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Cheerio necklace
Try threading cheerios with the person you are supporting to make an edible necklace.
Word games
We've been using words on the back of paper-clipped paper fish with a magnetic fishing rod to make a game out of reading. Our daughter (who has Down's Syndrome) seemed to be randomly making up the words for weeks until I used a puppet to read the words wrongly. She then had no problem reading every word correctly. She obviously hadn't been motivated to let me know this until the puppet needed teaching!
DIY sand table
Instead of spending nearly £200 on a wheelchair-accessible sand and water play table for our daughter, we made one ourselves. We cut 2 holes in a folding camping table and put a shallow tray on one side so her legs would fit underneath and a deeper bowl on the other side. She absolutely loves it!
Cotton ball races
Strengthening the muscles in the mouth can increase speech production and decrease drooling. Hold races to see who can blow a cotton ball across a table fastest. Do it first just with the mouth, then with a straw.
No-mess sand tray
TFH Special Needs Toys sell a no-mess sand tray. Very clever design. www.specialneedstoys.com/uk
Playing with bricks
Magdalena, who has Down's syndrome, started to get bored of her bricks, so we chose a toy animal & hid it in the bricks then chose another animal to find it.
autismbuddy.com
We really love www.autismbuddy.com at AuKids because it has tonnes of specialist resources that you can use at home or at school. What's really clever is that you either buy them or instantly download them for a cheaper price.
Toy Libraries
Most Toy libraries have specialist toys for people with special needs to borrow. Many projects also have stay and play opportunities. There may also be mobile home visiting services. To find a local toy library Play Matters Helpline tel: 0207 428 2286 email: [email protected]
Son-rise games
My son has autism and we play lots of Son-rise games with him which are great for any age, special need or neurotypical child...see on Youtube for ideas... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhoL1egbpWM
Matching pairs game
Use a digital camera to make your own cards for this game. you can photograph your own matching pairs ie your dog, your home, family, etc You'll need two of each.
Smelly socks game
Use up some old small socks or go to a charity shop. Then scent some cotton wool balls with different smells like tea, or coffee,or lemon, apple or tomato ketchup. Try a variety of smells, taking care not to use anything to which your child may be allergic. When the cotton balls are dry and all the ingredients are placed in the socks, tie the socks up with a ribbon, and play a game of Guess the smell.
Space Blanket
For children who love audio feedback, try buying a space blanket (like tin foil but softer). Catches light and crinkles. Used for any age and any ability from newborns that can't move much to over active teenagers. Currently in my local Tescos for 25p with a poncho as well. A bargain not to be missed!
Sparkly Christmas paper
For visually impaired children or those with a sensory impairment, buy lots of sparkly Christmas wrapping paper as it's very good for catching and holding their visual attention. Gold, in particular, or anything with a rainbow/prism effect seems to work well to stimulate those with visual impairment.
Your own sensory album
We made our own sensory scrapbook. We stuck sensory bits and pieces alongside our own photos in an album to make it personal.
Sensory indoor play
We use a plastic box and fill it with different things for sensory play. Sometimes dried beans, sand, shaving foam – we put different smells in like vanilla essence or curry powder to make it more interesting. Sometimes we squeeze toothpaste in which is good fun when you get it all over your hands because it dries quickly. If you have the patience you can even fill it with baked beans !
Sensory play things
Dog/cat toys are great as they are colourful, stretchy, weighty and - above all - strong. They are also often inexpensive, and there seems to be a wide variety of dog toys on the market in all shapes and sizes - some of them are heavily textured as well, which can be attractive. They also have puppy toys which are smaller and softer. We use www.petsathome.com/
Sensory activity pack
www.tacpac.co.uk have a sensory activity pack for using with their touch and communication programme which is a resource particularly for children with sensory needs and complex/multiple disabilities.
Find the alternative
Sal finds it difficult to hold small objects, so I gave her pastry brushes instead of small paint brushes for painting.
Make your own
I made my own 3-D letters, numbers and words in colours that Margy likes best to teach her to read. You can laminate or cover in plastic so they last longer.
Ideas book
Roma Lear has written a range of books full of ideas of activities for people with special needs, look out for her on Amazon.
Substitute something appropriate
Albi loves to play with people’s hair. As an alternative I got him old curtain tassles which work nicely.
Activity frame for wheelchairs
The frame from a small child’s swing makes a great frame to hang stuff from to go over a wheelchair as it is stable and can be folded for easy storage.
Distraction bag
Gilly is extremely active and gets frustrated in a buggy/wheel chair. I put together a 'Distraction Bag' of toys that she could play with. The Distraction Bag hangs on the back of the buggy and toys can be swapped and exchanged as needed.
Bike it
To make a change from using the buggy/wheel chair we often take Pete out on a Tricycle
Trike work out
Sean’s right arm, hand and leg are weaker than his left. We bought him a trike. The trike is heavy so he was able to build up his leg strength on both sides. Also the trike gave him a safe opportunity to practice steering, which is not easy when you've got impaired coordination and spatial balance. After a few months he picked up a 2-wheeler without stabilisers and rode it around the garden!
Substitute sand
You don’t need to wait for dry weather to play with sand. Moonsand, for indoor play, is made by Spin Master Ltd ™ and is available at most toy stores, including the Early Learning Centre. It’s a soft medium that trickles like normal sand, but moulds like dough. There are lots of play themes available and it comes in different colours, too. Great fun!
Clippit
Lisa likes to play with toys while she is in her wheelchair, but is in the habit of dropping them. So I have put toys you get that clip across a pram, across her wheelchair. This keeps both of us happy.
Family on film
We had a big family party and found to our delight Eddie loves watching the DVD we made of it. We remade it with his favourite music. He'll sit for ages enjoying watching himself and all the people he knows on T.V.
Special library cards
Don’t forget to join your local library where you can get extra books and DVDs during the summer. In Stockport, children with ASC are eligible to borrow DVDs and videos free of charge and overdue charges are also waived. When you join, just ask the librarian to change your child's ticket status to a children or teenage special ticket. No proof of ASC is stated as necessary but it may be a good idea to bring your Disability Living Allowance letter just in case.
Make a photo diary
Keeping a photo diary is great for people who have poor memory or limited words to say what they have done. It keeps you in touch with their activities at school/respite/day care etc and you and other family members and friends have something to chat about. We put a cheap digital camera in the bottom of the changing bag and downloaded pictures very regularly (our homework). Chelsea loves looking at photos and videos of herself and her family.
Catalogues/websites for toys
If you put ‘special needs toys’ in your search engine lots of good providers come up but do watch out for prices. We like Sensory Toy Warehouse and Fledglings who take care to make things affordable.
Drawing wall
Stick some blank paper on a wall somewhere and turn it into a 'graffiti wall'. You can also paint a wall with blackboard paint or put up a big white board for graffiti fun.
Dress yourself
Create life-size portraits. Use either a large piece of card or lining paper (joined together, if necessary). Draw around each other and cut up old clothes and cloths to dress your portraits up.
Home made slime
Make slime. Get a pack of cornflour, mix it with water so it's gloopy but not runny and then add green food colouring.
Cinema club
Turn your house into a cinema. Choose a DVD together (bought or borrowed from the local library) make tickets, posters etc. Invite friends if you've got the space and then make popcorn, close the curtains and enjoy.
Make your own film
Use your camcorder to make a 'film' of a favourite book. We did The Tiger Who Came to Tea, using a toy stuffed tiger, shots of our table set up for tea, empty food packets, and a homemade cardboard claw peeking round the front door. You can do lots of voiceovers to explain what is happening, or do it documentary-style and interview the Mummy, the child, the cafe owner, Daddy, the Tiger etc.
Trampolines
Our family bought Janet a trampoline which has been brilliant for her and has also been great for our other kids and their friends.
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