Every year, around this time, lots of parents are fretting over what to buy their kids. Which toy will they like? Which one will they play with for more than two minutes? Which toy will help them learn something….anything? These questions are even harder when you have a child who has a delay of some kind. Which toys will help my child with their early intervention goals?
Toys “R” Us is always a good place to begin, but few people realize that this huge toy store company has a toy guide specifically for children with developmental delays. It is called the Toys “R” Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids.
For the past twenty years, Toy “R” Us has published this easy to use guide, with a celebrity spokesperson to help spread the word. It has symbols to indicate which skills are targeted with each toy. These symbols include Language, Social, Motor, Self-Esteem, Thinking, and more. Toy “R” Us, with the help of The National Lekotek Center, evaluates hundreds of toys and selects the best ones for this resource.
You can find the guide at Toys “R” Us stores. Also, every year, in September, the guide is sent out through the US Mail. You can add your address to their mailing list by emailing your information to differentlyabled@toysrus.com.
It is available online at www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled. Through the website, you can search for toys by category, then narrow it down by age, price, or theme. You can order the toys directly from the website or create a wish list for your children. This feature can help other family members pick out gifts that will focus on your child’s needs.
The Differently-Abled website also has other tabs with more resources. There are two very valuable ones that can really help during the gift giving season; Safe Play Tips and Toy Buying Tips for children with special needs. These tips address areas like accessibility, adjustability, your child’s abilities, etc.
The Toys “R” Us Toy guide for Differently-Abled Kids is a wonderful resource for any parent, even if your child doesn’t have a developmental delay. Have a safe and happy holiday!
Early Intervention Services are county, state and federally funded and are FREE for children ages 0-3yrs.
For more information contact: bdorsch@pedtp.com
Pediatric Therapy Professionals is a paid advertiser in this publication. We support the work they do and are happy to connect our readers with their services.
