When to Use Wobble Chairs for Kids who need to Move

This article provides suggestions on how to use wobble chairs as alternative seating options when kids need to move to learn. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

It’s not uncommon to see children in a classroom rocking in their chair, fidgeting or leaning out of their desk. Many kids need to move as a way to stay focused and listen to the teacher. Some kids need constant movement to calm their bodies and their brain, which frees their mind for learning.

Because there are so many kids who need purposeful movement and brain breaks throughout the day to better support their academic development, teachers, parents and therapists are exploring additional options.

One way to support a child’s focus, concentration, physical needs and neurological development is through flexible seating. Wobble chairs and wobble cushions were designed to allow movement when seated. Letting children use these alternative seating options not only helps the student learn, but also supports the teacher’s efforts as they teach the whole class.

Wobble chairs are especially beneficial for children who may struggle with the following:

• Sensory Processing Disorders
• Autism
• ADHD or ADHD-like behaviors
• Retained Primitive Reflexes
• Auditory and Visual Processing challenges

Why do Wobble Chairs Support Learning?

Adding a wobble chair in varying places and during certain times of the day may seem like a simple change that isn’t related to learning. However, items, like wobble chairs, can create gentle, dynamic movement for the child. This allows the child to release emotions and behaviors the child’s body is trying to communication through repetitious movement.

Wobble chairs provide the child flexibility to move in different directions and can be used for the following:

• Rocking
• Swaying
• Swiveling
• Stimming

Unlike traditional kitchen chairs, bar stools or classroom seats, wobble chairs enable the child’s ability to give their muscles and joints the proprioceptive input they need to listen and focus.

When the child uses wobble chairs to move or shift, it also supports their neural pathways so the child can do the following:

• Attend and focus
• Retain what is being taught
• Complete tasks when doing homework
• Follow instructions
• Commit information to short-term and longer-term memory

Wobble Chair Benefits

There are several benefits that come with using wobble chairs and alternative seating options for kids who need to move to learn. Teachers often use wobble chairs as flexible seating options in their classroom, but therapists and parents can also use them during therapy sessions or in other suitable settings. Below are several examples of how wobble chairs can benefit children and students.

Concentration and Focus

One of the most supported benefits of wobble chairs is how they provide children the ability to maintain their attention and focus. When children are stationary for long periods of time, it becomes difficult to sit still. We often see the child fidgeting, getting out of their desk, bouncing in their seat or talking to their neighbor. This not only impacts their learning, but the other students and teachers too. Wobble chairs provide an outlet and calms the brain so they may continue to be engaged without becoming distracted.

The American Occupational Therapy Association conducted a study that found students using alternative seating and wobble chairs were able to improve attention and focus better than when compared to those sitting in traditional stationary seats.

Posture and Handwriting Development

Because a child must engage their core muscles while sitting on a wobble chair, the child becomes stronger and develops better posture. A strong core and upright posture support the child’s ability to copy notes from the chalkboard as well as handwriting development. Sitting on wobble allows the child to adjust position and provides better spinal alignment to help the child do the following:

• Write letters and words across the page
• Hold the pencil correctly (not too much pressure)
• Allows the arms and shoulders to move freely when writing
• Write letters and numbers correctly
• Space words, paragraphs and sentences appropriately

Sensory Needs and Sensory Sensitivities

Children with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) or sensory sensitivities are more likely than others to have trouble with attention and focus. They are often distracted by background noises, movement by others in the classroom, or struggle with different textures and smells that create fidgeting. No matter if your child is a sensory avoider or sensory seeker, they often find it difficult to focus and sit for long periods of time.

Wobble chairs provide sensory kids with proprioceptive input that promotes gentle and calming movement. This type of movement can soften certain emotions and behaviors in the child. Allowing the child to wobble and move grounds the child and provides a stable foundation for learning development.

Cognitive and Neural Development

Moving is a natural part of learning and gives children opportunities to learn through exploration. If stationary for too long, the brain automatically tells the child and their body to take a “break.” Because movement is linked to cognitive processing, the brain needs purposeful movement activities throughout the day to continue building neural pathways for learning.

Wobble chairs allow kids to build neural pathways through movement so they can develop the following:

• Problem-solving skills
• Long-term memory
• Executive Function
• Impulse Control
• Functional skills

When to use Wobble Chairs

There are a number of ways to incorporate wobble chairs in your child’s or student’s weekly routine. No matter if it’s in the classroom, at home or in a therapy setting, wobble chairs are easy to transport and can be effective in many different scenarios. Below are a few suggested ways to use wobble chairs to support your child’s needs.

Equipment

To get started, here is a recommended wobble chair and wobble cushion to use in any number of the situations below.

Wobble Chair

Wobble Cushion

#1 In the Classroom

Using wobble chairs during classroom learning is one of the most important. If your child is prone to high-energy or sensory seeking, wobble chairs in the classroom can ease their restlessness. Kids can use wobble chairs throughout the day at school during any of the following:

• Music time
• Circle time
• Reading and handwriting
• Completing worksheets
• Teacher’s lectures
• Assemblies or concerts
• Math and science
• Library time

#2 During Stationary Lessons

Most sports and lesson activities keep kids engaged and active. However, there are a few lessons that require the child to be stationary. If the child has already been sitting at school for a majority of the day, their body is going to have a hard time during extracurricular activities as well. Bring the wobble chair to lessons that require stationary sitting like some of the following:

• Music lessons
• Art and painting
• Molding and Pottery
• Sewing and Crochet
• Weaving and ceramics
• STEM or Robotics
• Chess club

#3 When doing homework

Helping kids’ complete homework can be challenging when they are tired of sitting and need to move. Providing a wobble chair while they complete homework can give them an outlet while they are required to focus. This can prevent arguments with the child to get their homework done and helps them to complete their assignments quicker.

#4 While at Restaurants

When you go out to eat, do you feel like you have to shovel food in your mouth as fast as you can before your child starts fidgeting, climbing the chairs or complains they want to leave? It’s hard to enjoy a meal when the child needs constant movement. And, the child may not eat as well either if they are always under the table, on the chairs or moving about the restaurant. Bringing a wobble chair or wobble cushion with you to restaurants and eating establishments can help you (and them) enjoy a meal for longer amounts of time.

#5 When Playing Games or doing Stationary Projects

Playing board games, card games and participating in fine motor activities are also important for a child’s learning development. However, if they are having a hard time sitting still, you can use a wobble chair to support these fun family activities while still giving them the movement they need. Use the wobble chair during any number of these activities:

• Board games and Card games
• Painting and play dough
• Making bracelets or diamond art
• Fine motor activities

#6 While Playing Video Games

We try to encourage less device time and more active playtime. However, we know many kids enjoy video games and playing on their devices. Like us, sometimes kids need other stationary avenues to foster social skills and “escape” reality for a time. If your child or students enjoy video games or games on their devices, we highly encourage adding a wobble chair when playing. This can counteract some of the side effects that may come from being on devices for long periods of time. If you notice a child is overly emotional, distracted, irritable or frustrated when devices are taken away, you may want to try adding a wobble chair as a preventive measure for when they are finished.

40 Wobble Chair Ideas and Activities

For more ideas of when to use wobble chairs, download our list of 40 Wobble Chair Ideas and Activities below to help kids move when stationary. Complete the form below and make sure to confirm your subscription to our newsletter in your email inbox to receive the download.

References

Fedewa, A. L., & Erwin, H. E. (2011). Stability balls and students with attention and hyperactivity concerns: Implications for ontask and in-seat behavior. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 393–399. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2011.000554

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2003). Classroom seating for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The effects of therapy balls on in-seat behavior and legible word productivity. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57(5), 534–540. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.57.5.534

Schroeder, S., & Houghton, C. (2023). Evaluating the use of alternative seating with children with emotional and behavioral disorders: A study of wobble chairs in classroom settings. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 16(2), 118-130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00852-7

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Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs