Visually Impaired Boy's 1St Birthday

L.,

Maybe have a game of pin the tail - updated! Your guests can hold a toy with a blindfold and see if they can get it together. Maybe use toys that your son is unable to use for just this purpose - that would be enlightening for your son's guests.

Your son CAN see colors - just not definitive shapes, correct? Maybe have poster board in bright colors (well, I wouldn't go neon, but maybe he might respond to that too?) Decorate for HIM!

We held off on all sugar, so we didn't have cake for my son. A cake sounds really over the top for your son - but your guests will enjoy it.

Sounds? Lullabies are good - they're not just for naptime! Also WeeSing - a lot of songs that your baby will be able to relate with given enough repetition, as well as your GUESTS (memory is a fun thing).

Touch - hard to say there, he's getting into the clingy stage if he's like a lot of other kids. He may not want to leave you. Getting him acclimated to other voices would be a good idea.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll get a lot more ideas!
M.

What about a music party? All you really need is some recorded children's music and a bag of "shake, rattle, 'n bang" toys (rattles, drums, triangles, etc.). You can easily do this yourself, but if you prefer, many Music Together, Kindermusik, and Gymboree teachers do birthday parties.

Happy birthday to your little boy!

How about still having balloons, but just having them all over the floor so he can feel them and hear them bounce. You could mix in some of those punching balloons - he wouldn't be able to get them to work but they make a cooler noise when touched and they are harder to pop. If you use regular balloons, just keep them just a bit underinflated so that they don't pop easily.

He's too young for noisemakers but you could make shakers out of almost anything or buy some of the shaky eggs they use in music classes.

You could get one of those little parachutes (step ahead has them) or just buy some different colored silks at a fabric store and let him and the guests swoosh those to some music.

How about making rice krispie treats? They're really crunchy and easy for him to suck/gum on, and fun to press and squish.

Happy Birthday to your son - hope you all enjoy his first birthday!

Hi L.,

Oh, first birthday! That was so much fun for us (our boy is turning four in a few weeks).

Here's my simplistic suggestion: have a "Make Some Music" party! Collect enough easy-to-get instruments (tambourines, bells, wood blocks, shaker eggs, etc.) for all of your guests and let the birthday boy give one to each person for a loud, musical treat.

At cake time, serve cupcakes instead of cake. Encourage the children to eat with their fingers, enjoying the sensation of the gooey icing and crumbly cake.

There are lots of other ways you can provide sensory experiences, and I'm sure you use many of them all of the time.

Congratulations on your baby's first birthday!

T.

How about White Post farms? It's a great place (if you don't know it, its a farm type place (in Melville?) during the winter they have an indoor farm and train ride, and a puppet singing show. I know many visually impaired children benefit from animal interaction and the train and singing chickens will have auditory stimulation, etc. The animals you can pet and feed. There is also a sandbox/playground area indoors for winter too.

For brownie Troop we did a smell, touch, taste party once... it was great. We used jelly belly jelly beans.. and each guest had 4.. they tried them.. and had to guess what flavor they were eating.. it was fun, then we had brown lunch bags with things inside.. to touch.. like cotton, ice cubes, tooth picks, and other stuff... and they guessed at what they were touching.. then smell, we used small cups .. one had coffee, one had rice (no smell), chocolate, ketchup, cinnamon, and other stuff.. it was great -- some people have great senses and other don't.. Goog luck.. happy birthday to your child.. enjoy the day.. I forgot.. the hear part.. we made noises.. like a cell phone ringing, a small xylaphone (which your little one might like a lot..