- Make sure your child is secure in whatever position he is using for play (laying, sitting, standing). When your child’s body is well supported he is free to use his hands for play. (Consult with your child’s therapist about using pillows, wedges and other equipment for positioning support.)
- Make sure your child can see her hands while interacting with a toy.
- Help your child learn by modeling or demonstrating how a toy can be used. You may need to begin by using hand-over-hand assistance to help your child play with a toy.
- If your child needs to be guided to use his hands, try sitting behind him. Providing assistance from behind is better than pulling from the front.
- Prevent toys from sliding out of reach by using textured adhesive tape or other non-slip material to anchor them to a stable surface such as a rug, highchair tray, small table or bench.
Toys/Features to Look For
- Toys with knobs, levers, buttons, switches and holes for exploring and manipulating (turning, poking, flipping, putting in, taking out, stacking up, etc.)
- Toys that encourage exploration of visual details and various textures
- Toys that respond to manipulation with visual and/or sound feedback
- Toys that require little pressure or accuracy to manipulate or activate
- Toys with multiple access areas that result in different responses
Play Stages
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Experience Stage: Using senses to explore a toy
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Discovery Stage: The toy guides your child's play
This toy’s special “goop” surface is not only fun to touch, but you can make colorful patterns appear on it by moving your fingers across it. The surface responds to a firm touch with lively music and colorful designs, and the music continues to play while the surface is pressed. Your child can draw with her fingers or the drawing tools that come with the toy. When she’s ready to draw a new picture, just slide the roller bar to erase the screen and start again.
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Expanding Imagination Stage: Finding even more ways to play with a toy
This toy invites your child to use imagination and creativity, and is designed so there’s an alternate way to move the train if your child isn’t able to push it along the tracks. From the single lever controller on the depot, your child can operate the train and activate realistic train sounds; all your child needs to do is push or pull back on the lever to start and stop the action. The controller will operate the train from as far away as 12 feet, maximizing your ability to use it on a table or wheelchair tray. Your child will enjoy the interactive excitement at four sites: the depot, pipe works, coal loader and loader gantry.
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
