The ADHD Child Can Play - Toys for Children with ADHD

Childhood should be playful. Play is said to be the work				child with ADHD has been overly aggressive with
of children. But, sometimes, the ability to play becomes				other children, acting out the
strained when children have conditions such as				consequences with animal puppets can offer a more
Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity				painless and effective lesson.Record it - Getting the
(ADD/ADHD).Part of living with a child with ADHD is to				performances down on tape gives everyone more
understand the special needs of these				opportunities to laugh and enjoy it all over again.
children in order to maintain a happy and healthy				There's a difference between
balance. This includes the				taping the children playing at creating the performance
necessity of selecting the right playthings so playtime				and "making a movie" of the
activities do not become more				show, and both are wonderful to watch again and
stressful by conflicting with what these children can				again. Taping the children at play
comfortably manage and enjoy.				shows their performance, as well as the
One way we've heard ADHD described is that it's a				behind-the-scenes preparation. Making a
performance disorder and not a				movie is just a matter of trying to capture what the
deficiency of knowledge or skill. It is primarily				audience would see. All you have
manifested as a set of symptoms that				to do is prepare the children for the scene and start
interfere with the ability to focus on a task and get it				and stop the camera at the right
completed.Child psychologists and psychiatrists value				times - and move on. You can even start with a title
the importance of play in therapy for				card the children can make for
children with ADHD. The right types of play allow				the show - using their own artistic skills.If the child acts
children to express themselves in				out while taping is underway, continue shooting, but
ways they can't do otherwise. Play within the right				keep your
context and with the right				reprimands to a minimum. Put your energy into trying
supervision can also improve a child's focusing abilities				to refocus the child's
and help him or her to learn				attention toward continuing the performance or easing
the basics of getting along more cooperatively with				into a hastier conclusion.
other children. Medical attention				Later, when viewing the tape, the child may be able to
for proper diagnosis and consideration of medication				see problem behaviors more
are certainly the core of				clearly, rather than focusing more on your
treatment of ADHD. But in many situations, proper				anger.Dollhouses and activity sets - Playing with dolls
managing of a child's				and action figures is another
environment and activities can do a lot to keep the				valuable opportunity for pretend play. Dollhouses, toy
symptomatic behavior under				pirate ships, castles,
control.A toy doesn't have to be full of moving or				firehouses, farms and other traditional activity sets
electronic parts to stimulate a child's				have the magic to let children
imagination. Children with ADHD often have difficulty				get lost in their imaginations. Even the more popular
with multi-step instructions				activity sets based on movies
and have an inability to stay focused on the task at				and TV shows allow the same opportunities. And
hand. They frequently become				don't forget what imaginations can
frustrated with themselves in these situations. Toys				do with boxes, blocks and anything that can become
can be very simple and still do a				the setting for a creative play
better job of keeping a child focused and entertained				session.Blocks - Toys for children with ADHD should
as well as giving them an				be simple and encourage the use of
outlet to express their feelings. Two such toy				their imaginations, and one of the most basic of toys
categories are pretend play and art				is building blocks. Block play
supplies.The flexibility of these traditional play activities				can be great for many ages. From simple stack-up
can be as simple or involved as the				and knock-over fun to
opportunity permits. So, because these types of play				imaginative building. Blocks teach problem-solving skills,
are events of totally variable				because a child discovers
lengths, a child can complete the activity and feel a				how stacking and matching can produce different
sense of accomplishment and				results. They can also become
build confidence.Another advantage of pretend play				components of pretend play, because a child can
and artistic activities for children with ADHD is				fantasize what the structures are.
that these categories of play allow parents and				There are also big foam blocks that are almost "life
caregivers to provide positive				size" and let children create
feedback and reinforcement that is invaluable in				their own fantasy playhouses. These lightweight
keeping the child focused...and				blocks are so versatile, they can be
invaluable for the child's self esteem.Pretend Play -				climbed on or tunneled under. Magnetic block and
Children of almost every age enjoy pretend play and				construction sets have pieces
benefit from the				that connect in more ways than can conventional
exploration of feelings that it affords. Dolls and action				plastic snap-together blocks and
figures, puppets, costumes				allow even more imaginative opportunities. We also
and even blocks are all toy categories that allow a				carry a selection of traditional
child to fantasize and act out				and colorful wooden blocks that are full of fantasy
situations. Under the right supervision, children with				building opportunities.Blocks, like many traditional toys,
ADHD can learn the value of				have other educational advantages for a child with
considering the consequences of their actions. As				ADHD. The number of positive outcomes is limitless,
they decide what happens next in				so children can continue
their fantasy, they can get a better understanding of				playing until they've reached a level of personal
how others react to certain				satisfaction. Whether the child is
actions. In situations where you can encourage them				building with traditional blocks or shoeboxes, try to
to finish their story line, you				show interest in every
also can help them get used to following through on a				structure. Encourage the child to name creations, even
task.Drama - Dramatic activities such as skits,				if it's simply Wobbly Land or
recitations, puppet shows and simple				Crazy Tower. Showing interest without criticism
storytelling can let a child concentrate on being a				offers your child valuable, long-
different character for a short				lasting affirmation.Art Activities - Any medium such as
time. Put a costume on them and watch how quickly				crayons, markers, chalk, paint and clay can give
they start getting into				a child a wealth of expressive opportunities.
character. However, it may take direction from you to				Sometimes you may want to suggest a
keep them focused and				subject idea to get them started. Art supplies are
enjoying the event.Costumes need not be elaborate				some of the least expensive
to let a child be another character. It need only be				educational toys you can provide. Gwynn used to
representational. A single feather in a headband, a				bring home old stationery and
necktie, a hat, sunglasses,				unused printed samples to give her children a virtually
scrubs or even just a sign or patch fastened to				unlimited supply of art
clothing is enough to let a child jump				paper. She'd also purchase low-end copy paper,
into another role. Let the child use his or her				offering the kids free rein on a
imagination to help find costume				giant stack of blank paper.And here's something you
pieces as part of the dramatic play process. And				can try on a big scale. Sid used to get leftover paper
don't restrict them to the costume				billboards from the local outdoor company and tack
box. Colanders make great space helmets.When Sid's				them on his backyard fence,
children were growing up, they had a "costume closet"				backside out, to give the children blank giant-size
with an				panels for murals. The change in
assortment of coats, brightly colored shirts, hats and				scale of their artist's canvas gets them thinking of
accessories such as scarves,				possibilities in a different
belts, wigs and, of course, masks. If an article of				perspective and keeps them intrigued for hours.
clothing became outdated, before				Another way to give structure to art
disposing of it, they'd consider its costume potential.				activities is with their own easel. We carry a selection
Putting together a costume for				of folding, double-sided and
Halloween was always a big event. On top of that,				adjustable easels that provide a convenient supply of
living in New Orleans offered				paper and drawing surfaces in
them Mardi Gras as a second costuming event each				a self-contained, accessible environment.One rule of
year.Playhouses and play tents - Giving a child a				thumb to follow to help inspire your kids to express
space of his or her own is a great way to				themselves is to
encourage imaginative pretend play. Whether it's				encourage all efforts. Today's crooked stick figure
stretching a sheet over dining				could lead to tomorrow's
room chairs to make a house or a purchased indoor				Picasso. Most important, artistic expression is highly
or outdoor playhouse or play				therapeutic to your child, even
tent with a theme, a child is free to role-play and				if it doesn't happen to please your eye.Books - There
make up scenarios that could				are many books that can hold a child's attention. The
happen in the space.At The Creativity Institute, we				public library is
carry several types of playhouses, play tents and				a great start and your librarian can help you. Garage
tunnels in themes that include a teepee, theater tent,				sales and community book
castle and military				fairs are a great way to build a library of your own.
camouflage. We also carry puppet theaters that can				Collections of rhymes, poems or
double as play stores and other				short stories are a good way to start with a child who
types of play spaces. Our big foam blocks are large				is easily distracted.The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio listed
enough to construct make-				the top toys for children with attention-deficit/
believe buildings and tunnels a child can climb over and				hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and included, among
under. We also have play				other things, a magnetic
panels that can be moved around to create an				construction set, a tree-house-theme dollhouse play
ever-changing mix of play				set, a decorate-it-yourself
environments. This type of pretend play is also				birdfeeder, board games and a simple, basic rubber
conducive to playing with others,				ball. Oppenheim also suggested
offering an opportunity for a child to develop those				the toy general categories of dramatic play and
all-important socialization				artistic activities.*The National Institute of Mental Health
skills.Puppet shows - Puppets allow a child to act out				recommends that if ADHD is suspected, the
many different roles and have fun				diagnosis should be made by a professional with
with character voices. There are many sources for				training in ADHD. This includes
skits that can be adapted to the				child psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental
puppet stage and even ready-to-perform scripts in				behavioral pediatricians,
your library and on the Web. At				behavioral neurologists and clinical social workers.
The Creativity Institute, we have a section devoted to				After ruling out other possible
puppetry with puppets and				reasons for the child's behavior, the specialist checks
puppet theaters. You'll find links to script resources on				the child's school and medical
the Internet, puppeteer tips				records and talks to teachers and parents who have
and even a free sample scripts we adapted for the				filled out a behavior rating scale
puppet stage. To make it easier				for the child. A diagnosis is made only after all this
to get started, we've bundled together puppets and				information has been
puppet theater packages and				considered.After a combined six decades of
even grouped puppet casts with accompanying				developing award-winning advertising, creative
scripts, ready to perform. There's an				directors Gwynn Torres and Sid Berger decided to
Aesop's Fables Puppet Starter Set with five puppets				spread creativity beyond the
and four fables adapted to the				world of marketing. They founded an online
puppet stage. There's also an Old MacDonald Puppet				educational toy store specializing in
Starter Set with Farmer				toys that nurture creativity in children. They handpick
MacDonald and seven barnyard animal puppets and				each toy for its potential for
an accompanying script of the				developing vital creative resources in your child. The
song. Again, your direction will be invaluable in providing				benefits of nurturing creativity
enough structure for the				can be profound, offering children tools for success in
event that will let the children have a greater sense of				all endeavors athletic, artistic
accomplishment and stay				or academic. Gwynn and Sid are also accomplished
interested longer.And because puppets offer a				musicians and songwriters, and
degree of separation from real issues, they can offer				between them they have managed to produce five
lots of opportunities for learning about inappropriate				wonderfully zany and significantly
behaviors. For example, if a				creative children.

Odd Kidout

The ADHD Child Can Play - Toys for Children with ADHD