Kiddipedia
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How do you entertain a blind child?
When choosing a toy for a visually impaired child, look for toys with more than just visual appeal. You want to focus on looking for multi-sensory toys that focus on other senses besides vision. Think about how the toys you are looking at can be enjoyed, whether the child has an eye condition or not.
We’ve made a list of 7 toys to get you started:
1. Parum Pum Pum Drum Set
This drum set from B. Toys will stimulate your child’s sense of hearing and touch. It includes different bug-themed instruments like the jingle bell ant, caterpillar tambourine, centipede drumsticks, shaka-shaka eggs, and the busy bee maraca and clacker. Each component is vibrant and colourful and has been designed with textures, shapes, and curves that children will enjoy. All of the toys fit in the drum carrier, which comes with a soft strap for easy carrying.
2. Kinetic Sand
This really popular play material is every kid’s favourite because it’s so easy to shape and manipulate. Don’t be fooled by its name; it’s not like beach sand, but it’s soft and can be pulled, moulded, and squeezed. It is also mess-free; it only sticks to itself and not to hands or clothes. You can find it in most stores, but the Toyworld catalogue has 900 g of kinetic sand in assorted colours. If you have both a visually impaired and non-visually impaired child, you could buy a 2.5-kg bag of Bulk Sand or Swirl n’ Surprise in different colours.
3. Sensory Memory Matching Game
Among the best sensory toys for visually impaired children, you will find this Sensory Memory Matching game. It can be enjoyed alone or with friends. To start the game, all of the cards are flipped upside down. Then, each player has a turn to turn over two cards to find a match. At the end of the game, the player with the most matches wins! All 26 pairs of cards have a different and unique texture. Please encourage your child to feel and inspect the different sensory cards as they play.
4. Rhyme and Discover Book
With 6 pages, 3 light-up character buttons, and 4 movable pieces, this is one of the best toys for visually impaired infants. This interactive book is for learning and will engage most of your child’s senses. The buttons and knobs will help your toddler develop fine motor skills and stimulate their sense of hearing. It has 20 different songs, sounds, and phrases. It also has 7 nursery rhymes and questions to encourage your infant or toddler to think.
Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash
5. Teeter Popper
Do your kids love the popping sound of bubble wrap? This toy is a curved plastic board with suction cups all over it. Your child can stand, sit, or kneel and rock on the Teeter-Popper to make a popping sound. Children with impaired eyesight or blindness will love this unusual toy since it makes sound effects when moved across a smooth, flat surface. It will be a perfect addition to your child’s playroom and is excellent for physical rehabilitation and sensory integration.
6. Nintendo Wii Console
It’s not exactly a toy, but this console system has many games from Wii Sports and Wii Fit that are accessible to visually impaired and blind children. If you want to try a game made specifically for visually impaired people, try AudioOdyssey. The idea is that players, whether they have vision issues or not, can use the Wii’s motion-sensitive controllers to create a rhythm and add layers of music until they have a full beat. It requires players to produce layered beats for an imaginary crowd by imitating a DJ.
