Explore NAU’s Kids’ Night Out
The Department of Physical Therapy will host its fourth Kids’ Night Out on Nov. 7 at Summit Gymnastics, offering a fun night filled with games, snacks and activities. The event will be led by NAU faculty, volunteer DPT students and certified pediatric physical therapists.
Kids’ Night Out started as a student capstone project and is now a twice-a-year community event that offers a fun, safe and supervised night for children with developmental delays and their siblings. It also allows parents time to enjoy a kid-free evening and provides experience to future healthcare professionals.
Families can drop their children off for an evening of games, snacks and activities led by NAU faculty, volunteer DPT students and certified pediatric physical therapists. Kids’ Night Out is free and open to families in the community.
“Parents can enjoy a night out; children are safely cared for by NAU faculty and students; and the students gain hands-on experience working with children with developmental delays, a necessary skill for future PTs,” said Julie Stone, the physical therapy faculty event supervisor.
Hosted by DPT students in their final year of didactic coursework, the night also serves as an opportunity for them to learn important pediatric therapy skills in a fun, community service-based setting. The graduate students learn from NAU faculty, community therapists and, most importantly, the children who attend the event, providing them with the opportunity to practice their pediatric PT skills.
Events like these are offered to children without disabilities in the community by schools or gyms. The Department of Physical Therapy wanted to offer the same opportunity to children who may not get the chance to participate in similar events because of their disabilities.
“We wanted to engage with children who may not be able to participate in the usual ‘night out’ events,” Stone said. “We have the expertise, with support from community therapists, to offer a safe, fun event for children of all abilities. Events like this increase community participation for all families and children.”
The event will be held on Nov. 7 at Summit Gymnastics where the children will enjoy a trampoline, an obstacle course, a foam pit, spring floors and arts and crafts and will be held again in the future. This event is full, but to register for future Kids’ Night Out events, email pt.kno.2024@gmail.com.