Community Connections: November 2002 Newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator -- November 2002

In this Issue:

The theme of this month's issue is Holiday Time! Check out our suggestions for how to buy the perfect toy, successful travel with your child, and holiday crafts and activities.

Tip Sheet: Top 10 Things to Consider When Buying Toys for Children With Disabilities

Article: Traveling with children with disabilities, by Karen Correll
As the holidays approach, many families will be traveling this season. If travel plans are in your future, then this article is a must! Click here to read the entire article

Spotlights of the Month:
Crayola Works "Made-by-Me" program - A program that allows you to get your holiday shopping done without the kids while your child participates in an on-site program making gifts, wrapping paper, and cards for friends and family˜wondering where to sign up? Click here for more information.

The 16th Annual Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park - People of all ages and abilities are sure to enjoy Prince George's County's annual festival of lights. Click here for more information.

Recommended Websites:
dragonflytoys.com “ A wonderful site completely dedicated to providing toys and products for children with disabilities. Search on a variety of different criteria to find the perfect toy to suit your child's unique needs. Click here for more information.

www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled - The Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids, published by Toys 'R' Us, is filled with toys suitable for children with special needs. Toys are categorized by ten different areas of development, making it easy to find just what you're looking for.Click here for more information.

Tips on Choosing the Right Toy for Your Child

Wondering what to get that special child in your life for the holidays? The play experts at the National Lekotek Center have developed a list of criteria to consider when choosing toys for kids with special needs. Click here to view the "Top 10 Things to Consider When Buying Toys for Children With Disabilities." www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/toys.disabilities.html

Traveling with Children with Disabilities, by Karen Correll

As the holidays approach, many families will be traveling this season. Often times, traveling with children with disabilities can present unique challenges. Karen Correll presents an article based on the experiences of a family with two children with disabilities, one with autism and one with physical disabilities. They provide some helpful information learned through years of experience traveling with their children with special needs. If travel plans are in your future, then this article is a must! Click here to read the entire article.

Spotlights of the Month!

"Made-by-Me"
The Crayola Works store in Arundel Mills mall has started a program called "Made-by-Me." The Program began Monday, November 4, and provides parents with the much needed opportunity for holiday shopping without the kids. Made-by-Me is a new program at Crayola Works that will run through December 23, 2002. For $29.99, your child will spend 1.5 hours making 4 gifts of their choice to give to friends and family for the holidays. They'll create their gifts as well as the wrapping paper and gift cards. Crayola Works will even provide a snack and a juice box! Children must be of school age to participate. For this program Crayola Works also requires that you have either a cell phone or beeper with you while shopping at Arundel Mills. The program is staffed by teachers and aspiring teachers, some of whom have experience working with children with disabilities (call ahead to ensure that experienced staff will be available when you plan to bring your child in). Call Crayola Works at 410.799.0400 for more information, availability, and to reserve a space, as seating is limited.

In addition to the "Made-by-Me" holiday program, Crayola WorksŸ also, offers a program for younger children on a regular basis:
Parent & Tot Programs
Join us to build on your child's knowledge, imaginations, and interests. Expand their literacy, physical, thinking, and social skills as we integrate the arts into daily learning through play. New activities each week!
Classes Held Every Day Monday through Friday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
$9.99 per class (price includes one adult and one child)

The 16th Annual Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park
Light up your holiday season at Watkins Regional Park in Prince George's County. This year's drive-thru display features more than 500,000 twinkling lights. Enjoy beautiful, festive, animated displays along the 2.5-mile drive. (Canned goods accepted nightly for donation to local food banks.)
Watkins Regional Park
301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro
Fee: $5/cars & vans; $15/mini-buses or limos; $25/buses; multi-visit pass for cars & vans-$10/5 visits; FREE on Wednesday, December 25
Information: 301-699-2456; TTY 301-454-1493

õ We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
õ If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

Recommended Websites:

dragonflytoys.com
This site allows parents and professionals to browse and search for toys by creating a profile of the child they are shopping for. Adults input information about different developmental areas (vision, motor, language, cognitive level) and the site responds by providing a list of toys that may be appropriate for the child, given their developmental characteristics. Parents and professionals can also search for toys by category, price range, manufacturer, or keyword. A 'wish list' can be created so that friends and family members can view or purchase toys designated by a child or parent. The site also provides articles on different issues relevant to children with disabilities.

Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids
Each year, Toys 'R' Us publishes this toy guide to help friends and family members of children with special needs choose appropriate toys for them. 10 categories of development are identified (auditory, creativity, fine motor, gross motor, language, self-esteem, social skills, tactile, thinking, and visual) and special symbols help designate the area or areas of development that are promoted by the different toys. All toys in the guide are available at Toys 'R' Us stores or online at ToysRUs.com. Click here to view the Toy Guide online at ToysRUs.com. You can also pick up a print copy of the guide at any Toys "R" Us store.

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Disclaimer
Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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