We usually associate the word hammock with leisure and rest, but what we want to explain to you today is that the hammock is also an excellent therapeutic and playful tool at the same time.

In more than 15 years selling hammocks we have known stories of all kinds, because the reasons to buy a hammock are varied: to rest, to play, to read and relax, to sleep the children, for the naps on Sundays, to take it on the road and not sleep on the floor, to decorate a room in the house and give it a special touch ...

But the stories that most touch our hearts are those of the parents of children with attention deficit, sensory integration disorders or neuro-psychological conditions who, on the recommendation of their therapist, have come to buy a hammock for their children.

The use of hammocks for therapeutic purposes improves coordination, concentration and awareness of the body itself. In a hammock the brain and the body work together, and this promotes sensory integration.

By playing we discover and process the world

A hammock is a territory of games and experiences, and children grow up playing and experimenting. Therefore, hammocks for kids have begun to be used in ergo therapeutic treatments in children with ADHD and in children with sensory integration disorders.

Who doesn't remember the multiple sensations of movement, freedom, risk and fun that we felt when we were children on a swing?

By swinging, children experience what it means to maintain balance and concentration. And, without realizing it, as they swing, they are combining all the information they receive from sight, hearing and touch and also from balance.

Have you ever thought about it?

All the time we are processing the information that our body gives us and the environment in which we are. And then we transform those stimuli and data into motor and behavioural responses.

For most of us, connecting all those stimuli we receive from our senses does not represent a problem, but for a child who has sensory integration problems, processing and combining all that sensory information is exhausting and distressing.

Hammocks and therapy with children

The use of hammocks for kids for therapeutic purposes in ergo therapeutic treatments in children with ADHD and in children with sensory integration disorders has been shown to have very positive effects at the sensory, physical and cognitive levels.

Hammocks used for therapeutic purposes develop body awareness and Vestibular system (balance and spatial control), help strengthen muscles and coordination, and develop concentration.

For example:

- The therapeutic balancing offered by a hammock helps strengthen the muscles of the head and neck.

- Sometimes sensory integration disorders have an effect on a child's development of motor skills, posture, and body balance. Climbing into a hammock helps children have a more accurate understanding of their bodies and environment. In a hammock, the child discovers that his or her body, in addition to sitting, lying down and standing, can also be in a fourth position.

- Hammocks are ideal for motor stimulation activities. Swinging a hammock improves the conditions that prevent or hinder the child's ability to play and take care of him/herself.

- Hammocks help to improve attention span, which also influences, for example, the improvement of reading skills of children with sensory integration problems and ADHD.

- Hammocks help the child take on challenges and develop self-confidence.

- In a hammock, the child with Sensory Integration Disorder relaxes, feels sheltered, protected, and calms down. This helps them to expand their desire to experiment and to play. The swinging of the hammock helps you to sharpen your attention and concentration and improves the processing of the information sent to you by your body and the environment.

If after reading this post you want to leave a comment or share it in your networks, we will be happy to do so. We don't just sell hammocks in our shop, we like to think that we also contribute with our products to make the world a better place.

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