Click-A-Brick sets can help children with special needs develop their fine motor skills, the team at the building block company says. With their larger size compared to other building block sets, Click-A-Brick blocks are easy to manipulate and can be a helpful Special Education Needs (SEN) toy for children who may require additional guidance with motor skills development and tactile awareness.
SEN toys are not only more inclusive, they are good for business, The Good Toy Guide’s Dr. Amanda Gummer said in a recent Toy News column. Gummer called play the ‘great leveler,’ citing the example of a child in a wheelchair sitting around a table and playing a board game with friends. That child isn’t meant to feel different or special during that time, instead, being able to be just another child enjoying time with friends.
SEN toys can help with this inclusiveness while at the same time opening up a new market for toy companies, as the number of SEN children ranges in the millions. Gummer said even small tweaks can help with inclusiveness, such as having instructions be all illustrations so kids who have trouble reading will be able to grasp them easier.
“Of course, not all children will be able to access all games or activities, but there are a huge number of children with additional needs (neurological or physical) and making toys that promote inclusive play is not just good for the children who can engage with it, it’s good for business,” Gummer said in her Toy News column.
Click-A-Brick Co-Founders Jason Smith and Georg de Gorostiza have always touted the building block toy as an affordable educational toy that parents can use to help in their child’s cognitive development. Building on that, the pair now recommend Click-A-Brick as a SEN toy to specifically help with fine motor skills and tactile development.
“Click-A-Bricks have that satisfying clicking sound when you snap them together, which we believe makes them ideal for a SEN toy to aid children with their fine motor skills development. They engage multiple senses, so they’re not just tactile in nature. We want parents of all children -- regardless of their developmental level -- to know that Click-A-Brick is a toy they can use with their children to promote and encourage all kinds of development.”
Smith recommended starting children with Special Education Needs out with one of Click-A-Brick’s 30-piece sets, which include Feather Friends, Rainforest Rascals, Dino Pals, Mini Machines and Animal Kingdom Safari. If children respond well to the smaller sets, Smith recommended they then move up to a larger 100-piece set, which includes Army Defenders and Mighty Machines. All sets are available on Amazon.