Handmade support item ideas to help children with developmental disabilities feel calm
Children with developmental disabilities each have their own unique personalities.
For example, some may have difficulty staying focused, or be sensitive to sensory input.
Here, we introduce ideas for materials and toys that are actually used in therapeutic settings.
Many are cute in appearance and pique children’s interest.
Please enjoy the process of making them while using these handmade support items to spend fun time with the children.
Give making fun, homemade toys a try to support your child’s growth!
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Handmade Support Item Ideas (1–10) That Help Calm Children with Developmental Disabilities
Yo-yo made with caps
The well-known “yo-yo” is actually great for developing children’s finger dexterity.
You can even make one with everyday materials.
Using their hands helps children improve their concentration, and watching how the yo-yo moves stimulates their senses and nurtures their sense of rhythm.
Here, we’ll show you how to make a yo-yo using a plastic bottle cap.
You can use other materials too, so feel free to craft variations that suit your child’s stage of development and enjoy making them together!
Drop-in game with a straw
“Straw drop” is a type of therapeutic play that supports children’s development.
Through this activity, kids can build fine motor skills and concentration.
By grasping straws and dropping them into holes, they also enhance hand–eye development and observation skills.
Recognizing colors and shapes and developing an interest in numbers stimulate their senses and cognitive abilities, making this a recommended support tool.
It also gives children a sense of achievement.
Since they can learn while having fun, try making your own version and enjoy it together with the kids!
Button play with colorful buttons
Button play is very effective for helping children practice using their fingers and energizing their brains.
By fastening and unfastening buttons, they develop fine motor skills.
Using both hands also teaches them how to coordinate and differentiate between the strength of the right and left hands.
Focusing on the activity may improve their concentration and stamina.
Choose button colors that match your child’s developmental stage and interests, and try making an original, handmade puzzle with a bit of creativity.
Enjoy it together with the children!
Kids with developmental disabilities can feel calm! DIY support item ideas (11–20)
Strikeout
A fun “struck-out” game that helps kids develop both physical movement and thinking skills.
It lets them practice judging distance to the target and supports physical development.
Another advantage is that, through “struck-out,” they can enjoyably improve motor skills and cognitive functions.
Playing with friends or adults also cultivates teamwork and a spirit of helping one another.
You can make a “struck-out” set using familiar materials, so try crafting one by hand to suit your children’s developmental stage!
Tangram
Tangrams are a fun and helpful tool for children’s development.
A “tangram” is like a puzzle where you combine several shapes to make new ones.
It nurtures the ability to recognize shapes, think in space, and use imagination.
As children create various figures, they use their hands while playing, which boosts concentration and helps calm the mind.
The charm of tangrams is that kids can develop many skills while having fun.
Try making your own homemade tangram and enjoy creating different shapes together with your child!
Handmade zipper teaching materials
@user8492253312849 Independent Project Production Log 24: ZipperTranslationHandmade teaching materialsSpecial Needs Education#AutismNeurodevelopmental disorderAfter-school day serviceTokachi
3:03 PM – Sharou
In therapy for child development, zippers are commonly used.
The zipper activity mainly aims to improve hand use.
It also supports children’s focus and their ability to do things on their own.
Especially for children with developmental disabilities, the motion of opening and closing a zipper is an important practice.
By repeating this motion, they become more aware of fine hand movements and gain more successful experiences.
This kind of practice is useful in daily life, too.
Here, we introduce a handmade zipper toy to make practicing with zippers more enjoyable.
Please have fun trying it together, tailored to your child’s developmental stage!
plastic bottle maracas
@welbe.co.jp Simple Craft Series: Plastic Bottle Maracas#NeurodevelopmentalDisordersParenting# developmental support (ryōiku)Habi
Good music – neguse.
Maracas are well-known instruments, but they actually help children learn while enjoying music.
In addition to improving their sense of rhythm and motor skills, exposure to music nurtures sensitivity and creativity.
Moreover, using instruments together enhances cooperation with peers and expressive abilities.
Through enjoyable moments, children’s hearts and minds grow richer.
Please value how music fosters growth of both mind and body.
Handmade maracas can be made from a variety of materials, so be sure to spend fun musical time with children using your own homemade maracas.