The Best Gifts For Children With Autism

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Buying gifts for children is hard enough, but it becomes even more difficult to think of the perfect gift if the child has autism. Children with autism have unique needs, but luckily they enjoy many of the same toys that children who are not on the spectrum do.

Toys are not just a source of entertainment for children with autism—the right toys can help them improve upon certain skills that are crucial to their development. If you have to buy a gift for a child with autism, consider buying one of these items:

Play-Doh

Play-Doh may seem like a simple toy, but it can have incredible benefits for children with autism. Rolling Play-Doh into a ball, breaking it into pieces, or flattening it on a table can strengthen kids’ hand muscles and help them develop fine motor skills.

Additionally, many children with autism struggle with “pretend play,” which involves using your imagination. Parents can use Play-Doh to help their children master pretend play by asking them to manipulate the Play-Doh to look like different items. For example, you can encourage your child to turn a hunk of Play-Doh into spaghetti, and then pretend you are both at a fine Italian restaurant.

Personalized Books

Children with autism typically love to read. In fact, they often become caught up in every detail and end up fully immersing themselves in the story, which is why they will love actually being a part of the story with a personalized book. This makes reading even more fun, and helps kids with autism feel a deeper connection to the other characters in the story.

Art Supplies

Head to a local art supply store and stock up on crayons, paper, markers, and any other item you can get your hands on if you are looking for a gift for a child with autism. Help your child understand what to do with all of the art supplies, and then encourage him to explore his creativity. Children with autism struggle with verbal communication, so they often find great joy in expressing themselves through art. If your kids end up loving art, it may be wise to find an after school program or community group that he can join so he can meet other people with similar interests.

Using different arts and crafts can also help children on the spectrum who struggle to process sensory stimuli. Kids will enjoy being able to feel different textures and create brightly colored works of art with their own two hands.

Puzzles

Nothing will bring a smile to your child’s face quite like a challenging puzzle—especially if the pieces come together to make a beautiful picture. Finding two pieces that fit together gives children with autism a great sense of satisfaction. Kids also love getting closer and closer to seeing the finished picture, and delight in seeing what they have created all by themselves.

Toy Blocks/Legos

Children of all ages will get a kick out of playing with building blocks, and children with autism can benefit from this activity as well. Children on the spectrum may try to use the building blocks to create the same structure over and over, but parents should challenge them to try to build something new so they can break away from repetitive behaviors. Children who then attempt to build something new learn how to use their creativity to imagine something and then bring it to life, which is challenging for kids on the spectrum.

Bubbles

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that bring the most joy to children with autism. Kids on the spectrum love playing with bubbles, and parents love it as well since bubbles can help their child develop new skills. For example, start blowing bubbles to get your child’s attention. Once he starts to poke the bubbles or show amusement, stop blowing bubbles and wait for him to ask you to continue. Children with autism have a hard time asking for what they want, so playing with bubbles is a great way to keep your child entertained while also working on these skills.

Video Games

Parents may not be thrilled with the idea of their kids playing video games, but this is a good gift for children with autism because it entertains them while they unknowingly work on important skills. How can video games benefit children with autism? First, it helps them develop important social skills because they now have a shared interest with their peers. Children with autism often struggle to connect with other kids, but if they enjoy the same video games as others in their class, this is one thing that will help them connect.

Many video games have social aspects that can teach children with autism a lot about social cues and norms. For example, when a child plays a game such as World of Warcraft or Minecraft, he must learn the social norms of the world within the game. They will also have to communicate with other players in the game, so they will learn how to initiate and engage in conversation with others.

Board Games

Every kid loves playing board games, but besides being a source of entertainment, certain board games can also help children with autism learn new skills. Children with autism often struggle with taking turns, but board games teach them that every player has to have a turn before it’s time for them to play again. Board games also teach kids with autism the importance of following instructions and coping with unexpected situations. There’s no way for a child to know what moves the other players in the game will make, so he will be forced to deal with changes in the game as each move is made. Children with autism often have a hard time dealing with the unexpected, so this can teach them how to manage the anxiety that they feel in these situations.

Playing a board game also puts a child with autism in a social situation where they have to communicate with other players in the game. If your child is having a hard time socializing with other kids his age, this is a great way to break the ice.

As you can see, finding a gift for children with autism is much simpler than you may have expected! Stick to this list of gifts if you want to buy a present that will both entertain and benefit a child with autism.

Bedtime Story Starters

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Reading is a key skill for children to have, and one of the best ways they can develop their language skills is to listen. Reading books can be a great way to share stories and telling stories can have just as much of an impact on your child’s imagination and their ability to develop listening skills. Listening is not the same as reading, but speaking to your child acquaints them with language and helps them identify things like tone and subject matter while also improving their overall vocabulary.

Telling a story before bed is a great way to keep kids calm and still before drifting off to sleep. Some of these tips and tricks can help you keep your child’s attention while also guaranteeing that you tell a story that they’re interested in.

Appeal to an Interest

Whether you make your child’s favorite toy the main character of the tale or make the local park the story’s setting, populating a bedtime story with things that your child is already interested in and familiar with can be a great launching-off point.

Keep it Simple

There’s no need to be elaborate or complicated, and too many twist and turns can actually be distracting. Telling a straightforward story is a better way to keep your kid’s attention. The more engaged they are, the quieter they’ll be and the more likely they’ll be able to follow the story in order to fully listen.

Share Your Favorites

Folk tales, fairy tales, or even sharing remixed versions of your favorite age-appropriate books or movies can make for some interesting storytelling. Have fun with it and see how your kids react. They may become more interested if they know that you’re sharing a story you love with them, and you may be able to bond over a shared love of the same story. If you have a particular folk tale or story that is unique to your familial background, nationality, or ethnicity, story time can also provide your child with an opportunity to connect with their heritage as well.

Try to Teach a Lesson

Parents can also try to take advantage of story time to help encourage kids to learn and grow, or even overcome their fears. If your child is having trouble with potty training, make up a story about another little girl or boy with the same problem who eventually learns to overcome their obstacles. You can even feature some of their favorite characters from TV shows or movies to make the story more appealing to them while also helping them feel more connected to the story and to themselves, too. Personalize it for them! A personalized potty training book will sure jumpstart the process and help them overcome much faster.

Teamwork

If you’re pressed for story ideas, ask kids for suggestions. They may even end up telling you a story they made up themselves! You can also try tag teaming each other, sharing in the storytelling process or taking cues along the way.

Look to History and Mythology

Some folk tales are tried and true, but can get old after a while. Most kids know about Goldilocks or the Three Little Pigs, but they may not know about mythical figures and tales from other, older cultures. Look to Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, and other ancient civilizations for unique tales. You may even find different, and interesting, versions of tales you are already familiar with like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. Many cultures share similar stories and fairy tales, so even looking for different versions of yours or your child’s favorites complete with unique twists and differences can prove to make an interesting bedtime adventure.

Where Do Dreams Come From? personalized bedtime storybook

Your Child is the Star

Personalized books published by KD Novelties can make your child the main character of their own adventure. Insert them into a story you already know they love, or you can make up something that is completely new and exciting. Your child may even have some suggestions and join in on the fun!

 

Teaching Kids About History Through Stories

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Storytelling is one of our most powerful teaching tools. Think about a story that touched you on a deep level — it was likely because you formed a personal connection with the characters. We all have greater empathy and understand stories better if we are able to connect with them on a personal level. This is why storytelling is the perfect way to teach kids about history. By making a historical event the center of a narrative, whether it be in a book, a film, or a stage production, we can engage children directly with history.

Learning our history (and the history of other peoples) is crucial to being an empathetic, contributing citizen. We’ve all heard the saying that if we don’t know history, we’re doomed to repeat it. But history is so much more than that –it’s an opportunity to understand our place in the world — what came before us, how we got here, and the amazing contributions and challenges of our ancestors. Sometimes this information can be overwhelming, or even boring. Storytelling provides a way for children to engage with history on a deeper level and find an important sense of self in the world. But why history?

Why Children Connect to History

As the Department of Education explains, “Children also want to have a place in history—their first historical questions are: “Where did I come from?” and “Was I always here?” These two questions contain the two main meanings of history: It’s the story of people and events, and it’s the record of times past. And because it’s to us that they address these questions, we are in the best position to help prepare our children to achieve the lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them learn what shaped the world into which they were born.

Without information about their history, children don’t “get” a lot of what they hear and see around them. History is crucial for kids because it helps them understand their place in the world by giving them a context for their lives. One thing kids do understand and respond to is storytelling — by taking historical facts and placing them into a story, kids can learn about the past in a way that makes sense to them. Many museums and historical institutes are already using these techiques to reach younger audiences.

History and Museum Programs

One example of the effectiveness of teaching kids history through stories is the OurStory program, an outreach initiative developed by the National Museum of American History. The program called on children’s authors and illustrators to bring history to life, creating stories that connected to specific exhibits and events at the museum — thus, it encouraged students and children to engage with history directly in the museum after drawing them in with storytelling.

This literacy-based learning program has highlighted a variety of cultural traditions and histories, including Puerto Rican santos, Iroquois pottery and folk tales, Flag Day, Chinese American traditions, African American migrant workers, Teddy Roosevelt and the first teddy bear, and life on the home front during WWII. The OurStory program encourages kids to get hands-on with history via historical storytelling and children’s literature. Thus, children could learn more about the various cultures that make our nation’s heritage so rich — by engaging with historical storytelling, they can get a better sense of the American story. Storytelling and history don’t only mix in educational and museum settings though — pop culture and more entertainment based forms of storytelling can have an even wider reach.

History and Pop Culture

For high school and college students, the musical “Hamilton” engaged them with American history and our nation’s founding fathers via a storytelling method that made the tale immediate and compelling for them. It spoke to them using diverse storytellers and cultural modes that echo their interests, thus engaging with them on a different level.

Statue of Alexander Hamilton

While they might consider the American Revolution boring when reading about it in a history textbook, “Hamilton” and its story make it come alive. The words on a page may seem dull, but when you make history into a vibrant story using a multitude of musical traditions including hip hop, rap, and musical theatre, the facts become compelling and gripping. Since the musical premiered, relevant historical sites have seen up to a 75% increase in tourists and visitors. How’s that for living history?

But “Hamilton” tickets are impossible to secure (and prohibitively expensive). So, how can you echo its successful techniques in your own home? Children’s history books are affordable and can be revisited in the comfort of your home again and again. If you can find a way to make your child part of that story, even better.

History and Storytelling

Luckily, KD Novelties doesn’t only offer children’s history books, but also personalized books that place your child in the heart of the historical action. By placing kids in the story, like KD Novelties does with their upcoming “My Adventures with the Presidents of the United States,” we can make them a part of crucial historical moments and help them understand their place in our cultural history and national story. Books are the perfect way to give kids first-hand access to a historical tale by putting the story in engaging terms they will understand and including illustrations.

If you want your kid to become a lifelong learner and appreciate the value of history, there’s no better way to do it than to give them lots of history-focused books and stories. Much of our lives are spent trying to better understand ourselves and our place in the world — understanding our role in the scheme of history is a crucial part of this. If you engage your children with history through storytelling from a young age, you’ll be preparing them to be better equipped, more thoughtfully engaged human beings.