|
The Special Needs
Adaptable Product Award is given to products that can be used by
or easily adapted for children with special needs. The 2001 SNAP
Awards winners are:
On-The-Go
Musical Mobile
(Tiny
Love $19.95) Strap this spinning musical mobile that plays "How
Much Is That Doggie...?" onto your infant's carrier for gazing
at. You can pull the chick off and use it for a finger puppet for
baby to track. There's also a panda that straps to the side of the
carrier to hold baby's pacifier. (800) 843-6292.
 Kick
Start Busy Crib Center
(Playskool
$24.99) Attach this easy-to-activate toy to the crib rail. Tots
can kick or push the big red pad to start a see-through barrel spinning,
lights blinking, and a bit of music playing. There's a small mirror
as well as spinners and buttons to turn, and birdlike sounds when
light buttons are pushed. None of the sounds are loud, startling,
or intrusive. A good choice for motivating purposeful actions and
discoveries about cause and effect. (800) 752-9755.
Animal
Fun House
(International
Playthings $25) There's a different "lock" on each door
and a happy animal pops, wiggles, or spins as each one opens. Turn
the key, lift a latch, turn a dial, push to activate. Develops problem-solving
skills, memory, and dexterity. Activity: After kids have had plenty
of time to "know" who is hiding where, try a little memory
game. Have child ask you to find the cat, pup, or teddy. Switch
roles and ask child to find the cat. (800) 445-8347.
My
Turtle Friend
(Lego
Company $24.99) A big green turtle-shaped storage container comes
with 30 Lego Baby blocks. A see-through shell has one-size-fits-all
openings for dropping blocks in, and pegs for building on. This
is not a ride-on although it has wheels for moving about. Activity:
Spill all the blocks out and to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?"
play a singing game. "I found yellow, I found yellow, How about
you?... In goes the yellow! In goes the yellow! Can you find yellow,
too?" Repeat with other colors. (800) 453-4652.
Sparkling
Symphony Stacker
(Fisher-Price $14.99), a high-tech stacker, has a post with
twinkling lights and sounds as each ring is put on. Takes 3 AAs.
(800) 432-5437. Still top rated: Circus Rings (Sassy $6.99). Sassy's
plastic single-sized stacking rings have interesting patterns, colors,
and textures and fit in any order. (800) 323-6336. Lamaze Stacking
Rings (Learning Curve $19.99) are larger than Sassy's and are all
fabric. Each ring has a different pattern and sound, and stacks
in any order. (800) 704-8697.
Franklin
the Turtle's Follow Me Game
(Tiger $14.99) A follow-the-lights game like your old Simon,
but simple and slow, as a turtle should be. 4-6. (800) 844-3733.
Check-Up
Ernie
(Fisher-Price
$24.99) Of all the new talking Sesame Street dolls, this looks most
like a winner, but was not ready for testing. Ernie talks as your
child gives him a check-up. A fun way to work through pre-doctor
jitters. Also top-rated: Little People Eddie's Doctor's Visit ($12.99)
A pretend medical setting with doctor and patient who sneezes, coughs,
and says, "A-h-h!" (800) 432-5437.
Giant
Groovy Girls
(Manhattan
Toy $49.99) Move over, Raggedy Ann-here's a 40" child-sized
fabric doll that's like a permanent playdate/pretend play pal. She's
big enough to trade clothes with and has straps under her feet so
she's a dancing partner, too! Choose from three skin tones and blonde,
brown, or black yarn hair. We love the shirt that says, "Girls
Rule." Activity: Use the kid-size Groovy Girl for playing a
variation of Simon Says. Hold the doll in front of you moving the
doll as you say Groovy Girl says, "Touch your head"; Groovy
Girl says, "Touch your knees." Modeling with the doll
reinforces the names of body parts and listening skills. (800) 747-2454.
Feltland
Houses
(Small
World $12-25) Triangular and rectangular felt covered rooms can
be stacked and arranged side by side in a variety of ways. Brightly
colored rooms come with felt figures and furnishings. These are
small enough to fit on wheelchair tables. An open-ended toy for
dramatic play. For more elaborate dollhouses see other toy chapters.
(800) 421-4153.
Color
Wonder Paper and Markers
(Crayola $7.99) This new art material is ideal because the
chunky markers are colorless and won't stain anything. Best of all,
they have a magic quality and turn color as kids draw on the special
paper. They come with coloring books that keep color inside the
lines, which may be very satisfying for some, but we prefer the
open-ended paper that kids can use any way they like. Activity:
Draw letters or a heart of dots and have your child connect them.
(800) 272-9652.
 Snuggle
Pets
(tutti
bambini $14.99) Choose a die-cut cat, dolphin, pup, dino, or bunny
with prepunched holes, blunt tapestry needle, polyfill stuffing,
and colored yarn. Materials are washable and hypoallergenic. (800)
937-7578.
Wiggly
Worm Tunnel
(Playhut
$25) Kids use big motor skills as they crawl through a 5" long
Wiggly Worm tunnel with lots of legs, a happy face, and feelers
on top. Activity: Put a surprise at the far end of the tunnel to
motivate reluctant crawlers. (909) 869-8083.
Moses
Goes to School
(by
Issac Millman, Farrar, Straus & Giroux $16) An upbeat slice
of life book that follows Moses through the day in the special public
school he attends, where all the kids are deaf or hard of hearing.
This is a sequel to the even more remarkable, Moses Goes to a Concert,
which features a deaf percussionist and how Moses and his friends
"feel" the music.
PREVIOUSLY
RECOMMENDED SIGNING BOOKS: Handsigns (by Kathleen Fain, Chronicle),
all ages; Handtalk Zoo (by George Ancona & Mary Beth, Aladdin);
More Simple Signs (by Cindy Wheeler, Viking); Opposites & Happy
Birthday! (by Angela Bednarczyk & Janet Weinstock, Star Bright
Books).
Songames
for Sensory Integration
(Belle
Curve $24.99) Here's a collection of playful musical activities
for developing motor, language, and listening skills in child-appealing
ways. Both CDs and a booklet full of ideas for sensory integration
were developed by occupational therapists. (888) 357-5867.
|
