Infant Toys & Dementia (2 of 3)

Hopefully, if you’re reading this post you’ve seen post 1 of 3 which is an intro’ to infant toys and dementia.

Some of the first toys I purchased weren’t actually soft books. They were those featured below, which caught my eye while on a grocery shop with a friend. We lingered in an aisle where they were displayed and as we chatted, without thinking started to spin the toys and turn them upside down. Quite fun actually.

It was then in that moment that it occurred to me that toys could be used as dementia activities and aids.

I had already bought soft toys for my Mother, inspired by Mum’s intuitive love of bears and the attachment to them through her dementia. We knew the necessity for them had become stronger when she first ventured out in public with her teddy bear to a pop-up dementia cafe meeting held locally by the Alzheimer’s Society.

After my grocery shopping trip, I started to think about the range of toys, plastic baby toys for infants. I bought just a few at first, in case they were rejected but they went down a treat. The first plastic ones I found were in John Lewis above Waitrose. But I include the names of these along with images, for your reference here…

Sassy Wonder Wheel High Chair Toy

These toys are listed under ‘Baby & pre-School Toys, Activity Toys’.  A range of toys could be introduced to your loved one.

I introduced them by saying “Look at this, that’s a nice one isn’t it?” And the conversation flowed quite easily. It could be that you get a reply of “No I don’t like it.” But that’s ok too. Any communication is always good. If there’s a dislike, I usually agree and say: “neither do I, shall we put it over there away from us?” -and that’s that. The good thing about these toys is that they’re around a fiver to purchase but you could get second hand from your own children, friend’s kids or charity shops and disinfect them.

Halilit Mini Rainmaker

Sassy Teeth & Twirl Sensation Station