Gabbi Katzenellenbogen OT

Gabbi Katzenellenbogen OT Paediatric occupational therapy private practice in Sandton
- Sensory integration
- DIR Floortime
- SOS feeding

💚 Looking for an easy sensory activity your kids will LOVE?Try adding cushions onto the trampoline! 🛝✨Jumping, crashing,...
09/06/2026

💚 Looking for an easy sensory activity your kids will LOVE?

Try adding cushions onto the trampoline! 🛝✨

Jumping, crashing, climbing, and landing into cushions gives children powerful vestibular and proprioceptive input while keeping play fun and engaging.

This activity can help with:
• body awareness
• coordination and balance
• strength and motor planning
• regulation and attention
• sensory seeking needs

The “crashing” input can also be incredibly calming and organizing for some children 🧠💫

Simple activities at home can make a big difference in supporting development through play!

✨ Vestibular activities are so important for helping children regulate, focus, and develop body awareness!One of the eas...
02/06/2026

✨ Vestibular activities are so important for helping children regulate, focus, and develop body awareness!

One of the easiest and most effective ways to provide vestibular input? → Jumping on a trampoline 🛝💚

Trampoline play can help children:
• release extra energy
• improve attention and regulation
• develop balance and coordination
• support visual tracking and eye movements

And the best part? Kids usually just think they’re having FUN! 😄

Movement-based play is a powerful tool for supporting learning and development.

Rolling is such a simple activity, but it gives the brain and body so many benefits ✨Rolling on the floor activates the ...
26/05/2026

Rolling is such a simple activity, but it gives the brain and body so many benefits ✨

Rolling on the floor activates the vestibular system — especially the semi-circular canals — while also strengthening the core and supporting body awareness.

Try it:
➡️ Roll across the floor
➡️ Roll over pillows, a duvet, or a mattress to make it more challenging
➡️ Turn it into a fun obstacle course game

This activity can help with:
• vestibular processing
• core strength
• coordination and motor planning
• body awareness
• sensory regulation

Movement-based play is one of the best ways children learn about their bodies and the world around them 💚

⚠️ Always supervise and make sure there is enough space for safe rolling.

Looking for a simple sensory activity that works on more than one skill at a time? ✨Rocking over a therapy ball provides...
12/05/2026

Looking for a simple sensory activity that works on more than one skill at a time? ✨

Rocking over a therapy ball provides calming, rhythmical vestibular input while also strengthening the upper body and improving postural control.

How to do it:
🏀 Have your child lie on their tummy over the ball
🏀 Gently rock them forward so their hands touch the floor
🏀 Then rock them back toward their feet

This activity can help with:
• vestibular regulation
• shoulder and upper body strength
• postural control
• body awareness

It’s also a great way to encourage weight-bearing through the arms — an important foundation for fine motor skills and handwriting.

⚠️ Safety tip: Always supervise closely and support your child at the pelvis if needed to prevent slipping or falling.

Movement can be powerful ✨Bouncing on a therapy ball is a simple vestibular activity that gives the brain important move...
12/05/2026

Movement can be powerful ✨

Bouncing on a therapy ball is a simple vestibular activity that gives the brain important movement input. For many children, this type of movement can help them feel more regulated, focused, and ready to learn.

Benefits of bouncing on a ball:
• supports regulation
• improves postural control
• helps sustain attention and focus
• provides movement in a fun and engaging way

Some children actually concentrate better when their bodies are moving a little — which is why activities like this can even be used during homework or table-top tasks.

Try:
🏀 gentle bouncing while doing a puzzle
🏀 sitting on a ball during homework
🏀 bouncing breaks between tasks

Always supervise and make sure the ball is the correct size for your child.

✨ Movement in the classroom matters ✨Movement isn’t just play — it’s a powerful tool to help children stay calm, focused...
05/05/2026

✨ Movement in the classroom matters ✨

Movement isn’t just play — it’s a powerful tool to help children stay calm, focused and ready to learn 📚

When kids move, their brains wake up, their bodies regulate, and attention improves 💫

💡 Try adding simple movement breaks into the day:
• Dance party
• Head movements (up, down, side to side)
• Animal walks (jumping is a favourite!)
• Cat-Cow stretches
• Windmill toe touches

These quick breaks don’t take long — but they make a big difference!

Whether it’s built into the routine or used when kids are losing focus, movement helps support better regulation and learning 🤍

✨ Vestibular input at home made simple ✨Movement is powerful — it helps children develop coordination, posture and emoti...
28/04/2026

✨ Vestibular input at home made simple ✨

Movement is powerful — it helps children develop coordination, posture and emotional regulation. But not all kids respond to movement in the same way 💫

👶 If your child is sensitive to movement:
Think slow and predictable
• Rocking
• Gentle swinging (feet on the ground)
• Tilting head back and forth

⚡ If your child is seeking movement:
Think fast and exciting
• Trampoline jumping
• Rolling down a hill
• High, fast swinging

💡 Top tip: Always follow movement with “heavy work” (proprioception) like pushing, pulling, climbing or crashing. This helps the body feel calm, grounded and organised.

Every child’s sensory system is unique — observing what your child needs is key 🤍

✨ Over-reactive to movement? Let’s talk vestibular sensitivity ✨Some children experience movement very differently. What...
21/04/2026

✨ Over-reactive to movement? Let’s talk vestibular sensitivity ✨

Some children experience movement very differently. What feels fun and exciting for one child can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable for another.

You might notice your child:
• Avoids swings, slides, or heights
• Gets dizzy or nauseous easily
• Experiences car sickness
• Struggles with tilting their head back (like during hair washing)

💡 This isn’t “being dramatic” — their sensory system is working overtime to process movement.

As adults, when we understand why a child is reacting this way, we can better support them with patience, gentle exposure, and the right strategies 🤍

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and there are ways to help your child feel safe and regulated in their body.

Some children seem like they are always on the move — spinning, jumping, crashing, swinging, and never getting dizzy! 🤸‍...
14/04/2026

Some children seem like they are always on the move — spinning, jumping, crashing, swinging, and never getting dizzy! 🤸‍♂️

This can sometimes be a sign that they are under-reactive to vestibular input. The vestibular system helps us understand how our bodies move through space and plays a big role in balance, coordination, and attention.

When a child is under-reactive to this input, their body may need more movement to register it. That’s why they might:
• Spin for long periods without getting dizzy
• Constantly seek jumping, swinging, or crashing activities
• Struggle to sit still or focus
• Appear clumsy or uncoordinated

These kids aren’t just being “wild” — their bodies are seeking the sensory input they need to feel regulated. 💚

Providing opportunities for safe movement throughout the day (jumping, swinging, obstacle courses, animal walks) can help their bodies feel more organised and ready to learn.

✨ What is the vestibular system?The vestibular system is our body’s sense of movement. Located in the inner ear, it help...
07/04/2026

✨ What is the vestibular system?

The vestibular system is our body’s sense of movement. Located in the inner ear, it helps the brain understand whether we are moving or still, how fast we are moving, and in which direction. This gives us an important sense of where our body is in space.

This system plays a key role in:
• balance
• posture
• coordination
• eye movements
• overall regulation

When a child has difficulties processing vestibular input, you might notice things like:
• always being “on the go”
• slouching at the table
• appearing clumsy or uncoordinated
• avoiding swings or climbing equipment
• constantly seeking fast movement

Understanding how the vestibular system works helps us support children with the right types of movement activities to help their bodies feel more organised and regulated.

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173 Rivonia Road
Sandton
2196

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Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00

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