|
10 December 2010
Holiday shopping is overwhelming - especially for parents and caregivers of
children with special needs. Yet, with a few smart shopping tips, fulfilling
holiday gift lists can be a breeze.
Purchasing toys and games for a child with special needs does not have to be
more complicated than buying a toy for a typically developing child. Cost, safety,
educational value, age-appropriateness - and of course, your child's interest
- are all factors that don't change. Look for toys that help build skills that
meet therapeutic goals and those that balance a child's developmental age with
her/his chronological age. Avoid toys that needlessly put a child in a win or
lose situation.
"It is possible to find many good toy options for children with special needs
in any toy store," says Elisa Mintz Delia of the Kennedy Krieger Institute,
an institution devoted to improving the lives of children and adolescents with
disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system. "Many reasonably
priced toys found at a variety of stores will engage and entertain children
with special needs, as well as serve as learning and skill-building tools."
The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Parents' Choice Foundation, one of the nation's
oldest and most respected authorities on children's media and toys, have been
working together since 2007 to test and review toys and games for children with
special needs. A multi-disciplinary team of licensed occupational, physical,
speech and recreational therapists offers the following gift suggestions for
children of all abilities.
Curious George Discovery Beach Game (Promotes visual and visual motor skills,
thinking skills and socialization) In this seek-and-find board game, players
draw a card with an animal or object listed on it and search the board (actually
a box), which has five hidden treasure locations, to find that object. A game
spinner keeps things interesting - if it lands on a wave, players have to shake
the box, which moves the treasures.
Hedbanz (Encourages thinking skills, socialization and communication) This simple
family game can be played by up to 10 people. Players wear a plastic headband
with a card depicting an object or animal on it and take turns asking other
players yes or no questions that will help them to guess what is on their card.
Bubble Talk (Fosters thinking skills, socialization and communication) This
game involves 75 double-sided picture cards and 300 caption cards. Each player
draws seven caption cards, and a judge draws a photo card. Players then choose
and lay down the caption card that they feel best matches the photo. The judge
chooses the funniest caption and that player earns points.
Bop It Bounce (Helps build gross motor skills and sensory motor skills) This
electronic game with audio instructions guides players through six activities.
Players bounce a ball on a hand-held cone, and the activities test their ability
to control how the ball bounces, their speed or their endurance.
U- Build Connect Four (Develops thinking skills, fine motor skills, visual skills
and visual motor skills) A game that takes the original Connect Four concept
and adds a bit of Plinko. It is a board game constructed from interlocking pieces
that allows children to assemble the playing area. Players drop checkers down
chutes and position a bumper to deflect their checker pieces into the correct
column, trying to arrange four checkers of the same color in a row.
B. Spinaroos (Supports visual, fine motor and visual motor skills) This set
of interlocking bits and blocks is a new and fun take on the classic version,
and includes patterned pieces, pieces with faces and others with three legs
and rotating connections. Children can build elaborate play scenarios and complex
new worlds - all of their own vision.
"Whether you're shopping for a holiday, birthday or other occasion, remember
that play is how children learn," says Claire Green, president of Parents' Choice
Foundation. "Toys that have long term play value, have long term learning value."
Keeping this information in mind, family and friends will be better equipped
to face the holiday shopping season in search of toys for children with special
needs. For more tips on shopping for your special child and other top toy picks,
visit the Parents' Choice Foundation Holiday Gift Guide at http://parentschoice.org/article.cfm?art_id=407&the_page=points_of_interest.
For more information on the Kennedy Krieger Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.
About the Kennedy Krieger Institute
Internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents
with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger
Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 16,000 individuals each year through
inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based
programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with
developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators
who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering
new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information on Kennedy Krieger
Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
