Toy Guides for Special Needs Kids
Shopping for age-appropriate toys for kids, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews can be tricky business. The age recommendations on the toy boxes help if you’re buying for a child whose mental development follows the typical growth curve. But those suggestions aren’t nearly so instructive if the child you’re shopping for is developmentally delayed. So what’s a consumer to do?
Toys R Us
According to this video news report, savvy consumers can visit www.toysrus.com to read an article about the company’s toy guide for special needs kids. It rates products according to developmental age rather than chronological age. The website provides both links to the online guide and ordering information for the print version.
Parents’ Choice Foundation
Another organization tackling the issue on behalf of special needs kids is the Parents’ Choice Foundation. According to an article in the December 13, 2009 issue of USA Weekend, Parents’ Choice and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, a research, patient care and special education organization, recently teamed up to select the best toys available for special needs children. (One toy they recommend is the Oball, pictured above.) Go to parents-choice.org to learn more about their rating system and to read a great article about how to select toys for special needs kids.
If you use the guides to buy gifts for your special needs child, leave a comment about how they did or didn’t help. Your experiences will give other parents insight about how to choose the best gifts possible for their very special kids.
Happy shopping,
Jolene Philo
