We need to help our students get off tablets, phones and other screens.  Many of our students need to be directly taught how to play with toys.  On their own, they often 'stim' with toys.  This could be flapping toys against their mouths; throwing them;  picking them up and dropping them over and over; lining them up in a specific pattern.  These videos and scripts are to help you teach your child how to play and use toys 'functionally' or how them are intended to be used.   Start with the simplest scenario and then go to the next one.   Teaching our students to play independently with toys as they are intended, develops the necessary skills to help our students focus and engage more in our learning activities at school. 

Build a Tower

Give your child one block at a time.  It doesn't matter the order. 

Do not let your child throw the blocks.  

When the tower is built, say, "You built a tower!  Let's build another one."

Take the tower a part and start again.

These pictures are of Mega Blocks.  They are the easiest to hold.  

After Mega Blocks, you can move to a smaller block, such as Duplo.

Build a Tower with Little Forest Friend

Give your child one block at a time.  It doesn't matter the order.  

On the right is the instructions for your child to follow.  

You can read it for your child or point under the words for you child to read.  

The speech bubbles are for what the toy character says.  If your child is non-verbal, then you say it.

In this scenario, your child would bring the character up and down, until the timer rings and then clean up.

The Animals Are Hungry

Use a spoon, a bowl and any toys you have at home.  Have your child take turns feeding the toys.

Goodnight Big Bird

I made a bed out of a mushroom container, a pillow out of a sponge and a blanket out of an old shirt.  

You can change the story to match the toys that you have at home.