Hope Studio

31/08/2025

Disappointment and failure are tough — for children and for parents watching them struggle. But these moments are also some of the best opportunities to build emotional resilience.

For many of us as parents, much effort was placed on winning and achievement, sometimes to such an extent that we forgot to acknowledge all our effort and the skills we built in the process.
Guiding our children through challenging processes and helping them see all which they've learnt can create an awareness of their developing skills.

✨ Remember: Protecting your child from failure may feel loving, but it robs them of the chance to grow stronger. Guiding them through failure teaches resilience, grit, and confidence for life.

28/08/2025

One of the most important steps to building emotional resilience in children is helping them name and understand their emotions.

Why is this?

When children cannot recognise what they are feeling, their emotions can be overwhelming and very confusing leading to tantrums, meltdowns etc.

When they are able to name their emotions, they are able to begin problem solving their way through a tricky situation and learn how to communicate about what they are experiencing.

Think of it like this: 🌦 Emotions are like the weather. If a child can say “It’s cloudy” or “It’s stormy,” they can prepare for it. Without words, it just feels like chaos.

Teaching children an emotional vocabulary is giving them a map — so they don’t get lost in their feelings, but can find their way back to calm.

20/08/2025

Children learn more from what we do than from what we say. When parents model healthy coping skills, children begin to copy these behaviours and build their own emotional resilience.

💡Remember: Children don’t need perfect parents. They need present parents who show them how to manage life’s ups and downs with courage and flexibility.

15/08/2025

28/07/2025

Play helps our children learn important skills. Sometimes, the skill we wish to teach our children in play, comes with challenges past their abilities, and we need to grade our support appropriately, to help them achieve the best outcome.
As OTs, we call this support *scaffolding*💡.

You can apply scaffolding in everyday play and activities with your children 🧩.

25/07/2025

👀 Why Is the OT Always Playing First? Let’s Talk About Modelling in Play

In occupational therapy, play is more than fun — it’s a way to teach skills through experience.
And sometimes, that means the adult plays first. Why?
Because modelling shows children how to engage — and gives them the confidence to try.

We use modelling to:
✅ Demonstrate new play ideas or actions
✅ Show how to use toys in creative or functional ways
✅ Support turn-taking and social interaction
✅ Encourage pretend play, problem-solving, and language

For example:
👩‍🏫 We might pretend to feed a doll first — then invite the child to copy.
🏗️ We might build the first block tower — then let the child knock it down and rebuild.
🚂 We might roll a car and narrate — then wait and watch the child join in.

Modelling isn’t about doing it for them — it’s about showing what’s possible, then stepping back and supporting as needed.

Because when a child sees play in action, they learn how to connect, create, and grow.

23/07/2025

Sometimes, we need to guide our little ones in play when assistance is needed to ensure functional and productive play, appropriate to their level of development.
Here are some tips on how to prompt functional play🧩🤸🏻

21/07/2025

Why Do OT Play Materials Look So... Different?

In OT, play is the tool — and the materials are key.

Every swing, texture, ball, and tunnel in our space is selected with purpose:

To support a child’s nervous system regulation
To provide meaningful sensory input
To match the child’s individual sensory profile
And most importantly — to make therapy feel like play!

For example:

Playdough helps develop fine motor strength and provides tactile feedback.

Crash mats give deep pressure that helps with body awareness and calming.

Swings support vestibular input for balance and movement processing.

These aren’t just toys — they’re carefully chosen tools to support attention, regulation, coordination, and daily function.

18/07/2025

“There is no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return” - Nelson Mandela 🇿🇦

Today on Mandela Day, our staff at Hope Studio spent a wholesome morning with the children and teenagers at the Lighthouse Baby Shelter. We also dropped off donations collected over the past couple of weeks from staff and parents. Thank you to all who contributed 🙏🏻.

This home is doing such a wonderful job in ensuring the safety and care of all their children and we thank them for their selfless support of the community. We hope to grow a lasting relationship with the home, giving them advice on children requiring intervention, as well as continually collecting donations. 💙

18/07/2025

Play is more than just fun—it’s a powerful tool for developing motor, social, emotional, and cognitive skills! 🛝⚽️🫂🧠

Two key types of play interventions often used are:

• Adult Facilitated Play: This is where a therapist, teacher, or caregiver takes an active role in guiding the play. This is especially helpful for children who need support with attention, communication, or motor planning.

• Peer Implemented Interventions: Here, typically developing peers are coached to support and engage with children in meaningful play. This approach can boost confidence, social skills, and relationships—plus, kids often learn best from other kids!

16/07/2025

How play develops 🧸

Play isn’t just fun—it’s how children learn and grow! From shaking a rattle to pretending to be superheroes, each type of play (like sensory, onlooker, associative, and cooperative play) supports your child’s development in unique ways.

Here are some general guidelines of how play develops in our little ones 🧸

14/07/2025

As paediatric therapists, we use play as a means and an end to treat your child and achieve our therapy goals. 🧩

Play is the “work” of a child and ensures learning, growth and development. 🧠