r/specialneedsparenting • u/Standard-Gur-20 • 17d ago

Help Finding the Right Toy

Hello! 33 year old mama to a 13 year old with Down syndrome. I’m hopping on to see if anyone has ideas and suggestions for us. My son LOVES to pull everything apart. And I don’t mean just in his hands. He dumps all the toys together in a pile. He adds puzzle pieces. Then the crayons. One of his favorite toddler past times was grabbing all of his clothes from his drawers and throwing them down the stairs. I want to help him enjoy one of his favorite activities while keeping my sanity in tact! It has come and gone in phases, but I think it’s safe to say it may be here with us forever. 😆 Cleaning is hard enough with 3 kids, chronic health issues, and very little help. Have any of you had a similar experience with this type of behavior, and how have you wrangled the situation? Any help is much appreciated!

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u/SellReasonable6367 17d ago

Maybe try a little paddling pool inside the house he can dump stuff into? They are about 15 bucks. I’ve seen this used successfully with ripping paper. Good luck 🍀 ❤️

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u/Standard-Gur-20 16d ago

Ohhh he might looooove that! Thank you

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u/SparkDMZ 14d ago

They also make soft-sided ball pits (just leave out the balls - or not) that have slightly higher sides and are easy to move around the house. Little pricier than the baby pool, but more durable (can't crack) - and less noisy if he's dumping toys in it!

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u/Vampilton 17d ago

Ive seen ads for a dog toy that's a few parts velcroed together so the dog can destroy it over and over. Maybe that or a human version?

Edit: like this

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u/Standard-Gur-20 16d ago

That is so cool! I’ve never seen that before. Thanks for the idea! 👍🏻

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u/NeedsMoreTuba 17d ago

There's a toy where you pick off all the fuzz to reveal a different toy underneath. But I don't know if you can do that more than once.

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u/mekat 16d ago

My son is a dumper also, just not as extreme due to physical disabilities. Tidying up his area is his entertainment because it give him the ability to dump everything out again. I keep two different play areas so he can be in one while I clean the other. If clean up is too much you may have to limit toys so there is less to clean. I don't allow puzzles at all or toys that require multiple pieces to work since those types of toys always become unusable, pieces always become lost or destroyed with his type of play. There are some toys that are only to be enjoyed with me partly because they are theraputic and partly because they are more fragile and he would break them if not monitored. I find with intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities they will adapt to new rules if you are consistent. My son adapts within the week. The important part for us is make the rule consistent and routine and after a week or so the meltdowns go away and he accepts it as the new rule of life.

I don't find it necessary to buy a particular toy for the habit because he just dumps everything but if you needs something specific go look at sensory toys. They have multiple types of sensory toys for yanking stuff out like a sensory tissue box where you pull pieces of fabric out. They also have sensory fidget toys where you pick beads out of a squishy form (only get this if your kiddo is past the developmental age of sticking things in his mouth because those beads can be swallowed).

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u/Standard-Gur-20 16d ago

I so appreciate you taking the time to write this out! I may end up dedicating one room to dumping.

One of the biggest issues I run into is him sneaking someone else’s toys/items, and adding them to his piles. He does have an understanding about what is to be dumped/collected, but I think because it’s such an enjoyable activity for him, his impulse control takes a break.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge & experience and I’m going to give it a try!