Heavy Work Ideas for Toddlers: 35 Fun Activities to Support Sensory Regulation

4 days ago
2 min read

Parents and therapists often describe toddlers who seem to be "constantly on the go." They run, crash into furniture, jump off couches, climb everything in sight, and have difficulty slowing down. While every child is different, these behaviors can sometimes reflect a need for increased proprioceptive input, commonly referred to as "heavy work."

Heavy work activities provide resistance to the muscles and joints, helping many children improve body awareness, attention, and regulation. They're easy to incorporate into play and daily routines without requiring expensive equipment.

What Is Heavy Work?

Heavy work includes activities that involve pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, climbing, crawling, squeezing, or weight-bearing. These activities activate the proprioceptive system, which provides feedback about where our body is in space.

For some children, incorporating heavy work throughout the day may help support:

Body awareness
Attention and focus
Motor planning
Emotional regulation
Smooth transitions between activities

35 Heavy Work Activities for Todlers

At Home

Carry groceries
Push a laundry basket
Pull a wagon
Carry books
Help move cushions
Animal walks
Crab walk races
Bear crawls
Wheelbarrow walks
Push a toy shopping cart

On the Playground

Climb ladders
Monkey bars (with assistance as appropriate)
Push swings
Climb hills
Crawl through tunnels
Climb rock walls
Dig in sand
Push riding toys
Carry buckets
Obstacle courses

Indoor Sensory Play

Crash pad jumps
Rolling in blankets
Therapy ball activities
Yoga poses
Building pillow forts
Resistance bands
Weighted stuffed animals during quiet time
Pillow pushes
Tug-of-war
Couch cushion obstacle courses

Everyday Chores

Water plants
Sweep floors
Push a vacuum
Carry recycling
Feed pets

Remember

Heavy work isn't a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Children have unique sensory profiles, and activities should always be individualized based on clinical reasoning and observation.

If you're a pediatric OT or OTA looking for practical ways to integrate sensory regulation into therapy sessions, classrooms, and home programs, structured education can make implementation much easier.

Learn More

If you'd like step-by-step instruction on incorporating yoga, sensory regulation strategies, movement activities, classroom interventions, and treatment planning into pediatric occupational therapy, explore my Children's Yoga & Sensory Regulation Training for Pediatric OTs & OTAs. The self-paced course includes 20 contact hours (2.0 AOTA CEUs), downloadable resources, treatment ideas, and practical activities you can begin using immediately.