Merry Christmas To You and Your Family

May you enjoy every bit of the ups and downs that this time of year brings you.  Savour every hug and every touch.  Enjoy the food and the family.  Enjoy Christmas no matter whose eyes you are seeing it through.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Love and best wishes from the Toy Bug.

Sensory Christmas Decorations

 

Christmas time is perfect to get the whole family together to make decorations for the Christmas tree.  In addition to having some fun, it is also an ideal opportunity to create some great sensory experiences.  Helping to create and place the decorations can sometimes make it easier for children with sensory issues to cope with the sensory overload that Christmas can bring.

 

If you don’t have these items around the house visit your local arts and craft store as they will have them in stock.  Pipe cleaners, cotton wool and tinsel all have different textures when you touch them and with some imagination you can make them into some fantastic decorations.

Also a good set of bright colourful flashing lights are a must for any Christmas tree and especially when the house lights are turned off.  Watching the flashing Christmas tree can be fascinating as well as seeing how the colours can change when they reflect off the furniture and walls in the room.

Pine needles on the Christmas tree also provide another sensory experience.  Fresh pine needles have a unique scent and add to the Christmas spirit and atmosphere as the smell permeates throughout the house.    

Adding candy cane to any Christmas tree can always be a bit of challenge as they are always falling off.  Maybe the odd one that hits the floor can be eaten as they also taste good especially as you are decorating the tree.  Placing an angel at the top of tree that plays Christmas carols can also appeal to the hearing senses as often the sounds and chimes these decorations make as they play their tunes is very different from the usual day to day sounds.

These are just some simple ideas that combine decorating your Christmas tree with some great sensory experiences but I am sure with a bit of imagination and some creative spirit you can come up with your own ideas.

 

Donating Gifts

As we know, Christmas is not just about receiving gifts but can also be about donating gifts to people who may be less fortunate than ourselves.

As highlighted on our Facebook page we recently packed a big box full of toys that we sent off to the Salvation Army. 

Each year the Salvation Army runs the Christmas Appeal for families who are struggling to make ends meet.  As stated on their website there are 25,000 Australian families that are homeless.  This is a staggering figure but it also highlights the plight many families find themselves in and often through no fault of their own.  Also, take the time to read about the stories that some families have faced and the hardships they have endured. 

As you do your Christmas shopping consider buying an extra gift that you can donate although there are also other ways you can make a contribution.  Have a look at the Salvation Army website for more details and information on the different ways you can donate and help out those who are less fortunate.

Child Safe App

What would you do if your child went missing?  There have been too many horrifying stories in recent times that would be any parent’s nightmare.  While a lot of the time if your child goes missing they often return without any incident but when they are actually missing, time can be critical and every second can count. 

A new application has recently been developed for use in Australia that can help to reduce the time taken to get information to police.  This has been adapted from a similar application used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has been developed in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police.  

The application allows you to store photographs and other information about your children on your mobile phone such that in the unfortunate circumstance where your child goes missing it can be sent immediately to police and other relevant authorities. 

Another great feature of the application is that it includes safety advice and checklists as well as emergency contact numbers. 

The application is free to download and suitable for use on both the iPhone and Android phone.  The application can be downloaded now from Google Play and iTunes.

For more information follow this link to the media release on the Australian Federal Police website.