Funding information updated 9 September 2026. NDIS funding is not automatic for a play couch. A purchase must be an NDIS support, relate to the participant's disability and be in line with their plan. Standard indoor and outdoor play equipment is not an NDIS support. Check your individual circumstances with your NDIS contact before buying. Read our current NDIS guide and the NDIA support rules. The NDIA also explains the funding criteria in its sensory-equipment guidance.
Families have shared stories about using Funsquare Play Couches for movement and open-ended play. These experiences do not establish that a play couch can be purchased with NDIS funding.
This article explains what to check before considering NDIS funding for a Funsquare Play Couch.
What is the NDIS?
The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) provides funding to eligible people with significant and permanent disabilities.
This insurance scheme provides financial and community support to individuals to gain more time with family and friends, greater independence, access to new skills, jobs, or volunteering in their community, and an overall improved quality in life. It ensures that families impacted by disability have the best possible resources, opportunities and education.
The NDIS operates across Australia. Its support rules and the participant's individual plan determine what funds can be used for.
Reasonable and necessary support
A product must meet the applicable NDIS support rules and the requirements of the individual participant's plan. A therapist's recommendation or a supplier invoice does not, by itself, confirm funding eligibility.
It has to be reasonable and necessary.
The NDIA says standard indoor and outdoor play equipment is not an NDIS support. Some sensory equipment may be funded when it meets the funding criteria and the individual's disability-related needs; this is not general approval of play couches.
Check the current guidance and discuss your circumstances with your NDIS contact before committing to a purchase.
The Funsquare Play Couch was specifically designed with kids’ play in mind, with a priority in creating great quality products that are safe and multiFUNctional. It’s an open-ended play product that:
- Helps develop early cognitive skills
- Promotes creativity - there is no limit to how our couches can be used
- Improves their motor functions and provides sensory experience
- Helps kids recognise and express emotions and social skills
And Aussie Mums are amazed at the results.
“We have had this playcouch for more than a month now and it just keeps adding value! Not only do the kids love building and playacting with it, my husband has found that sleeping on it helped his sprained back, because he says it's just the right amount of firm and give. Even my son asks if he can sleep in the living room because it helps him fall asleep quicker to sleep on the thick base.”
~ Sharon
The importance of play for all kids
Playing is one of the most natural parts of being a kid. It’s embedded into all of us, as an enjoyable way for us to keep active, stay well and be happy in our early years. But it’s actually a necessary part of development, improving the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children and young people.
It teaches skills needed for work, study and relationships, develops physical health, social skills and is a great tool for parents and teachers to use in education systems (as kids actually learn by having fun!).
But the scholars say it all…
“Free play, in which children develop their own activities, including rough-and-tumble activities that, as the term play implies, involves physical activity such as running, jumping, play fighting, and wrestling, are increasingly recognized as essential components of a child’s development,” an article from Scholarpedia noted in 2020.
It concluded that both human and animal studies have provided evidence that periods of play improve social skills, impulsive inhibition and attention and result in specific neurochemical and dendritic changes in many neurons - notably in brain areas in which ADHD children are deficient.
But it’s not just helpful for children with ADHD.
Mayra Mendex told Healthline that “Play is important because it provides a primary foundation for learning, exploring, problem-solving, and building an understanding of the world and your role within it.”
“Young children learn how things fit together through play. It allows them to use their senses and encourages exploration and curiosity, and these skills are the foundation of intellectual development and cognitive processing.”
Mendez also noted that play encourages movement and the understanding of spatial relations, promoting motor planning skills, supporting balance of dexterity and gross motor skills.
And the evidence really doesn’t end here… There are thousands of different articles and studies available that back the importance of play for a number of different reasons, all of which are crucial to the healthy and happy development of any child.
Funsquare Play Couches offer a modular space for open-ended play. Choosing a product for play and confirming whether NDIS funds can pay for it are separate decisions.
“Delivery was so fast and the colours are beautiful. We absolutely love playing on the couch, and it's also a nice comfy spot for me to sit and watch while the little one plays. I can see how this will be such a valuable addition to our play space for years to come.”
~ Emily
Check funding before requesting an invoice
If your child does have a disability and they don’t automatically receive funding entitlements - you’ll need to apply for them. You’ll find everything you need to know about how to go about that here.
If you need product pricing and details for a funding enquiry, you can request an invoice. An invoice is not funding approval. Confirm that the purchase is permitted before ordering with NDIS funds.
