chair

These soft foam chairs allow children to sit upright to independently interact with toys and people around them. The seats are lightweight and can be taken anywhere. The seat stabilizes the hips and encourages proper alignment.

Did you ever think of using a small one-step bathroom stool as a chair? A stool with a back was turned into a perfect chair for a young child to sit and play with his mother. The step stool was just the right height for the child to sit in with his feet on the floor. The side and back of the stool provided enough stability so that his mother could sit in front of him and play!

Often times a stander can be a great way to position a child with disabilities upright to play. A tray can be attached to the stander to provide a surface for playing with toys. The tray can also be removed so that the child can be moved close to participate in other activities like splashing in a water table or digging in the sand at a sand table. You may need to raise the level of the water table by placing it on blocks so that the child can reach the sand or water. Don’t forget stools for siblings and peers so that they can reach the stander tray or water table to play with the child.

A plastic reclining lounge chair from K-Mart for $9.99 can be used as a bathing chair or chair to play in a baby pool or sandbox. The chair works great, is inexpensive and less cumbersome to carry than a heavy bath chair. The child is supported, and can play with other children while seated. If a belt is needed, there are openings to run a hip belt or shoulder straps already designed in the chair.

Materials Needed:
A. 2- 24” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill holes at 6” and 13” from one end on both lengths)
B. 2- 10” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill hole at 4” from one end on both lengths)
C. 1- 12 1/2” length of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
D. 2– 11” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
E. 2– 6 1/2” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill hole at 4 1/2” from one end on both lengths)
F. 2– 6” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
G. 2– 3” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC

You can make a small barrel seat quite easily from a 5 gallon plastic pail to support a child while sitting on the floor. The back can be cut high for children who require a great deal of support or low for those that do not. It can be cut off periodically to gradually decrease support as the child develops the ability to sit with less support.

Materials:

• 5 gallon plastic pail
• Very sharp instrument-kitchen knife, coping saw, or X-acto knife
• Sandpaper—medium and fine
• 14” round pillow