Adapting Games

My mom found Tom a "Wiggly, Wiggly, Dance Mat" at a resale shop and we have had so much fun with it. It was super easy to adapt for Tom. The dance mat has five swirls that will activate a song when pressed or stepped on. Since Tom can't see the swirls, I added some tactile stickers to each swirl spot so he could find them with his bare feet.

At first he did not want to believe that the battery case at the top of the mat was not how you controlled the songs. He is a dedicated button presser so it was hard for him to accept. He's got it now, though.

This toy has been perfect because the weather here is so hot that it's not even worth it to go outside. It is nice to have some active indoor games available. I'm so glad I had some tactile stickers on hand to add so he could locate the spots that activate the songs.

I have seen some fun projects that involve making tactile stepping stones that each feature a different texture. You can use anything you find around the house like:

• cotton balls
• makeup sponges
• shag carpet
• sandpaper
• velvet
• corduroy
• leather
• suede
• corrugated cardboard

Maybe once the novelty of the dance mat wears out I will add some different textures to the mat to make it exciting again. Now that Tom's balance is so well developed I think he is ready for the textured stepping stones too. I better get busy!

Listening to the Wiggles!

Here you can see the tactile stickers