In Search of "Lilli Toys"

In Search of "Lilli Toys"

In Search Of "Lilli Toys"

by Judy Hurst

Reprinted from the VIP Newsletter, Volume 12, Number 1,

a publication of the Blind Children's Fund, 2875 Northwind

Drive, Suite 211, East Lansing, Michigan 48823-5040.

After I attended the Blind Children's Fund's Active

Learning Conference, featuring Dr. Lilli Nielsen, in Novi last

summer, I returned home full of excitement over the new things

I had learned and ready to try some of the activities she'd

spoken about. One of the stories Lilli told that really made

an impression on me was about when she traveled around working

with blind children. She would often leave materials for the

children, i.e. peg board, puzzles, etc. Later, she would ask

if the child was using the toys and was told they were in the

closet and she could have them back, since the child wasn't

that interested. She felt this sent a message to parents that

she was the expert working with blind children and if the

children didn't play with the items she left, then something

must be wrong with their child. After that, she would only

carry around materials with which the children enjoyed

playing.

I came home faced with the challenge of finding "Lilli

toys" for my students to experience. One place I decided to

look for these items was at yard sales. I have been amazed at

some of the items I found and how inexpensively I obtained

them. Lilli recommends having the child stack cups and plates

instead of blocks, since they stay up better, so one of my

first purchases included unbreakable plates and cups. I also

obtained a clasp purse, bucket, and pepper mill for

twenty-five cents each.

My best find was an item I never would have thought to

look for intentionally. I saw a hose-like item sticking out of

a box at one sale. The hose looked textured like a vacuum

cleaner hose, but was only about two feet long. I then

discovered it had an on/off switch. The sellers told me it was

an exercise device. I purchased it for a quarter, not knowing

what it did or if it even worked, since there was no battery

in it. The first child I gave it to loved it before it was

even turned on. Once turned on, it vibrated (I now think it's

a massaging device to go around your neck). It was even more

appealing once it vibrated. The child did not want to give it

up. This is a child who was interested in a twelve dollar

talking game from the store for thirty seconds! Lilli's story

about recommending toys that may not be of interest to the

child really hit home in this case. Vibrating items are

something Lilli recommends, because it helps the child grab

with their thumb. Every child I've given the massager to loves

it (the same with those squiggly pens that work with a

battery).

Another item I found that has appealed to my students is

a remnant from the fabric store with vinyl on one side and

foam on the other. A child who had no interest in pop beads as

a "pull-apart" toy loves to pull the Velcro ball from a

scratch game paddle that is fastened in an upright position.

I paired up some marbles and a wooden tray that I found around

the house and these are really encouraging one student to move

his arms and pick up the marbles.

Penrickton Center for Blind Children in Novi, Michigan,

passed out a list of catalogs at the conference. My favorite

one is Creative Education Surplus (9801 James Circle, Suite C,

Bloomington, MN 55431). I have obtained some inexpensive

magnets and ear syringes from them and they have a lot of neat

Velcro products.

Lilli has made me think very differently about toys for

blind children. I've tried to meet the challenge of being able

to recommend toys my students really enjoy to their teachers

and parents, as well as finding them inexpensively.