As you ponder what gift item to buy for your special child this holiday, we have put together this article to help you choose the best toys for blind children.
Indeed, children with disabilities deserve all the care and attention of parents and loved ones. You must not make them feel different from other kids. So, toys are not exempted from the fun list for visually impaired children. And, of course, these toys also benefit the children in many other ways. There are different types of toys for blind children.
We shall discuss how to choose a toy for a visually impaired child. Also, we will list out the best toys that any child with low vision can enjoy.
How to choose toys for blind children
Before you hit the store, you must be aware of what to buy and what to avoid. Not all toys will fit a child that has vision issues. You must choose properly so that you can pick something that will engage the child fully. Let’s begin.
· Study the child’s preference
Visually impaired children don’t like the same things. Just as children with a complete vision, they also have their preferences. You may have seen a blind boy that loves toy cars, but your child wants something different. So, don’t just assume; go for what they love. You can even mark their gift in braille so that the child can easily pick out his/her gift from the pile.
· Choose the right stuffed animals or dolls
Make sure you consider all their senses when choosing a stuffed animal. Go for different textures of fur. They will also love interactive toys that produce sound. You can go for stuffed toys that can mimic the behaviour of real animals.
· Not all multi-player games are suitable
Since much multiplayer game contains visual elements, some toy vendors offer games that are of accessible version. They may include Monopoly Scrabble, Battleship, chess and many more. These accessible versions offer talking, tactile, high contrast and large print. The kids will also enjoy musical multiplayer games.
· They love art and craft
Many blind and visually impaired children love arts. All you need to do is to make it accessible by buying the right drawing kit for them. You can put the colours in containers and label them with braille. You can also get talking crayon sets that will call out the colours’ name to help the kids identify them.
· Consider sports and outdoor recreation
Get a toy from this category to help you explore your child’s athletic ability. You can purchase basketballs, kickballs, tennis set, volleyballs, footballs and many like it. The toy could have LED lights to make it glow in the dark or any other friendly feature for these special kids.
Top 10 Best Toys for Blind Children
1. PlanToys Braille Alphabet A-Z
This is a 26 piece braille alphabet and a necessary toy for blind kids. The two sides are available for use and as one side is upper case and the other is lower case. There is the braille symbol representing each letter on every piece. This is a great toy for teaching new words and spellings.
This braille is very durable as it is made from sustainable rubberwood and colours from vegetable dye. Children from age two and up will find this fun and also learn a lot. Asides from this being a good source of fun, the braille can also be used to label objects around the house.
2. Munchkin Mozart Magic cube
This toy offers the opportunity for blind children to enjoy good music and interactive play. It has buttons that produce eight classical music. The buttons on the cube represent the musical instrument. They include harp, French horn, piano, flute and violin act as a composer.
Kids can produce classic music sounds by adding and subtracting from any combination of their choice. There is also an orchestral button that plays all the sounds at once. This Mozart Magic cube has two levels of volume control. It has soft round corners that make it safe for your kid to hold. You only need to get 3 AAA batteries to enjoy the toy.
3. Talkin’ Sports Hilariously Interactive Toy Soccer Ball
Interactive sports toys help your blind kids explore their sporting abilities. This Talkin’ sport is a good choice of sports toys to fill that space. They are softballs that can be used by families to play backyard games with everyone involved. These balls have intelligent sensors that recognize actions and responds with hilarious sayings.
Kids can play catch and throw. They can shake the sporty balls to start a song or tap for the sounds of the game. There are balls for different types of sport. Every sporty ball has over two songs about the sport and over 40 phrases and sound effects. This ball is suitable for one year old and older kids.
4. Lamaze Octotunes Musical Stuffed Baby Toy
This musical stuffed toy makes kids merry. It has eight tentacles, and each colourful tentacle has unique musical notes that can be heard when squeezed. Its softness helps kids learn through touch and feel. If you have a blind kid that loves stuffed animal toys, this is a great choice. Hearing the sounds coming from each squeeze will keep them merry as they learn to mix songs from squeezing the octopus.
5. Coogam Matching Eggs
This exceptional toy comes in a package that contains 12 white eggs with colourful interiors. The interiors have an embossed shape. It is made with quality materials that are equally safe for kids. They are not too tight or too loose. The kids can open and close the eggs easily. You can open all the eggs and have the kids match them back together. Kids with visual difficulty can easily trace out the shapes with their fingers and match them together. It is suitable for kids from 3 years and up. Coogam Matching Eggs is also travel-easy as it only weighs 14 oz.
6. Sensory Buckle Pillow
Sensory Buckle Pillow is also one of the best toys for blind kids. It helps them develop fine motor skills that will be useful in their daily lives. This toy comes with zippers, buckles, latches, snaps, buttons and laces. It is a perfect toy to keep them engaged in the house, on the plane, or in the car. They can feel the pillow buckles or laces and trace the connection with their sense of touch and feel. It was ideally formulated for kids with special needs. And it will give them the necessary skill they need to handle their shoelaces, bag zippers and buckles as they grow. The sensory Buckle Pillow is suitable for kids between the age of 3-7 years.
7. Excellerations TM Touch and Match Sensory
It contains ten different texture cylinders with one board. The kids will have to match the texture in the cylinder to the texture on the board. This helps improve their sense of touch and feel. It also enhances their association skills, which is one important reason to get toys for blind children. TM Touch and Match Sensory Board is made from wood and is about 11 inches in length and 4 inches in width. The board weighs only 12.6 ounces, which makes it lightweight for kids.
8. Karaoke Machine for Kids
Musical play like this will help boost the child’s self-esteem, so it is another special item of o the list of toys for blind children this Music player. There are 100 preloaded nursery rhymes that the robot will play to help your kids display their talent. The karaoke machine also flashes colourful lights to improve the child’s performance. It has a built-in voice changer that gives kids the hilarious voice to spike up their fun. There are separate volume controls and allows wireless music connectivity.
9. Ehome Toddler Musical Instrument
This natural wood musical set includes shaking, beating, taping, and blowing instruments. There are no paintings on the wood, so it is non-toxic and safe for children. It comes in a high-quality, easy-to-clean bag. It will make a perfect gift item for kids. If you notice your child’s interest in music, buying musical toys for blind children like this will help the child recognize sound per object.
10. PlanToys USA Braille Numbers
This is a collection of wood tiles that offer tactile learning of numbers. The toys allow kids to identify number imprints and braille symbols. One side has 1-10 numbers, and the other side has corresponding leaf imprints. Each tile is about 2 ½ × 3 inches and is suitable for kids from 2 years and above.
These top ten toys for blind children are recommended for you to keep them engage and help them develop the necessary skills. Make sure you purchase the one that is most suitable for your child. Kids with visual difficulties must develop other sensory organs like the tactile sensory organ to help them do daily activities.