We have come to learn what an important job play has in the development of a child’s brain and social skill set. Play sets the foundation for learning in infants and toddlers. It fosters social interaction and social behaviors in toddlers and preschoolers, as well as imagination and complex thinking in older children, teenagers, and even adults. What does that mean if your child or youth experiences the world a little differently? Do they have a chronic medical condition that limits physical stamina or mobility? Do they have a neuro- or developmental disability that may add extra steps or time in learning, or have a different view of success? This is the wonderful world of Adaptive Play.
A Brief Overview:
- Adaptive Play is important at all stages of development and supports all children.
- Play is important developmentally across the lifespan.
- Adaptive pieces and activities don’t need to be expensive.
- Even small changes can make a big difference to a child’s positive development.
Adaptive Play refers to games and toys that cater to children with unique physical or mental abilities. Creative and adaptive ways to create games of pretend, build with blocks, and explore sensory experiences can engage and support children with developmental delays, physical challenges, visual or hearing impairments, or significant emotional/behavioral challenges. In hospitals, recovering children might be able to “step outside” that bed or room for a while to have some playful fun. At home, if you have a child or youth with complex medical needs, creating ways to “step outside” can be done with a supported swing, a small jumping trampoline, chairs and a sheet, having friends over to set up a puppet show, or doing a special scavenger hunt in the house or even on paper. Don’t let the fancy name intimidate you; Adaptive Play doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. This article’s goal is to provide a few ideas and website links to help you get started. As the person who knows your child best, you may already be creating Adaptive Play opportunities for your child.
By trying some of the ideas at home, you may also learn some tools and tricks that can be useful at daycare or school. In the same way, you may also hear from teachers or therapists about something your child really enjoys at school that you want to try at home.
Some examples might be:
- You may find out that certain sensory toys are great distractors
- Playdough uplifts a mood or that a tub of play sand stimulates thinking and helps a child become centered
Sharing these experiences often helps build relationships between parents or other caregivers, teachers, and therapists that may help parents speak up with concerns about their child’s progress or services.
Adaptive Playtime might include:
- Modified toys, such as Duplos instead of Legos
- BIG crayons, pencils, paper
- Water playtime with bubbles
- A tub of sand, kidney beans, flax seeds, with a variety of scoopers or measuring cups
Digging into a sensory tub full of something to scoop and pour can help if your child struggles with large and small muscle or motor movement. Picking things up, holding things steady, touching, and smelling the objects also helps with sensory development. Changing these out frequently with new sights, textures, and smells also helps build both those motor and sensory “muscles” by keeping things interesting and new.
Homemade playdough is another great way to turn “work” into play. Playdough develops muscle movement, touch, sight, smell, and inspires the imagination. The Imagination Tree has a recipe for a non-toxic playdough. Your child can help you make it and can choose the colors and the smells! (My favorite was when I used pie spice as a scent.)
Don’t be afraid to let play get messy. Fingerpainting is very messy, but it engages multiple senses: touch, sight, motor movement, and imagination. Using an old sheet or a large piece of cloth for the painting can add to the imaginative and creative ways your child can use their art (a tent, a cape). Provide as many opportunities as possible, with multiple options that allow them to choose their own path. That is the beauty of play.
Lynn Shugars, a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in assistive technologies, has published a list of Adaptive Play and Leisure activities online. Here are her “rules:”
- It should be FUN! Don’t turn it into work, or it won’t be enjoyable.
- It should be MOTIVATING. (This is often different from what teachers and parents think the student might enjoy).
- Expose a child to many toys and activities to determine what they like.
- Change activities often, but repeating activities is beneficial and highly recommended. This fosters memory skills and allows students to anticipate activities. (Visual Bingo, sorting games)
- Choose manipulative toys and activities. (Blocks, Duplos, large beads and string)
There are many websites, Facebook groups, and Pinterest pages dedicated to creating great play and learning spaces for children with challenges. Pathyways.org offers articles and videos about the importance of playtime. Another resource is a website called Growing Hands-on Kids.
Don’t limit yourself to what you read online! Creating toys and activities from everyday items allows children to see those everyday things as fun and usable and stimulates imagination in play. Getting creative with your child will create a model for how to work with objects in the world to keep things interesting and inventive. Engaging your child in the process of creating adaptive toys and activities might even make it easier to take a trip—you’ll find that all kinds of things that are readily available and inexpensive can become the perfect toy!
Go, explore, and stretch those creative muscles. It’s a whole new world of fun!