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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 plush toys remain bestsellers
Always a reliable category for any retailer, the plush toy market is set to grow by 6.6% over the next six years, with the global market predicted to be worth US$ 11,000 million by the end of 2026. Plush toys are becoming more popular every year. Recent research revealed a 23 per cent rise in girls playing with soft toys, and parents are making a move back to more traditional toys, so it’s important that retailers stock a good range of the quality brands that Baby Brands Direct prides itself on supplying – leading brands such as Keel Toys, Kaloo, Lamaze, and Fisher-Price.
No toys mean as much to children as plush toys. In a study, nearly a third of those children who were attached to a toy named a teddy or other soft toy or doll as their favourite, ahead of action figures or other toys. And apart from looking adorable and helping to make a nursery feel cosier and appealing, plush toys can play an important part in a child’s development. A soft toy can be a best friend, someone who they can speak to and who will listen to them (even when adults can’t understand the baby babble!). Because that first teddy has been around since they were born, it will be hugely familiar to a small child. So, by the time they develop concerns or worries, that toy can hold a lot of emotional significance. A soft toy will never judge them or dismiss their worries as ‘silly’, offering a level of emotional security. Talking to a toy that doesn’t talk back can enable small children to work through their worries – interestingly, this forms the basis for talking therapies, such as CBT.
A familiar friend
That soft teddy or doll can help parents offer communication and reassurance and can help a child express their emotions. A parent might ask a crying child why ‘teddy’ is upset or be able to offer some reassuring words to ‘teddy’. A favourite plush toy can also help a child develop independence. Taking a soft toy to an unfamiliar place can provide the reassurance of a comforting, friendly face, which even smells of home. This familiarity and comfort can help a small child to relax and get to sleep, even if they are in unfamiliar surroundings. Toddlers can even use a beloved plush toy to practise skills learned, by showing the toy how to brush their teeth or get dressed, for example.
Plush activity toys and rattles offer all the benefits we have mentioned and more. A baby holding a soft rattle will develop the ability to track with their eyes, develop the muscles they will need to hold a pencil and other fine and gross motor skills. They will improve listening skills, scientific thinking and even learn how to investigate cause and effect. Who would have thought that one small rattle could be so effective? Baby Brands Direct also stocks a number of activity plush toys that can help to develop language skills, introduce colours and numbers, and encourage musical ability.
