The ADHD Child Can Play - Toys for Children with ADHD

Childhood should be playful. Play is said to be the				child with ADHD has been overly aggressive with
work of children. But, sometimes, the ability to play				other children, acting out the
becomes strained when children have conditions such				consequences with animal puppets can offer a more
as Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without				painless and effective lesson.Record it - Getting the
hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD).Part of living with a child				performances down on tape gives everyone more
with ADHD is to understand the special needs of				opportunities to laugh and enjoy it all over again.
these				There's a difference between
children in order to maintain a happy and healthy				taping the children playing at creating the
balance. This includes the				performance and "making a movie" of the
necessity of selecting the right playthings so				show, and both are wonderful to watch again and
playtime activities do not become more				again. Taping the children at play
stressful by conflicting with what these children can				shows their performance, as well as the
comfortably manage and enjoy.				behind-the-scenes preparation. Making a
One way we've heard ADHD described is that it's a				movie is just a matter of trying to capture what the
performance disorder and not a				audience would see. All you have
deficiency of knowledge or skill. It is primarily				to do is prepare the children for the scene and start
manifested as a set of symptoms that				and stop the camera at the right
interfere with the ability to focus on a task and get				times - and move on. You can even start with a title
it completed.Child psychologists and psychiatrists				card the children can make for
value the importance of play in therapy for				the show - using their own artistic skills.If the child
children with ADHD. The right types of play allow				acts out while taping is underway, continue shooting,
children to express themselves in				but keep your
ways they can't do otherwise. Play within the right				reprimands to a minimum. Put your energy into
context and with the right				trying to refocus the child's
supervision can also improve a child's focusing abilities				attention toward continuing the performance or
and help him or her to learn				easing into a hastier conclusion.
the basics of getting along more cooperatively with				Later, when viewing the tape, the child may be able
other children. Medical attention				to see problem behaviors more
for proper diagnosis and consideration of medication				clearly, rather than focusing more on your
are certainly the core of				anger.Dollhouses and activity sets - Playing with dolls
treatment of ADHD. But in many situations, proper				and action figures is another
managing of a child's				valuable opportunity for pretend play. Dollhouses,
environment and activities can do a lot to keep the				toy pirate ships, castles,
symptomatic behavior under				firehouses, farms and other traditional activity sets
control.A toy doesn't have to be full of moving or				have the magic to let children
electronic parts to stimulate a child's				get lost in their imaginations. Even the more popular
imagination. Children with ADHD often have difficulty				activity sets based on movies
with multi-step instructions				and TV shows allow the same opportunities. And
and have an inability to stay focused on the task at				don't forget what imaginations can
hand. They frequently become				do with boxes, blocks and anything that can
frustrated with themselves in these situations. Toys				become the setting for a creative play
can be very simple and still do a				session.Blocks - Toys for children with ADHD should
better job of keeping a child focused and				be simple and encourage the use of
entertained as well as giving them an				their imaginations, and one of the most basic of
outlet to express their feelings. Two such toy				toys is building blocks. Block play
categories are pretend play and art				can be great for many ages. From simple stack-up
supplies.The flexibility of these traditional play				and knock-over fun to
activities can be as simple or involved as the				imaginative building. Blocks teach problem-solving
opportunity permits. So, because these types of				skills, because a child discovers
play are events of totally variable				how stacking and matching can produce different
lengths, a child can complete the activity and feel a				results. They can also become
sense of accomplishment and				components of pretend play, because a child can
build confidence.Another advantage of pretend play				fantasize what the structures are.
and artistic activities for children with ADHD is				There are also big foam blocks that are almost "life
that these categories of play allow parents and				size" and let children create
caregivers to provide positive				their own fantasy playhouses. These lightweight
feedback and reinforcement that is invaluable in				blocks are so versatile, they can be
keeping the child focused...and				climbed on or tunneled under. Magnetic block and
invaluable for the child's self esteem.Pretend Play -				construction sets have pieces
Children of almost every age enjoy pretend play and				that connect in more ways than can conventional
benefit from the				plastic snap-together blocks and
exploration of feelings that it affords. Dolls and				allow even more imaginative opportunities. We also
action figures, puppets, costumes				carry a selection of traditional
and even blocks are all toy categories that allow a				and colorful wooden blocks that are full of fantasy
child to fantasize and act out				building opportunities.Blocks, like many traditional toys,
situations. Under the right supervision, children with				have other educational advantages for a child with
ADHD can learn the value of				ADHD. The number of positive outcomes is limitless,
considering the consequences of their actions. As				so children can continue
they decide what happens next in				playing until they've reached a level of personal
their fantasy, they can get a better understanding				satisfaction. Whether the child is
of how others react to certain				building with traditional blocks or shoeboxes, try to
actions. In situations where you can encourage them				show interest in every
to finish their story line, you				structure. Encourage the child to name creations,
also can help them get used to following through on				even if it's simply Wobbly Land or
a task.Drama - Dramatic activities such as skits,				Crazy Tower. Showing interest without criticism
recitations, puppet shows and simple				offers your child valuable, long-
storytelling can let a child concentrate on being a				lasting affirmation.Art Activities - Any medium such
different character for a short				as crayons, markers, chalk, paint and clay can give
time. Put a costume on them and watch how quickly				a child a wealth of expressive opportunities.
they start getting into				Sometimes you may want to suggest a
character. However, it may take direction from you				subject idea to get them started. Art supplies are
to keep them focused and				some of the least expensive
enjoying the event.Costumes need not be elaborate				educational toys you can provide. Gwynn used to
to let a child be another character. It need only be				bring home old stationery and
representational. A single feather in a headband, a				unused printed samples to give her children a virtually
necktie, a hat, sunglasses,				unlimited supply of art
scrubs or even just a sign or patch fastened to				paper. She'd also purchase low-end copy paper,
clothing is enough to let a child jump				offering the kids free rein on a
into another role. Let the child use his or her				giant stack of blank paper.And here's something you
imagination to help find costume				can try on a big scale. Sid used to get leftover paper
pieces as part of the dramatic play process. And
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				backside out, to give the children blank giant-size
closet" 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
Putting together a costume for				selection of folding, double-sided and
Halloween was always a big event. On top of that,				adjustable easels that provide a convenient supply
living in New Orleans offered				of 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 -
make up scenarios that could				There are many books that can hold a child's
happen in the space.At The Creativity Institute, we				attention. The 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				sales and community book
tent, 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
types of play spaces. Our big foam blocks are large				who is easily distracted.The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
enough to construct make-				listed the top toys for children with attention-deficit/
believe buildings and tunnels a child can climb over				hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and included, among
and 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
skills.Puppet shows - Puppets allow a child to act out				Health 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				After ruling out other possible
to puppetry with puppets and				reasons for the child's behavior, the specialist checks
puppet theaters. You'll find links to script resources				the child's school and medical
on 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
MacDonald and seven barnyard animal puppets and				handpick 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				benefits of nurturing creativity
providing enough structure for the				can be profound, offering children tools for success
event that will let the children have a greater sense				in all endeavors athletic, artistic
of 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
				wonderfully zany and significantly
lots of opportunities for learning about inappropriate				creative children.
behaviors. For example, if a

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The ADHD Child Can Play - Toys for Children with ADHD