SEP designs and produces toys with a vision for stimulation of fine motor, cognitive, sensory and daily life skills. SEP creates toys that are attractive to the senses, educational, child friendly, safe, hygienic and locally manufactured. Furthermore, each toy can be adapted to the specific needs of the children we work with such as low vision, coordination problems or cognitive challenges, amongst others, based on the level of their abilities and skills. When interesting toys are used, children are attracted, motivated and stimulated to reach, touch, interact, and learn.
SEP engages parents, caregivers, therapists, and teachers in toy-making workshops. They learn to play with their children and discover its value. They see how it brings a smile to their child’s face, discover the excitement in their child and realise the power of play. They learn to make toys out of recycled, colourful items that are readily available and affordable, and take them home. The workshop inspires them to be creative and explore the use of different materials to play with. The mutual joy and shared communication that parents and children can experience during play help to build better relationships. That is the feedback SEP receives during monitoring visits.
Therapists and teachers often have a limited budget to buy toys in their centres and schools they are working in. In the SEP workshop they learn to recycle objects into attractive toys to motivate the children in learning processes and to adapt them to the individual needs of the children with disability. Children are more stimulated during therapy and work towards reaching developmental goals. Appealing learning materials make the learners attentive to the lesson, and time spent in school is more valued.
