Finding the “Just Right Challenge” - Working with Nature to Find Balance

In occupational therapy, we are always looking for ways to support growth and development of skills. We do this through finding the “just right challenge”—that sweet spot where an activity is neither too easy nor too hard, but just enough to stretch a child’s abilities while supporting their success. 

How Nature Supports the “Just Right Challenge”

When a child navigates a fallen log, climbs a tree, or balances on uneven ground, their body and brain are learning in real time. These natural environments provide built-in variability—no two sticks are the same, and conditions change with the seasons. This variability creates opportunities for making tasks easier or harder to find the “just right challenge.” For example, some children may find it difficult to climb up the creek to the top of the waterfall while others seem to glide right to the top. The child who struggles with this task may walk along the creek bed, holding onto tree trunks as they go. Nature provides every opportunity to meet children where they are at - valuing their unique strengths, challenges, and developmental readiness - supporting their sensory, motor, and social-emotional development to participate in outdoor experiences.

How You Can Find the “Just Right Challenge”

Just like the natural world, each child is constantly growing and changing. Our job (whether a therapist or a caregiver) is to notice, to listen, and to gently guide children toward experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and develop resilience. 

When your child is experiencing a challenge completing an activity, get curious and look at all of the steps and components of that activity. Think to yourself, “What is making this task challenging?” “What step is causing the most difficulty?” “Is my child getting frustrated by this challenge?” Use that information to drive action, if the task is too difficult and your child is getting frustrated. Look for ways to make the task easier - this could be through providing a helping hand, giving a verbal instruction on what step to do next, or writing down the instructions for your child. This will help you to find that “just right challenge” - allowing your child to complete a task that is not too easy nor too hard while they develop a skill!

When children are supported, but not pushed—challenged, but not overwhelmed—they blossom. And nature shows us how to strike that balance every single day.

Occupational therapy can support children as they increase independence, develop confidence, and work towards their goals. If you are interested in the child-led and play-based approach that we use at Good Nature Therapy Services, we invite you to explore how our occupational therapy services may benefit your child. We would love to work alongside your family, growing your child’s skills one nature-filled adventure at a time. Visit our website for more information and to contact us.