Splashy Activity Programme p3 Contents What is Splashy? Who can use Splashy? / Setting up Splashy What is the Splashy activity guide? Moving and handling / Bath preparation / The benefits of bathing Gross motor skills / Fine motor skills Cognitive development Communication and social skills Sensory skills Sensory processing Take care of your back

p4 Splashy Activity Programme What is Splashy? The Firefly Splashy is a lightweight bath seat, designed to sit low in the bath to allow your child to benefit from being immersed in the water. We listened to feedback from parents and therapists about our most popular product, the GoTo seat*, and realised that there was a need for a waterproof version which could be used for bathing. Splashy’s design is based on the GoTo seat, with additional new features to allow your child to participate in bathing. A recline feature means that even children with reduced head control or sitting ability are able...

Splashy Activity Programme p5 Who can use Splashy? Splashy is designed for children with disabilities ranging from approximately 1 – 8 years old. Children with Cerebral Palsy who use Splashy may range from levels III – V on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). The maximum user weight is 30kg. Children whose head control is developing can use this product by simply reclining the backrest of the bath seat so their head is supported by the foam supports. Setting up Splashy Splashy must be attached to the floor sitter attachment at all times for safety and stability. Splashy should...

p6 Splashy Activity Programme What is the Splashy activity guide? The Splashy activity guide explains why bathing is so much more than just getting washed. Bathing provides an ideal activity in an environment where your child can develop many skills. At Firefly we use a model called MAP (Mobility, Ability, and Participation) to show how using a product as part of a therapy programme can contribute to your child’s development: Mobility is your child’s ability to access their world and gain as much independence as possible; Ability refers to all aspects of your child’s physical, cognitive and social...

Splashy Activity Programme p7 Moving and handling Lifting a child in and out of the bath is an activity which could cause injury to your back. It is not possible for us to provide specialised moving and handling advice for you as the circumstances will differ for each family – for example, the age and ability of your child; the shape of, and space in, your bathroom; your own height and level of fitness etc. However, we have put together some general advice on ‘looking after your back’. This can be found in the resource section at the end of the activity guide. If you need more specific information,...

p8 Splashy Activity Programme Gross motor skills Gross motor activities improve muscle strength and function. Movements such as reaching for an object or making big marks with a bath crayon are gross motor skills which help to develop your child’s shoulder and arm stability and strength. In turn, this will help to form the building blocks for fine motor skills. Fine motor skills Manipulating small objects, developing hand and eye coordination and exploring different grasps are all fine motor skills. We use these for many daily activities, including washing and dressing. For example; when getting...

Splashy Activity Programme p9 Cognitive development Bathing provides opportunities for your child’s cognitive development as it can be used as an environment to teach about different objects. Using foam bath stickers will help your child develop their ability to recognise or name colours and shapes. You can place items such as vegetables (e.g. carrots or potatoes), plastic cups, a sponge or facecloth into the bath. Your child may start to notice that some items sink or float when in the water; that a sponge absorbs lots of water; or that a toy squirts water when they squeeze it (cause and effect...

p10 Splashy Activity Programme Communication and social skills Bathing can be a fun and interactive experience. It provides an ideal opportunity for practising pre-speech communication, verbal and social skills. When your child is in the reclined position, they will be able to make or maintain eye contact with you, an essential building block of communication. Research shows that participation in a playful conversation is a means of communication for children with a cognitive impairment (4a). You can let your child choose which bathing items (such as their towel, soap, sponge or toys) they would...

Splashy Activity Programme p11 Sensory skills Bathing provides a complete sensory experience for your child. They may find the water helps to relax their muscles especially if they have high tone. The warm water, scents of soap/bubbles, colours of sponges and toys all help meet your child’s sensory needs. Research has found that using lavender scented oils in the bath can reduce stress and help children get to sleep. (6) Children can use water to explore how to paint. Your child can learn how to manipulate a paint brush and use it to brush water or bath paint onto the bath or wall tiles. This...

p12 Splashy Activity Programme Sensory processing Sometimes children are not able to fully process or regulate sensory information from their senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell, or taste, as well as the ‘hidden’ senses of balance and body awareness. Some children may over-respond or under-respond to this sensory information. Children who under-respond may love touching objects, splash excessively, and they may crave bright lights, colours and smells. They might get very excitable and loud, and not tire out easily. Children who over-respond may not enjoy being touched, they may have very sensitive...

Splashy Activity Programme p13 Area of development Gross Motor Skills Activities • Splash arms and legs in the water • Throw and catch a ball • Reach forward for toys • ncourage your child to wash themselves – even if you have to give E some help or encouragement (they could reach down to wash their legs and feet) • Transfer toys or building blocks from one side of the bath to the other • Burst bubbles Fine Motor Skills • Place foam shapes on the edge of the bath • Paint / draw on bath with bath paints • Manipulate objects e.g. fill and pour water from a cup or jug • lace various objects into...