Need Santa More than Ever

This year we need the concept of Santa more than ever.   Despite your beliefs, the idea of some beneficent entity watching over us and finding each of us deserving of a present, a symbol of joy and goodness — well, that is really sort of nice.  The image of him placing our gift under the boughs of a beautiful, decorated tree feels kind of good during these uncertain times (especially when you are from Illinois like me!)

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my favorite experts from what I believe to be the consummate description of the Santa concept.  It is from a piece written in 1897 (and those were tough times for some also!) It was written by an editor of the NEW YORK SUN in response to a little girl named Virginia, sending a letter to the editor asking, … “is there a Santa Clause.”

Here are my favorite quotes:

“…how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.”

“The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.”

“You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.”

“No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

On behalf of AblePlay and all of us here toiling in our little workshops and working with children with special needs, we say –“You Go Santa Claus!”  Keep pushing toys, play and the power of imagination.  This world can use a dose of old-fashioned good, wonder and magic. Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!

Finding Value in All Things this Holiday Season

Initial reports are that consumers are, “making a list, checking it twice,” this holiday season.   That means that shoppers are becoming very targeted in their purchases.  According to PLAYTHINGS magazine, the Friday after Thanksgiving was busy, but most of the 73.6 million people buying were focused on “doorbuster” sales.  In other words, people were only buying those items that were a real VALUE.

Although we are all concerned about the economic downturn, there are perhaps a few positive outcomes from it.  To quote my friend, Lynn, “If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”  And here’s what I think one economic lesson is.   As a society we should become more focused on value rather than volume.  Conspicuous consumption leads to not respecting what we have.  It reminds me of scenes I have unfortunately witnessed of kids frantically ripping open one present only to toss it aside and move to the next one.  Where is the magic and wonder in that! 

I have tried to put this into effect with all my purchases this year, by thinking about what each and every item will contribute to my life, or if a gift, what it might contribute to the person I give it to.  If I struggle to answer this question, I don’t buy it.    

To editorialize a bit, that is really what www.ableplay.org is all about.  It offers new, exciting, current, off-the-shelf toys that provide real value. In addition to a product’s obvious “play value,” Ableplay helps give a far more worthwhile gift.  These toys help children develop the skills they need in life.  That’s really what the website is all about – where to find great play products and how to use them to help children with special needs develop cognitive, sensory, communicative or physical skills. 

So my themes this year are to shop for value, value the things I have, cherish and value the people in my life and finally to make buying decisions with a keen eye to what these purchases will really contribute to me and those I care about.

Giving Thanks More Important Than Ever This Year

As people sit down to their Thanksgiving dinners this year, they may be bringing with them a mind full of worries and concerns about the economy and its impact, real or potential, on their lives. 

Although it seems a difficult time for thanks I would argue it is perhaps the best time to look around with a grateful heart.  Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, asks us to focus on the half-full portion of the glass and to whisper a thought of gratitude before raising it to our lips.     

Here is a poem I came across by an unknown author that shares that sentiment and seems so relevant at this time.

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Power of Language

Now that the elections are over, I feel like I need to take a break from all the dialogue, language, speeches, news articles and countless words that have been uttered by candidates these last few months.

In thinking about all that was written and said, I could not help but reflect on the power of language and how important it is in our lives.  Children sometimes struggle to take those first steps towards the world of communicating, a world that consists of two very different skill sets – that of formulating words that express what we want … and that of being able to listen and understand what the other person is trying to convey.

Only after that is mastered can children learn how to blend and weave these two skills into a conversation – a real give and take.  That’s when things get interesting.  To quote Oliver Wendell Holmes:

“Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow.”

Once the verbal art of language has been achieved, we can humbly venture into the world of written language. 

Children with special needs can sometimes struggle with the challenges of conquering both the spoken aspects as well as the written elements of language.

Here at AblePlay we put a great deal of emphasis on helping children with disabilities to use toys to help achieve language skills.  The information on our website touches on so many solutions to address the goal of helping children communicate. We believe a great motivator for children to conquer language is through play.   Let me share just a few play items and how they can help children work on this important stage of development.

Bee Bop Band by Parents

• Use the instruments to represent feelings; have a child play out the way they feel. This is one way for a child to communicate feelings they may not be able to verbally explain.
• Children can pretend play with the insect instruments, encourage them to communicate with the sounds as well as words.
• Have 2 children sit together and take turns playing a rhythm. Have one child play, and the other reply once they have finished their “tune”. This kind of turn-taking introduces the idea of conversation: listening (receptive language) and replying (expressive language).

Dbd Play Pack – Social Skills for Small Groups by The Pencil Grip, Inc.

• Communication and appropriate interaction is encouraged that will help children learn conversation etiquette. An example is in the “Object Memory” activity. Children are given a short period of time to look at objects in a box. Then the box is taken away and they go around the circle verbally identifying objects they remember. Listening to others, waiting for your turn and responding are all worked on. Another activity is “Story Build” where children take turns to verbally add to a story.

Fridge Phonics™ Magnetic Letter Set by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.

• Receptive language is practiced as children are verbally given the instructions of the activities.
• Receptive and expressive languages are incorporated into activities such as “Telephone Charades” where children are lined up in a row and take turns acting out an object or whispering the name of the object to the next person.

So let the joy of play help your children work on these important skills and learn the power and the potential that language can bring to their lives.

And I’ll end this blog  with another reference to the elections with a great quote on language from a man whose job it was to work with words — the well known newscaster of the 1950’s, Edward R. Murrow.

 “Our major obligation is not to mistake slogan for solutions.”

Perhaps you will agree now that the elections are over, we need less language and more solutions.

Art combines creativity and therapy for children with special needs

Many virtues have been attributed to art and how it can contribute to our lives.  The therapeutic value of art has been explored and legitimized.  Some believe art has the ability to heal, transcend and transform.  It has been found to come from the right side of the brain and open up our creativity and ability to use our intuition. 

Regardless of the benefits of art, we know it is fun, it engages, and gratefully it is one medium where there is no right or wrong answer. 

Art is a way to work with children who have disabilities toward the achievement of all sorts of goals.  To name a few:

Eye-hand coordination
Fine motor skills
Color recognition
Sequential thought
Matching
Visual acuity
Action concepts

Freedom of expression is my favorite component of art where everything is acceptable and holds the potential for wonder.

In working with kids with special needs, our toy specialists at AblePlay have a few suggestions that can help enrich the experience:

1. Prepare an area where children can make a mess and spread out
2. No right or wrong (it’s OK to draw outside the lines)
3. Allow time for the creative process to evolve – be patient
4. Encourage, Praise and Display these creations and artistic expressions and create a gallery (that’s what refrigerator doors are meant for)
5. Finally, get involved yourself.  Kids learn more from example and you might enjoy it more than you realize

AblePlay is proud to offer some wonderful toys and play products for these budding artists. 

• Wikki Stix Activity Set
• Crayonball and Triwrite Crayons
• Ta Doodles Washable All-in-One Paint
• Model Magic Fushion – Outer Space Textures

So put on the old clothes, clear the kitchen table, turn on some inspiring music and unleash the captive artist in your kids and yourself.