Event Focus: Toy Adapting

Every year from September to December Makers Making Change runs the Hacking for the Holidays campaign. Volunteers across Canada take part in this event, adapting toys at community events, in classrooms, and more. Toys and switches are requested all year and this guide will provide the resources you need to adapt toys at your event.

Why switch adapted toys?
·      Many toys require fine motor skills to push or switch small buttons
  • Someone with a disability may have difficulties playing with toys purchased off the shelf
  •  Adapted toys are controlled by assistive switches - these give the user an easier way to control and play with the toy
·      Switch adapted toys are cost effective
  • Purchasing commercially available adapted toys can be very expensive, which can be a huge barrier to families
·      Large variety of toys
  • Many different types of toys can be switch adapted
  • A toy can be chosen for a specific user. For example, a specific character toy such as Bluey or features such as lights and sounds
·      Allows for independent play
  • Using switch adapted toys teaches cause-and-effect and can help strengthen motor skills, while having fun

How to Choose a Toy
Option 1: Choose from our Toy List
Our Switch_Adapted_Toys_GitHub Page has a variety of instructions for switch adapting specific toys. To start please review the read me resource on GitHub. Volunteers can use these instructions at your build event to adapt the toy. Click on the Toy Instructions folder, where you will find multiple toy categories. Select a toy category and check out the individual toy folders. Most of these toys can be purchased from Walmart or Amazon. Once you have found a toy you’d like to adapt at your toy event, download the PDF and print off instructions for your volunteers. This is the easiest way to go about making an adapted toy at your event.
Option 2: Choose a new toy
If you have previous toy-adapting experience, or are up for a challenge, you can choose a new toy for your event. You will want to adapt the toy yourself before the event to ensure that it can be adapted. During your event, you will guide your volunteers through the adapting process.

Things to Consider When Purchasing Toys
There are certain features to look for when choosing a toy to switch adapt. Please consider the following list when selecting a toy. These guidelines help ensure the toy is able and appropriate to be adapted.
Requirements
·      Consider how the toy is powered
  • Toys must be battery powered
  • Avoid toys that plug into the wall / have high voltages
A toy opened to showcase the internal components of red wires and a blue button.

·      Consider the buttons
  • Toys with 1-2 buttons are easiest to adapt, more buttons requires more adapting
  • Avoid toys with sliding, rotating, touch, or joystick-like buttons
  • Look for "clicky" ON and OFF style buttons

A green and blue bubble machine


·      Consider screw type/location
  • Make sure the screws are easy to access
  • Make sure you have the right type of screwdriver to remove them

The remote control car flipped over to show where the screws are.

·      Consider the toy material
  • Hardshell toys are easier to clean than plush toys
  • If the toy is a plush, make sure you can easily access the inner compartment that contains the toy’s hardware
A peppa pig toy flipped over showing where the internal component is store inside its belly.


·      Consider how the user interacts with the toy
  • Avoid toys that require additional physical contact from the user
  • Users may be far away from the toy and not be able to reach

Check out our Tool and Component List for information regarding purchasing commonly used items to switch adapt toys

Additional Considerations
·      Consider the User
  •  Are you adapting a toy for someone specific? If so, consider what type of toy features they would enjoy, or character they would like
 
·      Consider choosing a Character toy
  • Choose a toy from a popular TV show, such as Bluey

·      Consider the toys features
  • Popular features are sound/music, lights and movement
  • The more features, the more engaging the toy could be
  • Bubble toys are popular, but may be hard to find outside of the summer months
 

 An Image of a bluey bubble blower toy, a child blowing bubbles and a light up toy being activated by a yellow switch
Where to purchase toys
·      Walmart: Has a good selection of toys for a good price
·      Toys R Us: Can sometimes find good toys from here, but tend to be more expensive and has less of a selection
·      Amazon: Has a good selection and easy to purchase large amounts of toys
·      Canadian Tire: Can sometimes find good toys for a good price


 Switch Adapted Toys Presentation
·      Download and use this presentation at your build-event to help volunteers understand why switch adapted toys are important: Download Here
·      Edit the second slide with your information
·      Tip: Practice the presentation beforehand!

Additional Information
You will also need at least one switch to test the toys. Please check out the Event Focus Assistive Switches resource
You can either make this switch yourself before the event, or have some volunteers build switches and the others build toys.