Lovevery - Purposeful Play Customized for all Abilities

ENERGY IN ACTION - EPISODE 064

Maral Amani is a Licensed Physical Therapist and the Disability Support Specialist at Lovevery, a toy company that helps families, educators and therapists find the right toys and the right tools to help develop confidence through play.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

Can you tell us about yourself and your work?

I'm a Physical Therapist, specializing in children ages 0-3 and early intervention. At Lovevery, I'm the Disability Support Specialist for a recently launched program that allows families to purchase play kits without a subscription. Through communicating with me, I'm able to help families choose specific play kits that are best for children with a focus on skill-based development and strength-based development. Families can reach out to me through the website, answer questions about their children, share what skills they're developing, and I will recommend a play kit that will also include a play guide.

What kits are available for children with mobility issues?

As a Physical Therapist, I focus on big movements, core strengthening, leg strengthening, bearing weight through the arms. For tiny movements, it's best to put children in a comfortable position to play so they're reducing the energy demand of holding themselves up so their energy can focus on fine motor movement. If you purchase a play kit that has toys that can't be used right away or used in the typical way, think about how the toy can be enjoyed with modifications.

What do you recommend for developing executive functioning skills?

My favorite play kit for that is the Inspector Kit with the ball drop box. It comes with balls inside the box, but it rolls out at an angle to the side. There's auditory feedback from the wooden ball rolling and dropping. I also like using our Bright & Light Play Scarf to cover books and other objects children are interested in. This is good for working on object permanence and executive functioning.

How do families access the Lovevery disability service?

Complete the form or email me at [email protected] and we can discuss which play kit is right for your child through a one-on-one, personalized experience. We have a disability expert council with a lot of experience working with children with disabilities and they provide a lot of guidance to me to ensure we're considering multiple angles of each child's development. We are here for all families and we want families to feel seen and supported. Please email me with any questions you have.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED

Lovevery

https://lovevery.com/

The Inspector Play Kit

https://lovevery.com/products/the-play-kits-the-inspector

The Explorer Play Kit

https://lovevery.com/products/the-play-kits-the-explorer

Lovevery Disability Service Form

https://lovevery.com/pages/disability

Lovevery at Target

https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=lovevery

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