Mighty Movers — Push, Pull & Haul

A pretend removal-company game packed with “heavy work”: the child pushes, pulls, and carries weighty household loads from one room to another.

  1. Announce the job: “Mighty Movers has an order! Everything in this pile has to get to the new house (the far side of the room).”
  2. Push: load a laundry basket or sturdy cardboard box with books or tins until it is heavy but still slides, and have the child push it across the floor with both hands, arms straight, legs doing the work.
  3. Pull: tie a short rope or dressing-gown belt to the basket (or lay a blanket on a smooth floor with soft toys — or a sibling — sitting on it) and have the child walk backwards, pulling the load to the depot.
  4. Carry: hand over “parcels” one at a time — a bag of rice, a big book, a full water bottle, a stack of cushions — to carry hugged against the chest and set down gently at the far end.
  5. Stack and unload: the child stacks the parcels neatly, then pushes the empty basket back for the next load.
  6. Finish with ten wall push-ups — “holding the wall up while the truck drives away” — and a drink of water.

Variation: take it outdoors — push a loaded wheelbarrow or toy pram, pull a wagon, carry a small watering can, drag a bag of leaves. Or fold it into real chores: carrying shopping from the door, pushing the vacuum cleaner, moving chairs to the table.

Requirements

  • Space: A clear run of 3–6 meters between two rooms or across one room; a garden or pavement works well
  • Surface: Smooth floor for pushing and blanket-pulling (carpet makes the push harder — a useful step up); grass outdoors
  • Materials: Laundry basket or sturdy box, books or tins for weight, a blanket, a short rope or belt, cushions, a bag of rice or filled water bottles
  • Participants: 1 child with an adult as "dispatcher"; a sibling makes a willing passenger or co-worker
  • Supervision: Light to moderate — check the weight of each load and watch the route

Rationale & Objective

Pushing, pulling, and carrying against resistance — what occupational therapists call heavy work — floods the muscles, tendons, and joints with proprioceptive input. In Ayres’ sensory integration theory this strong, active input is the raw material for body scheme and for learning how much force a movement needs; the child feels the difference between a light and a heavy basket and adjusts posture and effort to match. Clinicians also widely observe that heavy work helps many children feel more organised and settled, and it appears in the Alert Program and in children’s OT service guidance as a first-line home strategy. Honest framing: the research base is thin. Most studies are of full Ayres Sensory Integration therapy rather than stand-alone heavy-work activities, and a systematic review of specific sensory techniques (Bodison & Parham, 2018) found limited or insufficient evidence for several popular ones. Treat this as purposeful, strength-building physical play that gives rich body feedback — worthwhile on those terms, and consistent with physical activity guidelines that encourage muscle-strengthening play for young children.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: pushes with bent arms and a rounded back or gives up quickly; drops or bangs parcels down; pulls in jerks; tires after one or two loads
  • Developing: leans in and uses legs to push a moderate load 3–5 meters; carries a 1–2 kg parcel hugged to the chest; sets loads down with some control
  • Proficient: adjusts effort to the load without being told (leans more for the heavy basket, eases off for the light one); pulls smoothly walking backwards; places parcels down quietly; completes several loads
  • Advanced: steers a heavy basket around corners and through doorways without bumping; judges in advance whether a parcel is a one-hand or two-hand job; teams up with a sibling to move a big item, matching effort

Safety Notes

  • Keep loads modest — the child should be able to move it smoothly without straining, holding their breath, or arching their back; as a cautious rule of thumb keep carried parcels to about 2 kg or less for a 5-year-old
  • Teach “hug it close, bend your knees” for lifting, and never lift loads above shoulder height
  • Clear the route of rugs that slide, trailing cables, and stairs; no pulling a rope near steps
  • Never tie or loop a rope around the child’s waist, wrist, or neck — they hold it in their hands so they can let go
  • A sibling riding the blanket must sit down low and hold on; pull slowly on carpeted or soft-edged routes
  • Stop if the child reports pain; children with joint hypermobility, low muscle tone, or a heart or orthopaedic condition should have loads set with advice from their physiotherapist or doctor
  • Heavy work is an invitation, never something to force or use as a consequence

Hints

  • Playfulness: make a delivery list with pictures to tick off, wear a cap, and “sign for” each parcel. Other storylines work just as well — a farmer hauling hay, a sled dog, a tugboat
  • Sustain interest: real jobs beat pretend ones over time — carrying the laundry basket, pushing the shopping trolley, bringing in the bins, digging in the garden. Children this age love being genuinely useful
  • Common mistake: making loads either token-light (no real input) or heroically heavy. The sweet spot is “hard work but I can do it smoothly” — adjust the number of books until you see steady, controlled effort
  • Limited space: stay on the spot — wall push-ups, pushing palms together hard for a count of ten, chair push-ups (lifting the bottom off the seat with the hands), or a seated tug-of-war with a towel
  • Cross-domain: compare and order parcels from lightest to heaviest (measurement); count loads delivered (numeracy); follow a two- or three-step delivery instruction (listening and working memory)
  • Progression: light basket on a smooth floor → heavier basket → push on carpet → pull walking backwards → steer around obstacles → carry up a single step with an adult → two-child team lifts

Sources

  • Ayres, A.J. (2005). Sensory Integration and the Child — proprioceptive input from active muscle work
  • Bundy, A.C. & Lane, S.J. (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.) — proprioception and active resistance
  • Bodison, S.C. & Parham, L.D. (2018), “Specific Sensory Techniques and Sensory Environmental Modifications for Children and Youth With Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Systematic Review,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 72(1)
  • Williams, M.S. & Shellenberger, S. (1996). “How Does Your Engine Run?” A Leader’s Guide to the Alert Program for Self-Regulation — heavy work strategies
  • Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th ed. (AOTA, 2020) — proprioceptive functions; motor skills (lifts, moves, transports, calibrates)
  • NHS children’s occupational therapy services — proprioception and heavy-work advice sheets for families
  • WHO (2020) Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour — children and adolescents aged 5–17 (muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days a week)