Utah Parks: What children of all abilities can experience
Kaili Kinoshita, DPT
In this article, written by our pediatric physical therapist, Kaili, you will learn some of the skills your child can work on this summer while playing at the park. She also shares some Utah Parks and what children of all abilities can experience.
Practicing Balance at the Park
Now that it is warming up, it is a great time to expose your kids to what we call dynamic and compliant surfaces. This is a way to challenge and improve balance, strength, and coordination. If you are noticing your kid has frequent falls, often trips when walking or running, reach out and schedule a consultation with Physical Therapy services. We have so many ways to help kids keep up with their friends, siblings, and classmates.
Practice Standing and Walking on a Variety of Surfaces
Practicing standing and walking on a variety of surfaces such as grass, gravel, wood chips, hills, ramps, uneven sidewalks, and mulch is a great way to improve not only balance, but also sensory input. If you have not been to an all abilities park check these out in our area! These parks have accessible and adaptive equipment so kids of all abilities can play together. Utah Parks are full of so many wonderful playgrounds for kids of all abilities.
● Adventure Playground: Located in Logan (in the Whittier Community Center) at 290 N 400 E
● Veteran’s Memorial Park: Located in West Jordan at 1985 W 7800 S
● All Together Playground: Located in Orem (in City Center Park) at 200-298 100 N Orem, Utah
● Chloe Sunshine Playground: Located in Syracuse (within Centennial Park) at 1800 S 2000 W
● Thunder Junction: Located in St. George Utah. 1851 S Dixie Drive
● Adventure Heights All Abilities Park: Located in Spanish Fork at 1321 E Canyon Rd
● Creekside Park: Located in Bountiful Utah at 600 Mill St.
● Liberty Park: Located in Salt Lake City at 600 Harvey Milk Blvd.
● Sugar House Park: Located in Salt Lake City at 1330 E 2100 S.
Park Nights with Ability Innovations
We are hosting family park nights all summer as a way to practice these skills and meet other Ability Innovation families. Park structures often include many opportunities for kids to practice skills such as balance, climbing, stairs, and jumping. Often, kids will pick up many new skills from playing with peers and observing each other.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any concerns about your child being able to keep up with their peers, or notice your child avoids walking on certain textures, reach out to schedule a consultation with Physical Therapy services at Ability Innovations. Families have the opportunity to expand the reach of Physical Therapy interventions by integrating a variety of surfaces into your walking and running practice.
If you have any questions on how to use your local park or playground as a Physical Therapy gym feel free to bring it up in a session or contact your child’s therapy team.