Adapted Toy

   The toy that I looked at for this assignment was a pop up re-arrangeable tent. We have had one in our house for years and it is something that all my children have used. I like this toy for a number of reasons. The first is that it promotes creative play. Children can imagine their tent is anywhere or is any number or things. In this way it can be used with children to directly teach imaginative play, which is often needed for children who have ASD. It also gives children a quite place where they can feel secure. Inside the tent they can escape from some of the sensory stimulation of the world.
  
   For children who are developing their gross motor skills the tunnels promote crawling an movement in a safe and controlled space. The set that we have has a number of different tunnels and tents that can be arranged in a number of ways which helps to keep the children engaged. There are also sets of plastic balls which are available that when combined with the tent make a ball pit. This could benefit children who have sensory deficits. The touch, sound and sight of the brightly coloured balls can be enjoyed in a confined space.

   I would recommend this toy to any parent, especially to one that has a child with special needs. Its flexibility means that it can be used in a number of ways to promote their child's physical, cognitive and social/emotional development.  Plus, it easily folds up and can be stored in a small space, the fabric is washable with a wet cloth and is durable.