Learning to Shine Occupational Therapy For Kids

22/07/2026

We’re Hiring! Occupational Therapist – FT/PT
Southern Highlands & Illawarra

Learning to Shine is expanding! We’re looking for an enthusiastic OT to join our friendly, supportive team. Work with clients of all ages, enjoy modern clinic spaces (including a sensory gym!), access great resources, and benefit from mentoring + flexible hours.

Requirements: AHPRA registration, WWCC, NDIS screening, driver’s licence.
New grads welcome!

Email [email protected] for more info or to apply.

03/07/2026

Fine motor skills & sensory exploration in the kitchen 🥄

Here we are introducing tool use; tongs to grab snacks, child-safe cutters to cut soft pasta, and vegetable peelers requires high levels of precision and hand-eye coordination, kitchen mallet for proprioceptive input and spoons for scooping.

The sensory element is focused on tactile desensitisation by touching slimy and juicy foods as well as offering olfactory and visual input from the different scents and colours of all the foods we have offered here.

How do you like to engage your kids in the kitchen?

01/07/2026

Are you looking for a playgroup that supports your unique family needs? Look no further than Learning to Shine's Supported playgroup on Friday mornings at 10am.

Join Allied Health Assistants and other local families to explore your child's needs through play and socialisation.

Call or email us today to book your place. Spots are limited to ensure the appropriate support is offered to each family.

4869 3221
[email protected]

19/06/2026

Occupational Therapy Cooking Session

Children learn cutting skills, kitchen etiquette, kitchen utensil exposure and skill building, creating and enjoying the finished product.

They learn about safety, kitchen hygiene, cleaning up after yourself.

These sessions build confidence, fine motor skills, food and texture exposure, healthy habits, as well as engaging all of our senses. This was supported further through the board game The Sensory Game

19/06/2026

17/06/2026

🍎The Best Start to School – Ready for School Program 🍎

A fun, play-based school readiness clinic for children starting Kindergarten in 2027.

Is your child getting ready for big school? Our Ready for School program helps children build confidence, independence and practical school skills in a warm, sensory-based clinic setting.
Led by qualified early childhood educators, children learn through social play, routines and hands-on activities based on the Early Years Learning Framework, with outcome based strategies approved by the Department of Education!

Ready to Join?
Spots are limited. Contact Learning to Shine today to book your child’s place.

13/05/2026

Paint Wall Fun at Supported Playgroup last week 🖌🎨

Have you always got cardboard & recycling lying around? Glue the recycling to some cardboard and pop the paints out for a creative way to get your kids painting on a vertical surface

30/04/2026

Time to order more shaving cream!

Shaving cream is a versatile and inexpensive Occupational Therapy tool, used to improve fine motor skills, handwriting and sensory processing.

Grab yourself some shaving cream and try some of the below ideas at home;

🚿Spay on walls of shower for vertical play, encouraging letter writing and shape drawing with fingers, strengthening shoulders at the same time. + we love an easy clean up!

🖌If you want to add colour; spray on a baking tray & add a few drops of water based paint. Add paint brushes or cars to encourage movement, crossing midline and tracking.

👝 Spray it into a zip lock bag with glitter or paint for a mess free tactile experience.

*Always supervise children to ensure they do not get soap in their eyes or ingest.

28/04/2026

Food play in Occupational Therapy promotes desensitisation to new textures, reduces mealtime anxiety, and improves motor skills in children by allowing them to interact with food through sight, smell, and touch without the pressure to eat.

It builds positive, confident eating behaviours by engaging senses in a non-threatening enjoyable and creative environment

25/04/2026

Pony Assisted Therapy Day at Hollyhall Farm - A Beautiful Day of Connection and Growth

Learning to Shine hosted a very special Pony Therapy day with 18 of our clients and their families joining us for a morning and afternoon of sensory exploration, movement, and connection.

The purpose of this program was to offer sensory richness, emotional safety, and confidence-building experiences through structured, hands-on interactions with ponies in a calm rural setting. Activities were designed to support support sensory regulation, communication, motor development, and emotional wellbeing - and the children embraced every moment with enthusiasm.

It was wonderful to see new friendships forming, families connecting and children creating lasting memories with Teddy, Rosie and Alaska. Days like this remind us of the power of nature, animals, and community in supporting children's growth.