌷

03/20/2026

These future engineers designed and built an entire city out of therapy equipment—complete with a McDonald’s, farm, repair shop, dance club, gym, and gas station.

While they think they're just playing… they're actually working on:

✨ Ideation
🧠 Motor planning
🤝 Social problem solving
📐 Spatial organization

This is what play-based therapy looks like. Big ideas. Big skills. Big fun.

Come say hello at Center City — we'd love to see you! 👋

03/18/2026

We're hiring! 🌟

We're looking for a full-time Occupational Therapist to join our team at our Holland and Jenison locations.

If you're passionate about pediatric OT and making a real difference in children's lives, we'd love to hear from you. 👇

thecenterforcd.com/employment-opps

03/16/2026

Your experience matters, and so does your voice. 💛

If your family has had a positive experience at The Center, we'd love to hear from you. Sharing your feedback helps other families find the care their kids deserve.

⭐ Leave us a Google or Facebook review using the links below — it only takes a minute!

FACEBOOK
Write a Facebook recommendation by clicking on the "Reviews" tab.

GOOGLE
Say a few words or give a simple ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.

📍 Jenison: https://g.page/r/CSPkgcfqzqUREAg/review
📍 Holland: https://g.page/r/Ce9V1CMlelWuEAg/review
📍 Kalamazoo: https://g.page/r/CTVcUNEa-uoEEAg/review

Thank you for trusting us with your family. ❤️

03/12/2026

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning… but for children, play is serious learning.” — Fred Rogers

We couldn’t agree more, Mr. Rogers! 💛

03/10/2026

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹.

One of our favorite ways to spark it?
Tracing on glow light boards.

When the lights dim and the board glows, writing and drawing suddenly feel magical instead of “work.” ✨

Why it works:
• Builds fine motor control through slow, intentional tracing
• Strengthens visual tracking and line awareness
• Encourages proper grasp and graded pressure
• Supports hand–eye coordination

When we shift from compliance to curiosity, engagement skyrockets 🚀 — and skills build naturally.

03/06/2026

🚨 Reminder to Register!

The Center is hosting Theraplay & MIM Training at our Jenison location, and spots are filling quickly!

Perfect for:
Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Clinical Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, School Counselors, Play Therapists, and Special Education Teachers.

📅 Training Dates
• Level One Theraplay & MIM: May 4–7
• Group Theraplay: May 8

Theraplay helps strengthen caregiver–child relationships through playful, connection-based interventions.

👉 Register: https://buff.ly/JHXQdpI

03/05/2026

☀️ Summer Opportunity for Students!

The Center for Childhood Development is looking for responsible, enthusiastic college or graduate students to help run small therapeutic summer groups and camps for children.

This is a great opportunity for students studying:
📚 Education
🗣️ Speech-Language Pathology
🧠 Psychology
🤲 Occupational Therapy
💬 Social Work

You'll gain hands-on experience working alongside licensed therapists in a supportive, team-based environment. It's an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in pediatric therapy or working with children!

📩 Interested or want to learn more?
Contact Libby Boot at Libby@thecenterforcd.com

Please feel free to share with students who might be a great fit!

03/04/2026

Rough & tumble play isn’t just “getting the wiggles out” — it’s powerful nervous system work. 💥🧦

Fan favorite in the clinic: SOCK WAR in the pillow pit.

When kids crash, wrestle, dodge, and laugh, their nervous systems are learning how to:

→ Modulate force
→ Stay within safe boundaries
→ Recover from excitement
→ Understand where their body is in space
→ Build social connection

The pillow pit becomes a “just-right challenge” — intense but safe, alerting but organizing.

Because regulation doesn’t always look calm and quiet.

Sometimes it looks like socks flying and kids belly-laughing. 🧦✨

03/04/2026

🚨 Calling all OTs & COTAs!

We’re looking for extra summer help in Occupational Therapy at The Center.

✔️ COTA to assist with summer groups
✔️ OT interested in summer hours

If you’re passionate about helping kids grow, learn, and build new skills, this could be a great opportunity to join our team this summer.

📩 Interested? Contact Molly to learn more. molly@thecenterforcd.com

Know someone who might be a great fit? Tag them or share this post!

02/26/2026

✨ The Center is excited to host Theraplay and MIN training at our Jenison location! ✨

We’ll be hosting:
• Level One Theraplay & MIM: May 4–7
• Group Theraplay: May 8

Theraplay focuses on strengthening caregiver–child relationships through playful, connection-based interventions, and we’re excited to bring this learning directly to our community.

👉 Learn more & register at www.theraplay.org and click on the calendar tab in the top toolbar.

02/25/2026

Children’s behavior is often shaped by feelings and experiences we may not be able to see.