Natural Super Kids Podcast

How Sensory Integration in Children Supports Neurological Development
This week on the podcast, we’re diving into an important conversation about neurological development, sensory integration, and how children learn, regulate, and engage with the world around them.
We are joined by Dino Mennillo, founder and National Director of Occupational Therapy for Children, mental health-endorsed occupational therapist, and sensory integration specialist with nearly 30 years of experience supporting children with developmental, sensory, and neurodivergent challenges.
Together, they unpack what sensory integration actually is, how it affects daily life for children and families, and why play, movement, and the right kind of support can make such a meaningful difference. This is a rich, thoughtful conversation that brings together clinical insight, practical examples, and a shared passion for helping children thrive.
In this episode, we discuss:
What sensory integration is and why it matters for neurological development, including how children process information through their senses, movement, and body awareness to support learning, regulation, coordination, and everyday functioning.
The early signs of sensory processing challenges, from strong reactions to clothing, bath time, movement, and food textures to difficulties with emotional regulation, body awareness, and motor planning.
How parents can gently support sensory needs at home, including why forcing food, movement, or uncomfortable experiences often backfires and how small, respectful, incremental changes can be far more effective.
Why play, physical activity, and time outdoors are so important for development, and how reducing screen time and making space for more movement, creativity, and connection can support children’s sensory regulation and emotional wellbeing.
🎧 Tune in to learn more about supporting neurological development and sensory integration, what a neuro-affirming and play-based OT approach can look like, and how parents can take simple, realistic steps to better support their child’s regulation, development, and confidence.
Resources & Links Mentioned
Occupational Therapy for Children
Clinic Locations
South Australia
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Riverland
This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.
 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Nature Play for Kids Matters More Than Ever
This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re having a really important conversation about nature play, free play, and what today’s children may be missing when so much of life happens indoors or on screens.
We are joined by Nikki Farrell, co-owner of Wildlings Forest School and Little Wildlings, co-host of the Raising Wildlings Podcast, teacher, unschooling mum, and passionate advocate for children’s rights and free play. Together, they explore how children’s physical, emotional, and social development is being shaped by the steady decline in outdoor play and why getting outside matters so much more than we often realise.
This conversation begins with some confronting truths about how much children’s free play has changed over the years, but stay with it. Nikki shares practical, thoughtful ideas that make this feel possible and encouraging, even for families navigating busy schedules, screen habits, safety concerns, and children who resist going outside.

In this episode, we discuss:
What has changed for kids over the last 10–20 years, including the decline in free play, reduced physical confidence, lower resilience, and the impact this is having on focus, emotional regulation, and social development.
What children are missing out on when screens take over, and why the conversation needs to go beyond screen time limits to include creativity, movement, independence, problem-solving, and real-world connection.
The wide-reaching benefits of nature play, from gross motor development and sensory integration to sleep, emotional regulation, confidence, curiosity, and a stronger connection to learning.
Simple, realistic ways to bring more nature play into family life, including how to support outdoor play in urban areas, how to gently build children’s independence, and why community matters so much in helping kids get outside more often.
🎧 Tune in to learn more about why nature play is such a powerful support for children’s development, how parents can create more opportunities for free play without adding pressure, and what small shifts can make a big difference in everyday family life.
Resources & Links Mentioned
Wildlings Forest School
Raising Wildlings
Instagram
Wildlings Forest School
Raising Wildlings Podcast
Little Wildlings
This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.
 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Mental Breathing Space Is Essential for Parents in a Busy World
This week on the podcast we’re exploring something many parents rarely give themselves permission to experience: mental breathing space.
Modern life fills nearly every moment with stimulation. Whether it’s scrolling on our phones, listening to podcasts, checking messages, or constantly researching solutions for our children’s health and wellbeing, our brains are rarely given the opportunity to slow down and process.
In this episode we discuss:
The concept of “soft fascination” and how gentle activities like walking in nature, swimming, or simply watching the clouds can help the brain rest while still staying lightly engaged.
How technology has quietly removed many of the natural pauses from everyday life, speeding up our perception of time and contributing to constant mental stimulation.
The heavy cognitive load many proactive parents carry, especially when navigating children’s health concerns such as allergies, food sensitivities, or behavioural challenges.
Why allowing your brain more breathing space can strengthen intuition, emotional regulation, and resilience, helping parents make clearer decisions and support their children more calmly.
🎧Tune in to learn more about how giving your brain moments of breathing space can improve clarity, creativity, and emotional balance in family life.
We share practical reflections on reducing constant mental input, building moments of “soft fascination” into your day, and allowing yourself the space to slow down even in the busy seasons of parenting.
Resources & Links Mentioned
A Brain That Breathes by Jodi Wilson
This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.
 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

How Busy Parents Can Create Real Rest in Everyday Family Life
This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re talking about how to create real rest in a busy family life and why so many parents feel mentally “full” even when they finally get a moment to themselves. 
We are joined by bestselling author, health journalist, postpartum doula, and mum of four - Jodi Wilson to explore the idea of “breathing space” and the small, practical ways we can help our nervous system feel calmer, without adding more to our already-full plates.
In this episode, we cover:
Why modern family life can leave parents depleted, and the disconnect between how our brains are designed and how we’re living
Simple “breathing space” practices that help you feel more grounded (even in the middle of a normal day)
The difference between self-care culture and real rest in a busy family life, and what actually supports your body and brain
How screens and constant input can overload the nervous system, plus gentle strategies to create healthier boundaries for the whole family
🎧Tune in to learn how to create tiny pockets of calm that actually make a difference, whether you’re in the thick of little kids or navigating a new season with older children and more space than you’re used to.
Resources & Links Mentioned
Jodi Wilson’s book A Brain That Breathes: Essential Habits for an Overwhelming World (available through major bookstores and independent retailers).
Jodi Wilson on Substack (weekly newsletter on simplicity and breathing space).
This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.
 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Some Children React to Things Others Don’t: Understanding the Guard Dog Immune System
This week on the podcast we’re exploring a question many parents ask when their child develops eczema, allergies, or food sensitivities: Why does one child react to things that other children seem completely fine with?
You might notice that one child can eat a wide range of foods, roll around in grass, or spend time around pets without any issues, while another child develops itchy skin, congestion, digestive symptoms, or allergic reactions.
Here's what we cover:
How children’s immune systems learn through early exposure to microbes, foods, and their environment, and why these early experiences shape how the immune system responds later in life.
The hygiene hypothesis and rising allergy rates, including how modern lifestyles and highly sanitized environments may limit the immune system’s ability to learn what is harmless.
Why some immune systems become overreactive, with factors such as genetics, gut microbiome health, birth method, diet, and skin barrier integrity all playing a role.
Why removing triggers alone isn’t enough, and how supporting immune regulation can help calm an overprotective immune system rather than simply avoiding more and more foods or environmental exposures.
🎧 Tune in to learn more about the “guard dog immune system,” why some children react to things others don’t, and what parents can do to support healthier immune regulation.
This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.
 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].