We understand the difficulties of trying to get your child to do something new or keep their attention on this new activity. Below are a few ways that our experts have come up with to help you.
- Bring game to child while child is in the bathtub
- Sing songs during daytime activities, like body parts when getting dressed, or food during meals, or during a time of day when child can relate to a song, i.e. Let’s Go Fast song (sing when you are traveling, incorporate during your daily routines or before you play the game, make it a reward system)
- Incorporate favorite toys, action figures, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. that correspond to songs to help “sing along”
- Use a prop microphone to aid in singing songs
- Meet the child’s sensory needs to improve focus–allow a weighted lap pad, use active/flexible seating
- Parent and child use headphones or earbuds during game play to limit distracting background noise
- Use a splitter for two headphones, or have bluetooth synced. Otherwise, the parent may not be able to easily follow if the audio is in the headphones.
- Invite an older / younger sibling to play the game with them. This, of course, is dependent on the type of dynamic the child has with their sibling. Some kids are more motivated to engage with an activity if it involves their sibling. Conversely, sibling involvement could also serve as a distraction. Have conversations with the parent on the most effective way to incorporate sibling involvement, if necessary.
