Move & Climb · 5 min read
Reflex Integration Through Play: What Parents Should Know
What primitive reflexes are, why movement matters so much for them, and the everyday play that supports reflex integration work at home.
Harkla
Compression Sensory Swing
Why Erin picked it
A stretchy cocoon swing combines hug-like pressure with gentle movement. It's one of the most-requested items in my DMs. Install it with a rated ceiling mount.
Kids who get overwhelmed and need a calm-down spot, and kids who crave movement and squeezing.
You can't mount into a ceiling joist. Look at a freestanding swing frame first.
Affiliate link: I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Prices and availability are set by Harkla. Always supervise play and follow the manufacturer's safety guidance.
Hands-on review
How I use it with kids
If I could recommend only one piece of equipment for home, it would be a compression swing. The stretchy fabric hugs the whole body while it moves, so a child gets calming deep pressure and gentle vestibular input at the same time. It's one of the most-requested items in my DMs, and it's where I tell families to start.
Kids can curl up inside it like a cocoon, rock slowly, or spin when they want more input, and they get to choose how much. It comes with the ceiling hook and hardware, and Harkla rates it for kids 3 and up.
The must-do: hang it from a solid wood ceiling joist, never drywall alone, put a mat underneath and supervise.
Erin Wiggins, OT · How I choose products
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From the journal
Sensory Room · 5 min read
How to Build a Sensory Playroom (In Any Size Home)
Why sensory-motor play matters so much for brain development and regulation, and exactly what I'd put in a playroom, whether you have a corner or a whole room.
Move & Climb · 5 min read
Why Every Kid Needs to Swing: Vestibular Input, Explained
How swinging and movement shape brain development and nervous system regulation, why an indoor swing is my number-one recommendation, and how to use one safely.
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