In Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, James's dad advises him, 'If you've got a problem, try looking at it another way'. This is what we need to do when it comes to the inclusion of children with special needs, and there are some excellent new books out there to help you approach game playing from different angles.
Side by Side, produced by Kidsactive, who promote play for disabled children, contains practical guidelines on how to set up an inclusive play project. It is about creating safe and enabling play, and contains well-presented and informative chapters on the right to play, inclusive play do's and don'ts, the benefits of adventure play, setting up a play centre, designing a play environment, and the role of the playworker. It also contains extensive information on other useful publications, organisations and courses.
All Together, produced by the National Early Years Network, is a handbook for those working with the younger disabled child and their families, and deals with practical aspects of play and learning as well as providing information on current legislative requirements.
Wild and wacky
For an inspirational, if wacky, look at games for all ages which encourages creativity in inventing new games and turning old ones upside down, get hold of Bill Harpes' Games for the New Years - a DIY Guide to Games for the 21st Century which focuses on the 'challenge of co-operation rather than the challenge of competition'. This echoes my own personal experience of watching disabled children at play. I have seen how creative children themselves can be when playing in a mixed-ability setting, often coming up with the best ideas for adaptations on their own. In 'Duck Duck Goose', the well-known party game, I have seen it decided that the more able should hop instead of run. In 'Musical Statues', when one child could not stand, everyone danced on their back on the floor. This had the added benefit of taking away any self-consciousness about dancing.
In my experience, children will also often naturally slow down to let a child in a wheelchair catch them, and during games where someone has to be 'out' until a winner is left in, it is hard to persuade them to ever let a child in a wheelchair be 'out'. But Bill Harpes wouldn't have anyone out in the first place anyway - in his version of musical chairs, the chairs are mats, and although mats are taken away, people are not, so you end up with three or four people all on one mat at once!
Another angle
His book gives instructions for 'unmistakable' games, 'upside-down' games, 'rescue' games, 'travelling' games, 'meeting and greeting' games. All of the games can be adapted according to the players, keeping in mind the principle of the 'challenge of co-operation not the challenge of competition'.
Even board games can be adapted so that many players of different ages and abilities can play the game simultaneously but at their own level. Alpha Animals and Alpha Nature are aimed at slightly older children but the basic idea of how they work could inspire adaptation of other such games with a bit of ingenuity if necessary. It is not who wins that is important here, it is the fun journey to the end of the board.
Bill Harpes wants his ideas to be taken as springboards. The main message is to try looking at games from another angle. Changes arising from one child's needs may often unexpectedly benefit the whole group of children - instead of expecting the child to fit with the activity, aim to change activities to fit all the children. Games are a means of having fun together. The challenge for the playleader is to make it fun for everyone at the same time.
Further details
* Side by Side 15 Kidsactive (020 7731 1435)
* All together 13 The National EarlyYears Network (0207 607 9573)
* Games for the New Years by Bill Harpes Price 12.50 ISBN 0-9540621-0-8 The Blackie (0151 709 5109)
* AlphaAnimals and AlphaNature 15 each from The Green Board Game Company (01494 538999)
