Last week we posted up some present ideas for disabled and older people, (and with just one week to go until Christmas…eek!), we thought we would also share our ideas for disabled children!
For many disabled children, the typical ‘top 10 must have toys of the year!’ are not of interest, or are not appropriate. My own daughter, for example, experiences the world in a primarily sensory way. She loves all sensational things, from the wind and rain on her face to the sound of music or the wind in the trees.
Thinking of the right gift can be so tricky so we’ve put together a list of the gifts we’ve enjoyed in previous years, and some we’ve added to Santa’s letter this year:
Sensory Ideas
ChewiGem Toy Remote
https://www.chewigem.co.uk/product/toy-remote-chewigem/
Many kids with sensory needs enjoy the feedback of chewing on things, much like you might distractedly chew the end of a pencil or the toggle of your hoodie. My daughter has always made a beeline for the TV control, so this little chewable remote, with it’s rubbery buttons, has been a huge hit!
Cloud B Twilight Turtle Nightlight
https://www.cloudb.com/us/twilight-turtle-classic-mocha
We’ve found this to be a great subtle nightlight, with 3 colour options, which creates a simple static projection of stars onto the wall and ceiling. It has a very easy on/off push button for kids who are able to operate simple switches, and it switches itself off after 20 minutes. It is robust, and is battery operated so has no trailing wires. One of the benefits is that it’s pretty portable, so we often take it if we stay away from home and it instantly transforms a strange darkened bedroom into somewhere more familiar.
(The link is to the company’s main US page but they are available to buy from various UK retailers).
Happy Hopperz
https://www.happyhopperz.co.uk/xl-happyhopperz
A toy cunningly disguised as a piece of physio equipment!?
A space hopper type toy but more stable than the old style and almost like a physio peanut. Great for developing core strength and providing vestibular stimulation in the form of bouncing and rocking. This is one of the few ride on toys that you can get in larger sizes for bigger kids!
Books with disabled characters
The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/t/the-christmasaurus/
We have read this for a 2nd time this Christmas and are excited to see there’s also a sequel, the Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch! My son in particular loved a the christmassy story with a dinosaur and a hero who is a wheelchair user like his sister!
Cyborg Cat and the Night Spider by Ade Adepitan
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/c/cyborg-cat-and-the-night-spider/
This is a new book by Ade Adepitan about a wheelchair user superhero and is on our Christmas list this year!
Usborne Noisy Book series
https://usborne.com/browse-books/catalogue/series/1/371/noisy-books/
For a more sensory option, the Noisy Touchy Feely Santa book and the Noisy Orchestra are big favourites in our house. They are great robust board books with easy to turn pages and the fab sounds. I love the crunching of Santa’s feet on the snowy rooftops!
Practical gifts
Bundlebean
https://www.bundlebean.com/buy-now/wheelchair-range/
My daughter has had various cosy toes, but our favourite and most versatile cosy by far has been our Bundlebean! It’s a fleece backed showerproof blanket, with simple elastic and velcro straps, making it a universal fit for various different specialist buggies and wheelchairs, and doesn’t interfere with foot and leg positioning straps.
Incy Wincy Swimming
https://www.incywincy.net/collections/incontinence-swimwear
If you have a child who loves swimming as much as mine do, who is now too large for disposable swim nappies, this company has a great range of different costume styles with built in incontinence protection!
Spoke Guards
We love these arty spoke guards to make your self propel wheelchair unique and gorgeous!
The Gro Company Grobag
https://gro.co.uk/product/grobag-baby-sleep-bag/
For kids who kick off their covers in the night, did you know the Gro Company make their Grobags to fit up to age 10? They have various funky patterns and the travel style ones have a zip which allows for feeding tubes and night time pad changes too!
Remember, gifts don’t have to be expensive, or even physical objects, often an experience can be the best present of all, spending time together, tickets to a show, going on an outing or maybe a membership to a favourite place?
Merry Christmas from all of the team at Care Designs!
