Regulating the Vestibular System Through Play

Submitted by Rebecca Smith from Family Ties Association

Vestibular what?!! If you haven’t heard of this system, you’re not alone; this small and powerful system is not often talked about, but has a pretty big impact on our day-to-day functioning. Let’s dig in to what this system is and how we can ensure it is functioning at it’s peak to allow children to play at their best.

In the simplest of terms, the vestibular system is located within our ears and it is what helps our bodies/brains understand movements and balance. This system helps to relay information to your brain if your body is moving, being still, flipped upside down, balancing on something, speeding up or slowing down, and so forth.

When the vestibular system is not functioning well, your brain is not getting the correct messages from your ears. When the wrong messages are sent, the brain and body begin to feel unsafe; this can lead to increased or decreased arousal levels that relate to the body’s flight, fight, and freeze responses (all which can cause dysregulation) (Rajagopalan et al., 2017). When these survival responses kick in, the ability to play decreases drastically. Children have a difficult time playing if they are not regulated or feeling safe.

To help ensure this system develops to the best of its abilities, children need LOTS of experiences to stimulate it and give it practice relaying messages to the brain (Beck, 2022). So, what can we do to ensure our children have a healthy, well functioning vestibular system? Well, everyday play that allows for exploration and movement helps strengthen the vestibular system; sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? If you are looking for some great play ideas, below are activities to try out with your child to help stimulate their vestibular system.

  • Swinging; this can be seated, standing, or prone

  • Spinning; in a circle, on a tire swing, or park equipment

  • Rocking back-and-forth; rocking chairs, wobble stools, or in a parent’s arms

  • Walking on balance beams, following a line, jumping on stepping stones, walking on logs

  • Climbing up and down on uneven items such as cushions, wedges, raised pads, or pillows

  • Rolling on exercise/yoga balls, rolling across the floor or down a hill

  • Jumping on trampolines or a bed • Inverts; being flipped upside down, headstands, summersaults, cartwheels

  • Going out to the park and enjoying monkey bars, climbing walls, teeter-totter, slides, climbing ropes

  • Yoga

  • Dancing

  • Swimming

Please note, vestibular stimulation from certain activities like swinging and spinning can be intense, don’t push it for long periods of time – a small amount, even 15 minutes, can go a long and have positive impacts. If you are concerned about your child’s vestibular system, consult your family doctor or seek support from an occupational therapist.

Sources and references

  1. Beck, C. (2022, April 6). Vestibular activities to move and develop. The OT Toolbox. https://www.theottoolbox.com/vestibular-activities/#:%7E:text=%20Vestibular%20Activities%20Using%20Household%20Items%20%201,Play%20with%20toys%20in%20floor%20play%20More%20

  2. O’Callaghan, R. (2020). The vestibular system | Play2Grow pediatric therapy. Play2Grow Pediatric Therapy. https://play2growpediatrictherapy.com/the-vestibular-system/

  3. Rajagopalan, A., Jinu, K. V., Sailesh, K. S., Mishra, S., Reddy, U. K., & Mukkadan, J. K. (2017). Understanding the links between vestibular and limbic systems regulating emotions. Journal of natural science, biology, and medicine, 8(1), 11–15. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-9668.198350

  4. Therapy, L. C. (2017, May 22). Child therapy: Vestibular sensory activities. Lumiere Children’s Therapy. https://www.lumierechild.com/lumiere-childrens-therapy/2017/05/22/child-therapy-vestibular-sensory-activities#:%7E:text=The%20quickest%20and%20best%20way,child%20with%20sensory%20processing%20disorder.

Tanya WhipplePreschool Children, School-aged children, active play