Welcome to PLAAY on the Move!
PLAAY on the Move provides a play and leisure experience while promoting fun, freedom, fulfillment, and friendship for children of all ability levels.
our mission & vision
PLAAY on the Move is an initiative that promotes independence and access for young children with mobility and sensory impairments in the community. Cleveland State University faculty and community partners utilize low-cost technologies to help minimize barriers that once limited a child’s participation.
The PLAAY on the Move initiative exposes children of all ability levels to new, engaging, and enriching activities in the community that provide movement and sensory experiences while encouraging children to think and socialize with friends.
why mobility matters:
Early independent movement plays a crucial role in a child’s development. Skills like sitting, crawling, creeping, pulling to stand, cruising, and eventually walking help build:
- Gross motor strength and coordination
- Sensory integration
- Environmental awareness
- Cognitive and problem-solving skills
- Social participation and communication
Our lab is designed to support children as they gain confidence in each of these areas through active, supported play.
The Four Pillars
PLAAY on the Move events support children’s development through four interconnected pillars: cognitive, social, motor, and sensory development. These areas reflect key developmental domains that influence how children learn, interact with others, move through their environments, and engage in everyday activities. Developmental domains are interconnected, meaning that progress in one area can support development in another.
PLAAY on the Move incorporates these areas through experiential learning, allowing children to learn through active participation, exploration, and interaction with their environment. Rather than simply being taught a skill, children have opportunities to experience, practice, and apply skills within meaningful and play-based activities
COGNITIVE
PLAAY on the move events encourage cogntive development by providing children with opportunities to actively interact and explore their environment. Children can learn by engaging directly with actvities and observing how their actions affect their surroundings. The support of the harness allows participants to focus developing skills such as problem solving, sustained attention to tasks, reasoning, and understanding cause and effect.
SOCIAL
At PLAAY on the Move events, participants will be able to interact with their peers, family members, and other PLAAY on the Move factulty and staff. Turn taking, working with others, communicating and being introduced to new environments and surroundings are all experiences that provide participants the opportunity to develop social skills and increase their ability to participate in meaningful everyday activties. The social environment of PLAAY on the Move provides opportunities for children to practice communication, cooperation, and participation while engaging in enjoyable activities with others.
MOTOR
PLAAY on the Move promotes the development of motor skills through opportunities for mobility and active movement. By reducing environmental barries through harness systems and adapted cars, chidlren can interact in a supported environment. The PUMA: Portable Upright Mobility Assistance System, promotes upward mobility and weightbearing by encouraging core activation, postural control, and lower extremity strengthening while facilitating play-based therapy in a variety of developmental positions. Additionally, the system can build confidence through safe movement in standing and walking tasks.
SENSORY
PLAAY on the Move events help reduce environmental barriers to play and interaction while providing children with opportunities to experience and engage with a variety of sensory environments. Events are hosted in the local community where different sensory engagment occurs for all sensory systems. PLAAY on the Move events provide sensory enrichment across multiple sensory systems within their activities. Sensory friendly considerations are also made with supports personailized for the needs of the family.
PUMA: Portable Upright Mobility Assistance System
The PUMA system is a soft harness-based mobility support designed to assist children with postural instability in upright positions such as kneeling, standing, and walking.
How It’s Used: Children are safely suspended in a dynamic harness that allows for full body support while still enabling freedom to move and explore.
Benefits:
- Promotes early upright mobility and weight-bearing
- Encourages core activation, postural control, and lower extremity strengthening
- Facilitates play-based therapy in a variety of developmental positions
- Builds confidence through safe movement in standing and walking tasks
The PLAAY Lab includes multiple PUMA systems with harnesses in various sizes, designed for use with toys, tables, mats, and even community settings. The system supports a wide range of developmental goals, from early standing to independent stepping.