Written by Ella Woodward¦ Playtime is one of the most precious and vital experiences that any child can have, and is something that all disabled children should be able to enjoy on a regular basis, to boost their mental and physical well-being.
Spending time playing with your disabled child each day will not only help them have lots of fun, it will also help to bolster their mental and physical development, their communication skills, and their confidence.
With that goal in mind, here are a number of safe and enjoyable playtime activities you can try with your child, both at home and out and about.
Introduce Messy Playtime
A guaranteed way to bring a beaming smile to your child’s face is to introduce some messy play activities.
For instance, making ‘fairy soup’ is a safe – and magical – messy play idea; all you need is water, different shades of food colouring, edible glitter, and herbs, fruit and vegetable slices, or even edible flowers. Mix them all together, and there you have it: soup that both fairies – and children – can enjoy.
Another popular messy play idea is to make your own edible finger paints. Not only are they vibrantly coloured and easy to prepare, but you can also rest assured that these paints won’t cause any harm should your child put their fingers in their mouth.
Create A Treasure Basket
If it’s raining outside, or if your child is not feeling up to doing anything too active, you can create a special treasure basket for them to explore. This kind of sensory activity is particularly beneficial for babies and younger children.
All you need to do is fill a basket with different objects – such as wooden or cloth toys, rattles, ribbons, pine cones, balls, and measuring cups. Take care to choose safe, age-appropriate items that cannot cause choking or pose any other threat to your child’s safety.
Once your basket is prepared, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your child marvel at their new basket full of treasures.
Take A Trip To Your Local Accessible Playpark
Paying a visit to your local accessible play area is a great way to play with your child, and is an activity they can enjoy even if they require a wheelchair or crutches to move around.
If you worry about the logistics of making your way there, you can make the journey more convenient with the help of a wheelchair accessible vehicle (or WAV). Allied Mobility offers a range of WAVs to choose from, including wheelchair accessible vehicles for hire if you don’t want to buy outright.
Getting outdoors and interacting with other children while enjoying accessible play area facilities will not only provide plenty of entertainment for your child, but will also enhance their social skills. They may even make some new best friends along the way.
Tell A Sensory Tale
Last but not least, if you want to find a fun and novel way to make your child more comfortable with different stimuli, then sensory stories provide the ideal solution.
If you’re wondering how to tell a sensory tale, all you need is your child’s favourite storybook and some tangible items that match what is being described in the text. For example, toy animals can be used to represent animals in the story, or some different fabrics, materials and substances could mimic sensations or objects from the book.
Creating this kind of tactile story-book landscape is a wonderful way to boost their development and make story-time even more fun and engaging for both you and your child.