Games which help

Children often play with toys and play games during their treatment sessions. Your specialist may well have suggestions for toys and games that will help your child to overcome specific co-ordination difficulties and to strengthen their bodies. The 'right' toys and games, used and played in a supportive environment can benefit your child greatly.

You can buy two leaflets about toys and games, published by the Dypsraxia Foundation. Suggestions for Suitable Games for the Child with Dyspraxia, by Chartered Psychotherapist Michele Lee gives examples of games and toys which are available in shops and through mail order, that may be suitable to assist specific difficulties. P.E Activities for Junior and Senior School Children who have Dyspraxia, also by Michele Lee suggests activities and games that can be enjoyed in P.E lessons, or in clubs and groups by all children.

Suggestions for Suitable Games

For the Child With Dyspraxia

Michele Lee Grad.Dip.Phys., MCSP, SRP

Introduction

This list gives examples of games available in shops and through mail order, which may be suitable to assist with specific difficulties that are associated with dyspraxia.

Before buying any of these games, it is important that you assess whether it would be suitable for your child � whether it would be appropriate for their age and whether they would enjoy playing it.

Retailers� catalogues usually give a suggested age range, as do the boxes containing the games.

Children often play games during their therapy treatment sessions, which will give you an idea of suitability.  Discuss these games with your child�s therapist, and with your child.  If you can, show them the game before you decide to buy it.

A brief list of telephone numbers of toyshops and stores is appended to these suggestions.

Please note:  The majority of the games listed here are available from most toyshops.  Where a particular retailer is shown, the Foundation has noted that the item has been available from that retailer.  Inclusion on this list and reference to a specific retailer is no guarantee of availability.

The games are suggestions only.  Inclusion of particular products on this list does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the Foundation.

Eye-Hand Co-Ordination

Ball Games

PVC floater balls in different sizes  * juggling balls  *air hockey  *basketball sets/mini basketball net to hang over a door  *croquet set  *footballs  *children�s football table  *golf game  *skittles  *snooker  *table tennis  *tennis racquets and balls

Other Games 

Safety dart board  *fishing game (magnetic or battery operated)  *labyrinth games, such as Labyrinth beginners� set (manufactured by brio, can be ordered from toyshops)  *maze boards and games  *pinball machine

Proprietary Games

Buckaroo  *Buzz Off  *Congo Hut  *Crocodile Dentist  *Elefun  *Greedy Green Frogs  *Hungry Frogs  *Hungry Hounds  *Kerplunk  *Kika Flik  *Koosh  *Leap Frogs  *Leaping Frogs  *Lucky Ducks  *Maniac Mouse  *Mr Bucket  *Perfection  *Robodoc  *Score Ball  *Screwable Scramble  *Sonny the Seal  *Springy Spiders  *Super Wizard  *Whack Attack  *Wiggly Worms

Eye-Foot Co-ordination

Soccer goal  *stilts  *jingle play-mat

Proprietary Games

Big Foot (available from Early Learning Centre)  *Sequencing Spots (available from Nottingham Rehab)  *The Wobbler (available from P.T. Leisure)

Short-term Memory

Constructional toys � e.g. Lego (making and copying from instructions helps with short-term visual memory)  *songs � e.g. �Old Macdonald had a Farm�  *verbal games � e.g. @When I went shopping I bought��

Proprietary Games

Bopit  *Brain Bash  *Brain Shift  *Brain Warp  *Picture Lotto  *Shopping Game (available from Early Learning Centre)  *Super Wizard  *Track Tracer (available from john Lewis Partnership)  *What Am I?  *What�s Missing?  *Wizard

Planning and Organisational Skills

Constructional toys  *giant peg board and pegs (available from Nottingham Rehab)  *tea set and kettle  *chess  *draughts  *noughts and crosses (on paper or magnetic version)  *sequential thinking cards

Proprietary Games

Back Spin  *Block by Block  *Brick by Brick  *Go Getter 1, 2 and 3  *Rail Road  *Rush Hour  *Stormy Seas  *Switch Back  (these games are all manufactured by Binary Arts.  Available from toyshops and The Happy Puzzle Company)  *Cluedo � junior and adult (also helps with memory)  *Connect 4 (can be bought as hand-held computer version)  *Deflect 5  *Downfall  *Finding Fireman Fred  *Guess Who?  *Magna Force  *Junior Mastermind  *Mastermind  *Rummikub  *Totem Top  *Tweenies Twister  *Twister (also helps with co-ordination and balance).

Oral and Verbal Dyspraxia

Mouth and Breath Control

Bubble blower (helps with lip closure and breath direction.  Early Learning Centre sell big ones which are easy to blow through)  *blow football  *blow painting  *wind instruments (e.g. recorder, flute).

Voice Control

�Echo mike� (can be used as a pretend microphone�)  *games with animal noises (encourage the use of different tones of voice, vehicle noises and other environmental sounds)  *Books and tapes of songs and rhymes (repetition is useful when learning new speech sounds)

Facial Awareness

Books showing different facial expressions (e.g. �I Look Like This� by Nick Sharratt, published by Sainsbury�s Walker Books; �Making Faces� by Nick Butterworth, published by walker Books).

Proprietary Games

Don�t Panic

Hand Exercises

Threading games  *clothes pegs and line (use thumb and index finger of dominant hand to put pegs on and off line to improve hand strength)  *small squashy ball/bean bag (squeeze and hold while counting up to ten � ten times)  *newspaper cut or torn into A5 sized pieces (scrunch it up with dominant hand and flick using only one index finger of that hand)  *dried cereal/rice/pasta, spoon and bowls (transfer pieces with spoon using dominant hand from one bowl to another).

Other Useful Games

Climbing frame  *Trampet/trampoline (close parental supervision required for both of these)  *Sit �n� Bounce (used to be called Space Hopper)  *Sissel Sitfit (cushion which helps balance).

Useful Telephone Numbers

Argos                                            0870 600 1010

Early Learning Centre                       08705 352352

The Happy Puzzle Company               0800 376 37270

The John Lewis Partnership                01494 462666

Nottingham Rehab                            0115 945 2345

P.T. Leisure                                   01531 890888

Toys �R� Us                                     01628 414141

� Michele Lee (2000)

Further information available from:

Dyspraxia Foundation, 8 West Alley, Hitchin, Herts  SG5 1EG

Tel:  01462 454986 (Helpline) 01462 455016 (Administration)  Fax: 01462 455052

Website:  www.dyspraxiafoundation.co.uk