Playing Together: Inclusive Toys for All Children
Tips and ideas
Play is an essential part of children's growth and development. Especially in families with children with disabilities, it is important to find toys that are accessible to all siblings – both the child with special needs and their siblings. Inclusive toys promote togetherness, enhance self-confidence, and create valuable shared moments. But what exactly does "inclusive toys" mean, and which products are suitable for families where play behavior and needs may vary?
What criteria should inclusive toys meet?
Inclusive toys don't necessarily have to be complex or expensive. The key is to find products that are adaptable and versatile, taking into account the different developmental stages and needs of children.
Some criteria are:
Accessibility: Toys that are easy to handle, both for children with motor limitations and their siblings.
Versatility: Games where the rules can be easily adapted to meet the needs of all participants.
Promotion of Cooperation: Toys that require teamwork and collaboration strengthen the sense of community.
Safety: Materials should be non-toxic and age-appropriate, without sharp edges or small parts that could pose a risk to younger children.
Inclusive play ideas from the community:
Freeze dance with Hörbert.
We love turning the living room into a disco. Our son operates the Hörbert with his switch, and we dance to the music.
Elastic.
The front wheels of the wheelchair are perfect for attaching the elastic rope. And then we get started. On nice days, we enjoy doing it on the terrace.
Spaceship.
With the projector, we transform our living room into a galaxy. The Gravity is the spaceship. The siblings fly as astronauts through space.
Dice games with the"All-Turn-it Spinner"
With the switch, our daughter can start the spinning wheel. It's pure excitement every time! The regular dice are usually out of the picture with that.
Stacking stones.
Wenn wir die Stapelsteine auspacken, wird es bunt. Wir trommeln, keiseln, setzen uns hinein, verstecken, balancieren, stapeln (oder werfen um), transportieren, befüllen, sortieren...
Ich-packe-meinen-Geräusche-Koffer und nehme mit...
When we unpack the stacking stones, it gets colorful. We drum, spin, sit inside, hide, balance, stack (or knock over), transport, fill, sort...
Today, the feet are painting...
or even the whole body. We lay out a large roll of paper on the floor and create a collaborative artwork with full-body participation.