Why Kids Seem Extra Wiggly in Spring

Article courtesy of Jen Wirt, the founder and CEO of Coral Care

Getting notes from the teacher about fidgeting, trouble sitting still, or difficulty focusing? Before you worry, consider this: your child’s body might be telling them exactly what it needs.

What’s going on

Sensory regulation and the spring energy surge

As the weather warms and daylight hours increase, kids’ bodies respond to real biological changes. More sunlight means more energy — but the classroom still expects them to sit still for the same amount of time.

For kids with sensory processing differences, this mismatch between internal energy and external expectations can look like hyperactivity, impulsivity, or inattention. But movement isn’t misbehavior — it’s often the body’s way of trying to regulate.

Most people think of five senses, but from a therapy perspective, there are eight:

Visual (sight)
Auditory (hearing)
Tactile (touch)
Gustatory (taste)
Olfactory (smell)
Vestibular (movement and balance)
Proprioceptive (body position and muscle/joint input)
Interoception (internal body signals like hunger, thirst, heart rate, and emotion)

Children can have differences in any or all of these systems, and their responses can vary — hypersensitive (over-responsive), hyposensitive (under-responsive), or sensory-seeking.

What our therapists want you to know

“When a child can’t stop moving in their chair, their nervous system is actually trying to organize itself. Movement is regulatory. Instead of fighting it, we can work with it — giving kids structured movement opportunities so they can focus better afterward.”

— Coral Care OT Team

Try this this week

Movement before homework

OTs call this a “sensory diet” — and it doesn’t have to be complicated:

→ 10 minutes of heavy work. Pushing a laundry basket, carrying groceries, or doing animal walks (bear crawl, crab walk) right after school helps organize the nervous system.
→ Offer a fidget during homework. A stress ball, textured eraser, or rubber band around a chair leg gives the body input without disrupting focus.

→ Build movement breaks in. Every 15 minutes, pause for 10 jumping jacks or a quick stretch. Short bursts of activity reset attention.

Small win from the reef

“Our OT recommended my daughter jump on a mini trampoline for 5 minutes before sitting down for homework. I was skeptical — but she went from a 45-minute homework battle to finishing in 20 minutes. The movement wasn’t the problem. It was the solution.”

— Coral Care parent, PA

If you’re wondering…

Whether your child’s wiggles are typical energy or something that could benefit from occupational therapy support — we can help you find out.

A few specific signals:

Meltdowns that are intense, frequent, and triggered by sensory input
Sensory avoidance that significantly limits their activities or social participation
Sensory-seeking that is unsafe or disruptive
Feeding challenges driven by texture or sensory sensitivity
Difficulty managing school environments due to sensory overwhelm

An OT evaluation can identify your child’s sensory profile, clarify whether their sensory responses are within typical variation or warrant treatment, and provide a clear roadmap for support.

Jen Wirt, CEO and founder of Coral Care

Jen Wirt is the founder and CEO of Coral Care, a platform helping families access high-quality pediatric therapy—without the waitlists, confusing systems, or insurance hurdles that too often stand in the way. Coral Care connects families with trusted speech, occupational, and physical therapists for in-home sessions, while also supporting clinicians in building sustainable private practices.

The spark for Coral Care came from Jen’s own experience: when her infant daughter showed signs of developmental delays, Jen quickly realized how difficult it was to get timely, in-network support. What should’ve been a straightforward process felt impossible. She created Coral Care to change that—for her family and for the thousands of others navigating similar challenges.