Adaptive toys give kids with special needs the freedom to play
Volunteers help Spark Toy Tech project come to life for the holidays.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Listening to a singing stuffed animal, watching a cuddly cat change colors or playing with Spider Man should not depend on your ability level, volunteers with Spark in South Knoxville believe.
So they’re organizing volunteers to adapt certain toys with switches, creating new holiday toys for kids with special needs. The Toy Tech giveaway is coming up Dec. 8, outside Spark, and there is still time to sign up to receive a toy.
Spark Executive Director Mary Thom Adams explained that even the simplest toy may not be something every child can play with. For instance, they may not have use of their hands to squeeze the toy to make it sing.
“If my hands don’t work. I can’t lift my hand. I can’t make that work,” Adams said. The switches allow children who have even partial use of a limb or use of their face for movement to turn on their own toy.
Adams said the joy of playing on their own, without necessarily having to depend on a family member, is a gift in itself.
“Without Mom or Dad or Sister or Brother helping me. That’s a little bit of independence,” he said.
Spark seeks out certain toys that work best for adaptation.
You can help them best with cash donations. Spark’s adult program involving medical equipment can, however, use your in-kind donations of items in good condition.
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