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Special educational needs and disabilities can affect a child's ability to learn, develop and grow - which can lead to problems later in life, as well as frustration and depression if not given the right support.
Some children may have SEN because of a medical condition or disability, other children may have SEN without a diagnosis or disability. Special educational needs schools (SEN schools) give children invaluable support, education and care which is designed to work with their way of learning, offer extra encouragement and support and set them on the best path possible for their future. Baby Brands Direct know how hard SEN staff and teachers work, that's why we've made it easy to order the best educational toys for your cohort of children. With a massive selection of toys with a host of developmental benefits, Baby Brands Direct is a one stop shop for your classroom inventory.
Children with special needs can benefit from playing with sensory toys. Children with conditions such as autism can have difficulty processing sensory information, resulting in a potential aversion and avoidance to the cause of sensory stimulation - such as loud noises, bright lights or strange textures. By introducing sensory play to a child’s day, education providers can slowly introduce sensory elements to children without them being too overwhelming. Infantino has a varied range of sensory toys that allow children to explore different shapes and textures during play, as well as introducing them to light and sound in a way that isn't too overwhelming.
The Infantino Lights & Sounds Multi Sensory and Multi Textured Balls Sets are great for small classes as they include multiple balls with unique textures, allowing kids to explore them with their hands and play together as a group. Lalaboom's sets of construction beads can also help stimulate kids' senses with their unique shapes inspired by nature. They fit together in a number of ways and the clicks as each bead fits together creates satisfying sensory stimulation to children's ears. Other sensory items available at Baby Brands Direct are comfort soothers which use audio and light to soothe and comfort little ones. Comfort soothers like the Tommee Tippee Light and Sound Sleep Aid come in cute cuddly animal designs, so they're perfect for kids to hug and cuddle as well as for nap time.
Musical toys are a great way of bringing fun and sensory elements to play. Products with a musical element, such as Halilit’s Giant Rainbomaker, are perfect for developing auditory skills. This particular musical toy creates a soothing rain-like sound that children won’t find too overly stimulating and the need to manipulate the toy in order to make the sound helps to build fine motor skills as well as teach cause and effect. The Infantino Baby's 1st Teethe & Play Music Set combines bright coloured musical toys with teething textures, which are perfect for young children going through the painful period of teething and to naturally support the instinct to explore with mouths and gums.
Memory games or games that help children to understand emotions are also great for SEN schools, as children with special needs can find it sometimes difficult to express their emotions and feelings effectively and may struggle with memory issues and cognitive dysfunction. French brand, Janod, have a great selection of puzzles and games that are designed to introduce the concept of emotions to children - as well as jigsaws and learning games that can help improve cognitive skills. Toys like the Janod WWF Koala Stacker And Rocker are perfect for teaching essential skills like problem solving, as well as teamwork and reasoning. Children can also develop their fine motor skills by manipulating the blocks into place. Construction toys are also perfect for this, with building blocks like those from Mega Bloks allowing children to unleash their creativity while developing key skills that will benefit them later in life.
Activity tables and centres like the VTech Play & Learn Activity Table allow multiple children to play together, helping improve communication, social and emotional skills. By allowing children to interact during play, they can improve their vocabulary and also gain empathy and understanding of others. Such activity toys help to teach topics covered by the school's curriculum in a fun and engaging way, helping to boost knowledge in a less intensive way than being stuck at the school desk.
With over 2500 items under one roof, Baby Brands Direct offer everything SEN staff and teachers need to make their classroom experience engaging and fun for children with special educational needs. We dispatch high quality branded products direct from our on-site warehouse, so orders are able to be delivered quickly and efficiently. With multi-buy discounts and no minimum order value, teachers and staff can order as much or as little as needed to cover the requirements of their class.
Why entertainers & walkers always sell well
Babies develop at the most amazing rate during the first year or so. Their muscle tone, coordination, vision and intellect improve constantly, and there are plenty of toys to help develop their skills – Baby Brands Direct has a comprehensive selection covering all stages of development. And when it comes to supporting babies as they learn to take their first steps, our walkers can help in many ways. As well as giving would-be toddlers some security and stability while they get past the wobbly stage, they can also help look after parents’ backs – it can be quite hard on the spine bending down holding little hands for hours while they practise their walking! Entertainers and walkers can give parents a bit of a break, while still helping babies to develop their muscles and coordination in a fun and safe way, as they make the transition from sitting to standing, from standing to cruising, and from cruising to walking. Walkers can encourage babies to pull themselves up and help to build up their confidence as they begin to find their feet. Baby Brands Direct stocks a wide range of walkers, including the multi-use Infantino 3-in-1 Sit, Walk & Ride Elephant, the on-trend Fisher-Price Push and Flutter Unicorn and stylish, to French-designed wooden walkers from Janod.
Bouncing babies
Another fun option for active play is a door bouncer. The next step from a bouncing chair, these bouncers are fun for an active baby who is keen to get moving but isn’t ready to walk. They can bounce up and down safely, exploring how it feels to stand up straight and use their legs to control how they move. Suitable for babies aged six months or over, who are able to support their head and support their own weight on their feet, they are a fun way to keep a baby entertained while a parent supervises as they tidy up or cook dinner. They are a low-cost option and also ideal for smaller spaces.
All-round entertainment
For a bigger spend, and if more indoor space is available, a sit-in entertainer offers 360-degree entertainment for baby. They can swivel around to reach different activities on the table, encouraging physical movement and decision making, along with the fine motor skills and coordination demanded by each of the activities. The activities offer a variety of sensory experiences, with bright colours, lights, mirrors and sounds. There’s always something different for them to explore. Baby Brands Direct supplies our customers with the best names in the sector – including the Fisher-Price Roaring Rainforest Jumperoo, the Fisher-Price 3-in-1 Spin & Sort Activity Center.
Get physical
All of the entertainers and push walkers encourage physical activity, which in turn helps babies to develop healthy and strong bodies. This is a wonderful way make the right start towards a lifetime of fun, fitness and physical activity, which will keep children fit, healthy and active throughout their adult lives.
