Five Facts That Bode Well for Toy Industry

Here are five trends that bode well for the toy industry and offer opportunities for Children with Special Needs:

1. The increased use of technology in play products offers both adults and children with special needs the ability to use, enjoy, learn and grow through many of these new technological innovations.

2. There is a powerful trend to promote physical activities through everything from the Wii, to incorporating and encouraging physical movement in more toys and games.  Why?  Because according to the World Health Organization, obesity is now the No. 1 health problem for children and those with special needs carry an even higher risk factor.

3. Toys and play products are now delivering at record levels real developmental benefits — mental, physical or social.  Inventors, educators and engineers continue to amaze consumers with the creative ways they can structure toys and games to help children learn and grow.

4. Play products are bridging the gap between therapy and play and professionals are realizing there are toys out there that offer therapeutic goals quietly embedded in the play processes they promote.

5. Manufacturers are blending their creativity with current research (from brain development to innovative therapy) and delivering products that are cutting-edge, age appropriate and developmentally challenging.

Congratulations to all the engineers, creative and product development people, and both professional and kitchen-table inventors out there who strive to offer all children, including those with special needs, fun and exciting toys and play products that improve their lives.

Diary from a Lekotek Play Session

We interact with a lot of devoted mothers here at Lekotek but there are a few that really stand out because of the remarkable strides they take to get their children here to receive  therapeutic play sessions.  One single parent in particular fits this bill.  She has four children, three daughters and a son.  The young boy has a special need and demands a lot of attention in addition to being a flight risk.  Yet this mother brings all four children each month by taking two buses and then a train.  She is dedicated to the program and understands the value of play.  Even though her 5 year old son is not diagnosed, she is striving to help him advance in social skills, language, and play skills.

In addition to the Mom, it’s quite touching to watch the boy’s siblings play along and help model appropriate play skills.  Despite all this Mom has on her plate, she’s always so grateful for the patience the therapists show and the play ideas we give her to take home.  This single mother of four is committed to helping her son expand beyond his developmental delays and in doing so is an inspiration to us and other parents.

Watching her reminds me why I’m here at Lekotek and what we can do when we work as a team.  She makes me believe that every little victory we achieve in this child’s life is a victory for us all.