Jump To:

• What is Heavy Work?
• Signs Your Child May Need Heavy Work
• Why Does Heavy Work Help?
• Heavy Work Activity Ideas

What is Heavy Work?

Heavy work is a term commonly used in occupational therapy that refers to activities that involve pushing or pulling in the body. Heavy work activates your sensory input and helps to develop proprioception, which is the awareness of the position and movement of the body. Proprioception is an intuitive sense that helps you understand your position to the things around you. Additionally, heavy work also helps develop the vestibular sense, which aids in balance.

This work utilizes many senses and parts of the body, all of which respond to the brain with the appropriate information. 

Signs Your Child May Need Heavy Work

 
Running, jumping, and climbing on everything can be indicative of a child already looking for proprioceptive input. Stumbling, falling, and clumsiness may show that your child is struggling to connect with where they are in space. By engaging in heavy work, they can be better grounded in the world around them. 

Why Does Heavy Work Help?

This increased sensory input can create a calming effect on the body and help regulate the senses. Grounding, when a child knows exactly where their body is, can help them feel calm and regulated. 

Heavy Work Activity Ideas

Heavy Work doesn't mean you need to go out and purchase a set of weights for your toddler. There are plenty of heavy work activities for kids that can be done at home with little to no prep and can make a big impact on your child.

A few ideas include: 
- Carrying in groceries
- Vacuuming
- Pushing heavy laundry baskets
- Carrying baskets of toys
- Carrying stacks of books 
- Crawling
- Pushups
- Walking on hands (wheelbarrows) 
- Running or jumping 
- Climbing
- Pulling weeds
- Pushing a stroller 
- Stacking rocks

Have you tried helping your child engage in heavy work? We'd love to hear about your experience!