If you are the parent, family member or teacher of a child with reduced hand function, finding ways to enable independent, engaging play and sport can be tricky. We love finding solutions to tasks of daily living that can be frustrating with reduced hand function. With the right supports alongside them, children can enjoy exciting, confidence-boosting and playful experiences! Take a look at just a few of our favourite gadgets below. Or head to our website to browse our full range.
Kitchen and Eating Gadgets
Cooking and baking in the kitchen is a great way to be playful together, while fostering increased independence. Our range of kitchen tools are designed to support easy food prep. And our cutlery range means sampling their own creations is easier than ever.
Our Food Preparation Board is a stylish wooden chopping board with some super handy hidden features. A spiked area means food can be held still while peeling or chopping. This supports users with reduced co-ordination, one-sided weakness or upper limb difference. Underneath, integrated graters, slicers and collection bowls make prepping a variety of foods a breeze.
Our cutlery range offers so much choice, we hope to support many people to dine with dignity and independence. Our children’s cutlery includes non-slip, chunky Cutlery Grips, which slide onto your existing cutlery. We also offer Chunky Bendable Cutlery for those with reduced mobility and Cutlery with Loops for those that want support with grip in a discreet style. Finally, EazyHold Straps can be popped onto existing cutlery to create a comfortable strap. If they get mucky, simply pop the strap through the dishwasher and it’s ready to go again. They can be used on cutlery, paint brushes, musical instruments, action figures and so much more! Our full range can be explored here.
Arts and Crafts Tools
Getting crafty is a wonderful way for little ones to express themselves and develop their fine motor skills. We have lots of gadgets to support drawing, painting, writing and beyond.
Our range of scissor options provide the opportunity for lots of fun crafting. From our one-finger cutter the Nimble, to Table-Top Scissors that sit flat on the table and spring open after being pushed down, to Long Loop Scissors and beyond.
We also carry a range of pencil grips for those needing a little support with their finger grip. From chunky pens, to supports for those nearly ready for a more traditional ‘tripod’ grip. And for those requiring full grip support for items such as paintbrushes, pens, pencils and beyond, our Mini Small Item Aid is perfect. It features a comfortable neoprene glove that holds a wide range of items at just the right angle.
Gaming and Tech Supports
As your little one heads towards the tween and teen years, tech starts to feature more heavily for many. Our gaming supports mean playing as a family, or offering independence to your older children gaming with friends, is so much easier.
The Flexi Phone Holder attaches to wheelchairs. It uses a strong vacuum seal to hold on to phones and tablets. This enables users to position them right where they’re needed. Then, simply swap their phone for a gaming controller using the Gaming Controller Holder attachment, suitable for PS4/5 and Xbox.
For support with the joysticks of PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch controllers, the Gaming Controller Grips offer lots of different options to pop onto the existing joysticks of your controller.
Finally, encourage your child to take responsibility for charging their own device. Our charging options include the Magnetic Phone Charger or the Cable Puller. You can browse all of our tech supports here.
Out and About
Heading out with children can already involve quite a bit of planning – snacks, drinks, warm clothing… and why can they never find their shoes?! So, let us take some of the hassle out of trips out with a few handy gadgets.
The General Purpose Mini Aid supports little ones under 5 to hold onto the handlebars of bikes and trikes. Once they are over 5, the General Purpose continues to support them in larger sizes. The soft, neoprene glove helps fingers wrap around the handles, while the loops and Velcro straps mean it’s quick to put on and take off, if you have a little one who is eager to get going!
If you’re out with a wheelchair, buggy or car seat, being able to offer a play surface can make the world of difference. Trabasack Bags sit comfortably on laps thanks to the bean bag insert. They also all feature zipped pockets to store paper and pens, small toys, tablets or laptops and so much more. The straps can be arranged in a variety of ways, including as a waist strap to prevent the bag falling off a lap. Choose from a hard wipe-clean surface, perfect for snacks and drinks on the go, or a Velcro-receptive surface so toys won’t be falling off all the time.
You can browse all of our children’s gadgets here and see how you can support your child to find joy and independence in many daily tasks.
Jo Smith
