[blindkid] Playlistening, imaginative play, art play???? Cross post

Tue Oct 18 00:25:17 UTC 2011

Hi Marie,

We definitely needed to teach/encourage this kind of play in 
Serena.  The beginning of it happened accidentally.  I was lying on 
the living room floor when Serena went to sit down and accidentally 
landed on me.  "Hey, what am I, a sofa?" l laughed.  Well, Serena 
thought this was hysterical and proceeded to get up and sit down on 
me several times.  Seizing the learning moment :-), I started saying 
things like, "OK, now YOU pretend to be the sofa and I"LL sit on 
YOU!"  So i stuck the word pretend in there and we played this game 
for quite a while.

The next episode I remember was when her little brother was about 2 
or 3 and Serena was 5 or 6.  For a long time she had no use at all 
for this interloper in our lives and this became the first time she 
actually played with him.  We used to read lots of books about animal 
families and one morning we were all lying around in bed and I said, 
why don't I be the lion mama and you be the cubs.  They both really 
enjoyed this and it became another pretend game that we could play.

We eventually expanded to acting out stories like Jack and the 
Beanstalk, with each of us taking a different part.

I tried to persuade her to play school with a little schoolhouse and 
little people dolls, but really, she only did this when I was right 
next to her, leading it along.  Eventually, she began to make up 
elaborate stories and would sit on her hippity-hop and tell them out 
loud.  (She stopped immediately if she heard us coming, btw.)  I 
always wondered if this was the equivalent to pretend play with 
figures or objects, when kids make up the situation and the dialogue.

Hope some of this helps.

Best wishes,
Carol

Carol Castellano
Director of Programs
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org
At 01:03 PM 10/15/2011, you wrote:
>I'm posting this question on multiple parenting listserves that I am on so
>if you are on multiple listserves with me I apologize for the repeat.
>
>
>
>I am just wondering if imaginative/imitative play and interest in creating
>art came naturally to your kiddos or how you went about "teaching" it to
>them.
>
>
>
>I was not much of a pretender when I was little. I really wanted to get out
>and ride my bike or climb a tree and such things. My husband says that he
>was about the same so I'm not really shocked that Jack is a play outside
>kind of kiddo too.
>
>
>
>As far as imitative play, I did not really enjoy pretending to cook or
>pretending to shop, I wanted to actually help with the cooking and I would
>go shopping with my mom or grandmother when little.
>
>
>
>As far as working out issues in play, I never really did this either but I
>think that may have more to do with the unstableness of my environment.
>
>
>
>I did like to do crafty projects somewhat but have never been the creative
>type that would just sit and do an artsy project on my own. I was more of a
>reader.
>
>
>
>On the other hand, I read things all the time about the fun and learning and
>healing that other children have when doing these activities with their
>parents. I feel as though I should be doing more of these types of things
>with Jack. I feel like there is a block on both our parts since I am not
>particularly good at these things and neither is he. BUT is he not good at
>it because there is a shortage of modeling?
>
>
>
>Thoughts?
>
>
>
>Oh and since this is going to multiple lists, let me give you a quick
>rundown of the "Jack facts"
>
>
>
>Turned 6 years old in May
>
>Very active little boy-active as in likes to run around and is not a big fan
>of sitting
>
>Is homeschooled/unschooled, I guess we're in Kindergarten now
>
>Late talker now at the short sentences level, still working on joint
>attention, increased # of turns in turn-taking, sharing control
>
>Small hands and stiff fingers after having surgery to release his fused
>digits when 10 and 13 months old-he does have 5 digits on each hand
>
>Fine motor difficulties due to above
>
>Light perception only in left eye
>
>Right eye vision somewhere around 20/320
>
>Considered legally blind due to 2 above
>
>His best friends are a green basketball named Irish and a well-worn Tickle
>Me Elmo doll (best friends defined as objects that accompany him everywhere.
>He does engage in some imaginative/imitative play with them)
>
>He does not like to watch TV. He would rather play with his ipad, watch
>short YouTube videos, Baby Einstein, Elmo's World, and a couple specific
>episodes of Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba. He does some imitation of these things.
>
>
>He does not like playdoh, drawing/writing (some hand over hand tracing on
>the ipad but NOT drawing of any kind)
>
>Tools/toys/paints etc. for creative/imaginative play-we've probably got them
>all
>
>He was born with a craniofacial syndrome called Apert syndrome
>
>
>
>Thoughts/ideas/stories/inspiration/hey don't worry about it..
>
>
>
>I want to hear whatever you've got.
>
>
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Marie
>
>
>
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