Games to Motivate Children With Cystic Fibrosis to Do Lung Exercises

Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be hard enough when they’re healthy. With children who have chronic conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF), there are other unique challenges for parents and providers when it comes to their treatment plans. An important part of any treatment plan with such children involves ensuring they have as normal of a childhood experience as possible. This can be difficult when they have multiple breathing exercises to do per day on top of having low energy and being extra cautious about infections.

Parents struggle with making sure their children get the best possible treatment and adhere to the plan, while also wanting them to enjoy just being kids. In addition, children can have a hard time understanding the importance of the breathing exercises they need to do, and motivating them to consistently cooperate with their treatment plan can be a challenge. There are creative and innovative ways to involve children in their healthcare as well as provide motivation, which not only directly improve their health, but also offer relief for stressed out and concerned parents and healthcare providers.

It can be a tiring task for parents to make children eat their veggies and fruits. But when it comes to children who suffer from cystic fibrosis, there are altogether different challenges that a parent or caregiver has to go through in terms of their treatment plans. As parents, anyone would want their child to get the best treatment available so that they do not suffer anymore and at the same time enjoy being kids, too. Children, as well, are known to have a hard time when it comes to understanding why breathing exercises are important for the body. However, there are certain innovative methods to ensure the child understands their importance and carries them out, too.

One doctor recently developed a game designed to make physiotherapy more fun and appealing to kids. A digital, fire-breathing dragon game was invented to help encourage children to carry out their exercises by using the correct methods and techniques. This game will be tested with a group of children and hopefully will provide positive results. It is thought that if this game is put into the market, it will improve the overall quality of life of so many children who are suffering from cystic fibrosis. At the same time, it would also reduce the immense stress put on family members and caregivers.

One of the National Service Hospitals is known to have a long list of games which can be useful for kids suffering from cystic fibrosis. In one game, the main goal is to blow a ping pong ball from one cup to another. Another game is similar to soccer, but it has a miniature field, and there are straws which are used to try and blow ping pong balls into the goals. The list also has suggestions for toys that can help to strengthen the lungs of the patients. There are a variety of toys that come in the form of wind instruments, one example being a recorder. These are known to act as a great alternative until digital games become available in the market.

Playing is an important part of childhood, for the child’s growth as well as their development. Children are known to use playing as a way to explore the world; they learn about themselves as well as others, and it also helps them to form and maintain social relationships. For children who suffer from chronic conditions like cystic fibrosis, facilitating their play is an important learning opportunity. Playing is known to reduce stress, which in turn helps to speed up the healing process, or at least slow the progression of the disease in the child.