Gyms, Tummy Time & Playmats
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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.
The benefits of independent play
While baby’s day should involve interactions and playing with their parents, it is also important that there is some alone time for baby, in which they can discover and explore the world around them at their own pace. Independent play helps to promote healthy growth by allowing the child to process the sights and sounds of their environment - as well as giving them agency over their actions and letting them see how their presence affects the objects in their space. It also helps them to become less reliant on their parents’ presence, which is good for emotional development.
Allowing a child to freely explore a playmat or activity gym provides a fun and entertaining atmosphere without over-stimulation. The child can simply choose to stop engaging with the activities on offer and signal to their parents when they wish to have attention and contact.
Establishing a set space and time for independent play gives children a specific environment that they know is safe to explore at will, allowing them to build up confidence as they move around and gain mobility skills. By setting this routine, it helps to condition them to associate the mat or gym with quiet play time - which is great for a wind down before bedtime.
Supporting sensory stimulation
The sensorimotor stage is a key stage in a child’s development, where they learn through coordinating sensory experiences with motor actions. Gyms and playmats are ideal for this stage of development, as they provide the combination of sensory toys and space for movement. Children will reach and touch toys, reacting to the bright colours and attractive designs. They will hear squeaks, rattles and crinkles for sensory stimulation. This all helps them learn object permanence as well as heightening their cognitive development and sensory growth. Through playing and exploring, they will learn about the world around them, which will help set the foundations for future development.
High quality gyms, playmats and tummy time supports
As a leading nursery product wholesaler, Baby Brands Direct understand how important it is for retailers to be able to offer their customers excellent products at competitive prices. We offer a huge selection of nursery and baby items to the independent retail sector and dedicate ourselves to only stocking the best products from top baby brands. Our selection of gyms, playmats and tummy time supports from brands, such as Fisher-Price, Lamaze, VTech and Infantino, are made to the highest standards with developmental growth at the heart of their creation. Each item within the category boasts different features and functions. Activity gyms feature fun dangling toys on overhead arches for baby to bat at. Tummy time supporting products are designed to allow baby to play on their front, helping them begin to crawl. Playmats provide a large padded space for them to relax and play on, giving them the freedom to explore as they please. Register today to take advantage of our full inventory of products, as well as loyalty credit and volume discounts!
