Physical Therapy

At Happy Play Therapy, we provide expert pediatric occupational therapy and physical therapy services to support children in developing essential skills for everyday success. Our dedicated team specializes in improving gross motor skills, fine motor coordination, sensory processing, and daily living abilities through fun, play-based interventions. Whether your child needs support with balance, coordination, strength, or sensory integration, our compassionate therapists create individualized treatment plans to help them thrive. Contact us today to learn how our pediatric therapy services can empower your child’s growth and independence!

Physical therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on helping children build strength, coordination, and movement skills to enhance their ability to navigate their environment. Our pediatric physical therapists work with children to improve their balance, motor development, posture, and mobility, enabling them to participate in school, play, and daily activities with greater confidence and independence.

Physical therapy can benefit children in many ways, including:

• Improving strength and coordination: Our pediatric physical therapists help children develop gross motor skills, such as walking, running, jumping, and climbing, to enhance their overall mobility and coordination.
• Enhancing balance and posture: Children who struggle with balance or posture may have difficulty with sitting, standing, or playing sports. Our therapy sessions focus on improving core strength and stability to support better posture and movement.
• Increasing mobility and independence: Whether your child has difficulty walking, transitioning between positions, or using assistive devices, physical therapy can help them gain confidence and independence in their daily activities.
• Supporting motor development in children with disabilities or delays: We work with children who have developmental delays, neurological conditions, or genetic disorders to improve their ability to participate in everyday tasks and play.

At Happy Play Therapy, we take a play-based, child-led approach to physical therapy, making sessions fun, engaging, and tailored to each child’s unique needs. Our goal is to help children move, explore, and grow with confidence!

• Motor Coordination & Motor Planning: The ability to plan, sequence, and execute movements smoothly to complete activities such as running, jumping, and navigating obstacles.
• Balance: The ability to maintain stability during static (standing, sitting) and dynamic (walking, jumping, riding a bike) activities.
• Body Awareness (Proprioception): Understanding and controlling body movements in space, helping with spatial awareness, posture, and motor control.
• Strength: The ability to generate force through muscles to support walking, climbing, jumping, and carrying objects.
• Reaction Time: The speed at which a child can respond to visual, auditory, or tactile stimuli, crucial for sports, play, and safety awareness.
• Postural Control: The ability to maintain an upright and stable position during sitting, standing, and movement-based tasks.
• Reflex Integration: Ensuring that primitive reflexes (such as the Moro or ATNR reflex) do not interfere with motor skill development, balance, and coordination.

• Gait Training & Walking Patterns: Improving walking mechanics, addressing issues like toe-walking, in-toeing, or out-toeing to promote safe and efficient movement.
• Jumping & Hopping: Developing strength and coordination for hopping on one foot, jumping forward, and jumping over objects.
• Running Mechanics: Teaching proper running form to enhance speed, endurance, and efficiency.
• Climbing & Navigating Obstacles: Developing the ability to safely climb stairs, playground structures, and uneven surfaces.

• Bilateral Coordination: The ability to use both sides of the body together efficiently for activities like crawling, skipping, or catching a ball.
• Crossing Midline: The ability to move a body part across the center of the body, essential for reaching, dressing, and sports activities.
• Endurance & Stamina: Building cardiovascular and muscular endurance for increased participation in physical activities.

• Vestibular Processing: Supporting balance and spatial orientation by engaging the inner ear system, crucial for activities like spinning, swinging, and jumping.
• Proprioceptive Input: Helping children understand how much force to use in movements, improving body awareness and coordination.

Don't let your child struggle with motor skills, coordination, and endurance skills. 

Contact us today to get started with one of our experienced physical therapists in Broward county. We are here to help your child develop the skills they need to move with confidence and independence! Check out our speech therapy services here!