Page 32 - SEN107 SEN Magazine July-August 2020

Karen Hirst discusses various ways in which children with vision impairments can stay active at home and learn through play. Home schooling through play: Fun and games for children with vision impairment A s families everywhere come to terms with the varied demands of home schooling during coronavirus, it’s worth remembering the role that play has in helping children grow and develop. For parents of children with vision impairment, finding play-based activities that support development and learning whilst at home during lockdown doesn’t have to be a challenge. Inspiration can often be found in everyday items. Learning in the home At home the right environment is key to a happy playtime. If you have space, set up a well-lit corner that is your child’s to explore. Incorporate good lighting, perhaps near a window, with space for movement and a range of stimulating activities. Rotate toys so there is always something new to explore and keep them within easy reach so that your child’s movements can create an effect. For example, suspend toys above children lying down, or use a container to keep objects together on a tabletop. If toys roll out of reach, try to take your child to the toy, rather than bringing the toy back to your child. If your child has a thirst for adventure, let them explore the house using touch, taste, sound, smells and any useful vision. A wooden spoon and an upturned saucepan becomes a drum, a cardboard box can be a car, house or rocket. Create a treasure basket of interesting shapes and textures. Place a range of objects, such as keys, an orange, a piece of ribbon into a basket or container and let your children explore. You can also adapt and create your own accessible toys with a little imagination. If your child’s favourite book doesn’t come in tactile form, consider adapting the pages yourself to enhance the sensory experience and bring the story to life. Add scraps of fabric to create tactile features to illustrations or put string around the outline of an image. Try using puffy markers to create tactile markings or braille on number jigsaws or toy clock faces. Your home can be full of potential for making low cost toys using recycled objects. Try gluing two empty yogurt pots together Your home can be full of potential for making low cost toys using recycled objects SEN 107 senmagazine.co.uk 32 Visual impairment