Below is a list of play equipment that may support parents and caregivers with physical and vision disabilities in playing and engaging with their young children.

Index

Diapering Equipment

Backpatter’s Seat

Floor seat with adjustable backrest.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with poor balance
  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Provides support to parents who want to sit on the floor with their child, but need back support

Cons:

  • Parent still needs to be able to get up and down from the floor
  • Expensive

Approximate Price: $140

Visit product website here.

Table Foam Edging

Adhesive foam strips that create a soft barrier around a table’s edge.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Wheelchair users
  • Those with poor balance
  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Helps keep toys and play materials on the table, reducing the need to pick items up from the floor
  • Beneficial for parents who cannot, or do not wish to play at floor level

Cons:

  • Child may pull off of table
  • May need to be periodically replaced

Approximate Price: $10 to $20

Visit product website here.

Silicone Toy Straps

Silicone straps that attach any toy, pacifier, or bottle that a baby is using to the stroller, highchair, car seat, or crib.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with poor balance
  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Prevents a baby’s items from falling or being thrown onto the floor

Cons:

  • Fine motor skills needed to attach items to strap
  • Works best for younger babies, as toddlers can pull them open

Approximate Price: $10 for 6

Visit product website here.

Baby Einstein Sticky Spinner

Spinning toy held in place on table or highchair tray by suction cup.

Who Would This Work For?

  • All users

Pros:

  • Prevents toy from falling or being thrown onto floor while still allowing free spin of toy
  • Minimal fine motor skills needed to stick the toy to a table or tray

Cons:

  • Some parents report that the suction cup is not very strong or stable

Approximate Price: $7

Visit product website here.

Bubble Gun

Handheld bubble-maker with trigger.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Highly engaging toy that draws a child to a parent
  • Can be used in any position: from the floor, while sitting, or while standing

Cons:

  • Requires hand strength and dexterity to hold and activate
  • May leak bubble liquid

Approximate Price: $30 for 2

Visit product website here.

Walkie Chalk Stand-up Chalk Holder

Extended reach for drawing with chalk.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Wheelchair users
  • Those with poor balance
  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Able to draw with chalk from a standing or sitting position
  • Beneficial for parents who cannot or do not wish to play at floor level

Cons:

  • May not hold all brands and shapes of chalk securely

Approximate Price: $15

Visit product website here.

Lego Pick Up Basket + Play Mat

Toy basket with built-in play mat, which allows for easy clean-up of toys and mat.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Wheelchair users
  • Those with poor balance
  • Those with weakness, pain, or fatigue

Pros:

  • Able to easily clean up the Legos by folding up the mat
  • Keeps Legos in one place
  • Can be used with other small toys as well
  • Limits the amount of time a parent needs to spend bent over or on the floor picking up toys

Cons:

  • Child may move the toys off the mat
  • Requires some coordination to get the mat properly aligned on the tub to zip back up

Approximate Price: $30

Visit product website here.

Braille Playing Cards

Playing cards with braille labels.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with visual disabilities

Pros:

  • Parents who have low vision can identify playing cards during play
  • Braille is stamped directly onto the cards, so labels will not peel off or interfere with play

Cons:

  • Not all low vision parents read braille
  • For older children only

Approximate Price: $10

Visit product website here.

Melissa & Doug Shape Puzzle

Form board puzzle with chunky shapes.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with visual disabilities

Pros:

  • Blind or low-vision parents can identify puzzle shapes by feel, as well as position them on the board
  • Parent does not need to read braille

Cons:

  • Some parents may prefer a braille labeled puzzle that can give information on color as well.

Approximate Price: $13

Visit product website here.

Melissa & Doug Sound Puzzles

Sound puzzles with themes for children from 2-5 years old.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with visual disabilities

Pros:

  • Built in animal sounds provide extra cue for parents who are blind or low-vision, and is also a non-visual stimuli for the parent and child to engage with

Cons:

  • Sounds may activate even if a puzzle piece is not in its correct place

Approximate Price: $17

Visit product website here.

Teachable Touchables Sensory Squares

Bagful of textured pillows and patches with activity guide.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with visual disabilities

Pros:

  • Tactile sensory game that does not require vision to play

Cons:

  • Somewhat expensive
  • Seams may wear with repeated handling

Approximate Price: $35

Visit product website here.

Rattle Ball

Audible rattle ball for pushing and rolling on the floor.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with visual disabilities

Pros:

  • Rattle sounds make it easier for a blind or low-vision parent to track where the ball is rolling

Cons:

  • Ball is silent when not moving, so may still be difficult to find

Approximate Price: $7

Visit product website here.

Wrist and Sock Rattles

Rattles are included in socks and strapped to baby’s wrists.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Caregiver does not need to hold any rattles once it is in place

Cons:

  • A parent with limited grasp may need support to put the rattles on the child

Approximate Price: $15

Visit product website here.

Push ‘n Go Vehicles

Rolling vehicle toy that moves forward with an easily accessible push down button.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Limited finger control needed to activate toy
  • Can be used to encourage a baby to crawl or walk

Cons:

  • Parent may need to get down on floor level, as this toy is typically used during floortime play (could be used at tabletop level with adaptations to prevent the toy from falling to the floor) 

Approximate Price: $12

Visit product website here.

Velcro Paddles and Ball / Velcro Glove and Ball

Toss and catch sports games.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Play catch without grasping the ball

Cons:

  • Parent may need support to apply the velcro paddle to their hand
  • May be difficult to remove the ball from the paddle once caught

Approximate Price: $5

Visit product website here.

Bright Starts Oball

Baby’s first ball. Open lattice, soft plastic structure.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Easy to grasp and throw compared to a solid ball

Approximate Price: $6

Visit product website here.

Easy Hold Silicon Adaptive Aids

Silicone adaptive handles and universal cuffs.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Soft silicone handle that can attach to toys, etc., making them easier to grasp
  • Can be used for items besides toys

Cons:

  • Parent may need support to attach to items
  • Cannot buy only one size, but must purchase in packs (for example, the large cuff to hold a bottle only comes as one in a pack of 8 different adaptive aids)
  • Expensive

Approximate Price: $60

Visit product website here.

Magnetic Blocks

Magnetic blocks that attach to each other when stacked.

Who Would This Work For?

  • Those with limited use of arms or hands

Pros:

  • Easier to stack than typical blocks for parents with hand tremors or limited fine motor skills
  • Large size reduces choking hazard

Cons:

  • Can make a mess underfoot

Approximate Price: $16

Visit product website here.