When selecting toys and games, keep two goals in mind: teaching a disabled child how to play, and playing alongside him or her.
The key is to choose ordinary toys—simple, sturdy, and colorful. Let the child's own interests guide you. For a child with severe difficulties, look for toys that can awaken the senses and, where possible, stimulate intelligence and motor development.
Sound Games:
- musical toys
- music boxes
- rattles and small bells (for infants)
- tambourines, maracas, musical sticks
- xylophones
- sound-effect recordings of everyday life (sound bingo games)
- record players, tape recorders
Stimulation Games:
- bingo
- memory games
- shape sorters
- puzzles
- ring stacking toys
- electronic toys with cause-and-effect links (simple multi-function cars or remote-controlled vehicles)
- computer games for sensory development (many exist for people with disabilities).
Games with Shapes, Colors, and Textures:
- shape-sorting box with holes of different shapes
- soft, colored balls
- blocks in wood, fabric, or other materials
- painted wooden animals
- soft rubber animals (squeezable, for small children)
- wooden games with tracks for rolling marbles
- wind-up toys that move when activated
- large colored beads or buttons strung on thick plastic cord
- cause-and-effect toys: press one spot and a clown pops out or jumps from a box
- jack-in-the-box with clown or jester
- spinning tops
- scent bingo games
- textured play mats
- touch-and-learn books with shapes, colors, buttons, snaps, and zippers (fabric books)
- stacking rings on a base
Motor Skills Games:
- hoops
- wagons and wheelbarrows
- tricycles
- toy workbench (miniature) with tools for hammering, screwing, and unscrewing
- collapsible tunnel (with rings and fabric)
- toy boxes, fabric tents
- mirrors
- long cushions, foam cushions
- hard foam blocks, etc.