Light-up toy time
Light-up toys are a staple in many sensory rooms. If your child is partially sighted, using these types of lights in their environment is a great way to stimulate what useful sight they do have.
Light-up toys are a staple in many sensory rooms. If your child is partially sighted, using these types of lights in their environment is a great way to stimulate what useful sight they do have.
Safety note – the toy included in your pack may vary, please follow any safety guidance on the packaging and use under supervision.
Why use a light-up toy with your visually impaired child?
The light-up toy included in your baby pack has been selected for its added tactile elements which enable your child to make use of the sense of touch while they explore the lights. Playing with such toys will help them benefit from sensory integration and sensory processing, enabling those with sensory challenges to engage with their environment.
The cause and effect aspect of the toys make them ideal for children who have a sight impairment. Much pleasure and encouragement can be taken from pressing buttons or the poppers, and receiving light and sound feedback. It requires a bit of trial and error to find a cause and effect toy they love, but we hope the one we’ve chosen gets them off to a great start!
Colours and lights
Toys with bright or contrasting colours can encourage children to best use the degree of vision they have. Lights are also good to consider when selecting toys as this can also stimulate any useful vision; try using light up toys in dark environments.
Start playing!
Depending on your pack you will either have The Baby Einstein Pop & Glow Starfish Sensory Toy or The Baby Einstein, Pop & Explore Stingray.
- Allow your child to handle the toy and explore the tactile elements as this may ignite more interest in the object.
- It can be a good idea to use light-up toys in darker settings to make the light more vibrant and simplify the activity. See our information on creating a dark den >
- The Baby Einstein Pop & Glow Starfish and the Pop & Explore Stingray toys included in some packs both have raised numbered poppers to help introduce counting.
- Each popper is brightly coloured to help children who have some vision recognise colour.
- The sucker on the base of the Pop & Glow Starfish allows you to attach the toy to a surface and then encourage your child to spin the toy. When spun the face of the starfish will light up, encouraging your child to engage with the light and interact. For children with no vision, this toy is fun to explore as the spinning motion is a gentle action to feel and the poppers can be pressed in and out to build baby’s fine motor skills.
- The Pop & Explore Stingray is easy for small hands to grab or can be rested on the floor. As with the Starfish, the poppers can be pressed in and out to build a baby’s fine motor skills. Lights glow around the poppers as they play. For children with no vision, this toy plays music and has recorded colour and shape names.
- If your child has problems with being overwhelmed by sound when out in busy or unfamiliar environments, toys such as these, that they have connected with, are always a good idea to keep with you. Allowing your child to access the sounds or lights by operating the toys is a great way to restore calm.
- In a darkened space, slowly move the toy, or any light-up toy or torch in different directions and allow your child to follow them. Use directional language to reinforce the meaning.
- Use the different toys to describe textures and movement – spinning, up, down, smooth, bumpy.
- Use the toy with your space blanket, the reflective qualities of the blanket will add another dimension to the play.
Sensory story time
The fun animal shapes of these toys can make a great addition to story time. Pair them with an under the sea themed story like The Rainbow Fish, a star story like Laura’s Star or a counting book.
You’ll find story suggestions to use with our sensory items here >
Music time
Songs that induce a calm break can be played with sensory lights. Songs such as ‘twinkle, twinkle’ can be brought to life up-close with the lights when stars may not be visible.
You’ll find song suggestions to use with our sensory items here >
