Kiwi Kids Physical Therapy

08/29/2025

Why play with your feet?

🦶 Strengthens core muscles - lifting their legs and reaching for their feet engages a baby’s abdominal and hip muscles, which is important for future movements like rolling and crawling

🦶 Improves flexibility - specifically, a baby’s hamstrings promoting healthy hip and joint mobility

🦶Develops coordination - teaching babies how to bring their limbs to midline needed for organizing bigger movements in the future

08/15/2025

Kiwi kids packed up some things from the clinic this week and visited Miss Dawn and her ready to learn program at Newport and Greenwood!

I had so much fun going through various gross motor stations with some local preschoolers and had the sweetest helpers!

Age Appropriate Gross Motor Skills

3-4 years
👧🏼 Runs smoothly and stops easily
🧒🏻 Jumps forward 12 inches
👦🏽 Balances on one foot for a few seconds
👧🏻 Rides a tricycle confidently

4-5 years
🧒🏼 Hops on one foot
👧🏾 Gallops and skips
👦 Walks forward on a straight line (tandem)
👧🏻 Easily climbs playground equipment

08/06/2025

Does anyone still need to read the book at Kiwi Kids for the summer book trail!?

You have a few days left! Please note Kiwi Kids will be closed tomorrow Thursday 8/7 as I soak in a long weekend with my littles before school starts!

I’ll be back in the clinic next Tuesday and Thursday 8/12 and 8/14!

It’s so hard to believe school starts in < 2 weeks 😭😬🙃😀🤩

08/01/2025

Head control typically develops in stages:

🫟 0–2 weeks Head flops backward if unsupported; some head righting briefly

🫟 4–6 weeks Lifts head briefly on tummy

🫟 2 months Holds head up to 45° on tummy, turns head side to side

🫟 3–4 months Holds head steady in supported sitting; improved control on tummy (roughly 90 degrees)

🫟 4–6 months Full head control on tummy, sitting, and being pulled to sit (no head lag)

🚨Note: These are average ranges ➡️ some variation is normal.

07/24/2025

Benefits of standing
🫀Improves Cardiovascular health
🫁 Improves pulmonary health
💪 Improves muscle strength
🦵🏻Improves joint integrity
💩Improves GI health
🤩 Improves social-emotional health

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

07/11/2025

Sorry for the short notice! Kiwi Kids is open today 7/11 for the reading trail 9am-3pm in case anyone still needs to check off this location ✅📚💚

06/27/2025

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month!

What is scoliosis? Simply put, scoliosis = abnormal curvature of the spine

The most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) typically diagnosed in children ages 10 to 18 years old

Scoliosis can also be congenital (present at birth) or caused by neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida

Management: Physical therapy can help strengthen the core, trunk, and hip muscles preventing progression of the mild curves, bracing is often an option when the curve is moderate to severe, and last resort is surgery when the curve continues to progress despite other treatment.

“Sometimes life throws you a curve”

💚

06/19/2025

Kiwi kids is a stop on this summer’s reading trail!

Feel free to stop in Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-4:00pm starting the week of June 24th!

The book is in the waiting room, please just come in, read, and help yourself to a sticker!

If I’m working with a family, please respect their privacy and remain in the waiting room!

Thank you and happy reading 💚

05/30/2025

To brace or not to brace?

It truly depends on
🔵Age of the child
🔵Severity of the postural asymmetries seen
🔵Impact of impairment on activity/function

Orthotics can be beneficial in so many ways like 👇🏻

🦶 Assisting with a neutral foot position
🦶Improving alignment of the hip, knee, and ankle, minimizing potential pain and fatigue that comes with asymmetry
🦶Facilitating a heel strike (think chronic toe walkers)
🦶Offering stability needed to stand and walk independently (especially little ones with low tone)

Reach out with more questions regarding orthotics for your kiddo (AFOs/DAFOs, SMOs, inserts, etc.)

02/18/2025

I love this so much! What a great opportunity for these athletes right here in Hershey!

🏑💚🏑💚🏑💚

(WHTM) — There are only four adaptive field hockey programs in the entire country and one of those programs are right here in the Midstate. Dozens of athletes competed in the PA Revs All Star…

02/14/2025

I had the opportunity to tour this week! How cool that these power chairs are manufactured right here in northeast PA.

Power mobility is all Quantum does and I loved getting a behind the scenes look into this family owned company that started in a garage!

Now they employ over 1000 people and ship to all over the US and internationally!

This chair is the Quantum Outback - a 4x4 all-terrain power chair giving people with physical disabilities the opportunity to get outdoors and do the things they love.

🎣 🦌 🌲 🥾 💦