FROM KATRINA: Wow, there are just so many things to tell you guys about Son-Rise program playrooms! Here is my final blog on insider tips from me to you on how to make your playroom an optimum learning environment for connection. (Please see my previous blogs under the category of environment for more tips)
-Keep the playroom floor clean! After your child has finished playing with toys (and it is a attention diverting time,) clean up the floor. This helps your child and you stay focused on the current game.
-Use a lock on your door (even if it is a bolt at the top, or a child safety door handle.) This makes keeping your child in the room so much easier and eliminates volunteers (or yourself) chasing your child around the house. Believe that the playroom is the best and safest place for your child to be and they will too!
-Always have a trash can, tape, paper, markers, and paper towels. As a child facilitator these are things that we use constantly and some families overlook. The trash can helps keep the room tidy, the tape, paper, and markers can be instant games, and the paper towels are around for quick clean-up (wipes are great too!)
-optional room items that make games really easy
-Velcro!! I love Velcro I think its the new tape. I recommend buying a lot of Velcro and hanging up a few strips around your room. Then when you bring in themes (pre made games) you can use the opposite side of Velcro and hang them up on the walls. This is much easier than using tape, especially if you have a child that likes to play with tape, or peel things.
-white board. We have recently installed a white board in our playroom at the Autism Treatment Center of America as we noticed that it is an easier way to quickly draw something that could be helpful to the child (e.g. write the word Pizza planet to pretend to be in toy story, or write the word "eat" to help your child say the word)
-hang a string across the playroom. One playroom I was in had a string that you could easily put up and take down constantly (2 eye hooks on either side of the ceiling, then a string attached to one side wrapped around a piece of cardboard so it doesn't tangle) Then you can attach games to this string easily (see our video blogs for more ideas on this)
Okay, whew that was a lot. I hope that it will be helpful to you! Feel free to ask any questions about your playroom and what will help it be the best room for your child!
Love to you all!
Katrina
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