Toys, Toys Toys!
Independent work with a disabled child
During my freshman year of college, I worked for a family that had a child with a disability. The child had a stroke following his birth and has limited mobility in one of his hands. I was tasked with making toys that would require the child to use both hands to play with his toys: by doing so the child was able to strengthen the hand with limited mobility.
Boxes Containing Fun
Utilizing theories from the field of Occupational Theory, I created a game similar to Hyper Dash. To access the game, the child had to hold the game piece in one hand and open the boxes with the other. To promote a variety of grips to increase strength in his nondominant hand, I made unique handles for each box. From left to right: a large ribbon, spherical wooden handle, large cylinder handle, doorstop, and large rope handle.
Enhanced Bubble Blower
After hours of searching on the internet, I finally found a bubble blower that I could easily alter to be operated with both hands. By adding two large buttons (yellow), both hands are required to turn on the blower and let the bubbles fly!
All Aboard!
This toy train originally had no remote control or buttons to operate it; once you flipped the switch it just ran and ran. However, once I resoldered the circuit board, I was able to attach a remote control with two large buttons (green), similar to the bubble blower.
Mini Treasure Chest
The child had quite the sweet tooth, so what if I could encourage the use of both hands to grab one of his sweet treats? By making a box with two large handles (with hidden springs so there is some tension), he had to open the box with both hands.