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Original poster

Present ideas for VI 6 yr old?

18 replies

Bramshott · 04/12/2011 14:41

Hi there. I hope you don't mind me asking here. I'm looking for ideas for a birthday present for a visually impaired (partially sighted) 6 year old. She has had a rubbish year, so I'd love to get her something really thoughtful.

OP posts:
Lolaismyfavouriteandmybest · 04/12/2011 16:15

Depends on the child.... (and how VI) My VI 5 year old dd has asked for a battenburg cake and a plastic alien from toy story Grin (she has a reasonable amount of functional vision tho)

She likes books with the story on CD and musical instruments. She also likes soft toys (but these would be a dead loss for a child with no sight I think)

I was at a VI meeting where I was playing with kids (who were 6 or 7) with little to no sight with magnetic stacking blocks

I'm sure she'll appreciate whatever you choose for her though.

TheNinjaGooseIsARoasting · 04/12/2011 16:29

have you had any ideas, what is she into?

TOTU · 04/12/2011 20:22

I think it depends on the level of VI and the cause of the VI.

My boys are partially sighted. I was recently told one needs to have things magnified by 6 or 7 times more than a 'normal child' would before he could see them.

However, he still gets enjoyment out of almost all toys as he just holds them closer to his face than a normal child. Xmas Smile

I'd avoid anything intricate. Stick to something substantial, with few parts (no Aqua Beads or Transformers beyond Level 1)!

coff33pot · 04/12/2011 20:39

A little Mp3 with recordings of her favourite music on? I just got a apple ipod for £36 which should be easy for her to use as its just a circle and so you press in certain direction for songs etc so she should pick it up easy. Or story cds. You could put them in a special bag attached to the biggest squelchiest cuddly toy to snuggle into when she is listening :)

coff33pot · 04/12/2011 20:45

oh and some wooden pegs. He likes colouring them green and putting faces on them for soldiers. He has real plastic soldiers but he like doing these and my peg basket is empty!

coff33pot · 04/12/2011 20:46

ignore that post lol its on the wrong thread Blush

Original poster
Bramshott · 04/12/2011 21:54

Oh wow - loads of ideas - thanks! She is very into musicals, but I don't know what soundtracks she has already. A book and CD set is a good idea, plus maybe a very tactile soft toy.

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zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 11:17

I am not sure where I got it from but there is a doll I think her name is NIcky but she is a talking teenage doll with attitude. She was fantastic for my son(!) who is registered blind. She is interactive and has a yes and no button on the top of her shoes for having conversations with her, she also has hair which you can style, she comes complete with American accent, cell phone, her dog Buddy and clothes you can clip on her to change her outfit. Her lips flash red! She is brilliant as she made my son laugh and she let him know all her secrets like a best friend. More suitable for a girl but my son really enjoyed her voice and answering yes no to her questions. Xmas Smile

NoodlesMam · 05/12/2011 13:15

Check out the RNIB website, they have a toy section in their shop. My DD2 is partially sighted and I got some good christmas ideas from there. Xmas Smile

zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 17:58

Just done a bit of research. The doll I mentioned above is DivaStarz Talking sporty Nikki doll. Its out of stock on Amazon but you can read the reviews on there, Its a great present for a young girl with visual impairment and its very sensory. She is a lot of fun and good to develop manual skills as hair can be styled and clothes clipped on. I hope she is still being manufactured.

zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 18:11

Apologies for posting too soon, should have done more research googled the doll and found out from wikipedia that no longer produced by Mattel. Such a shame, ebay may be an option.

Original poster
Bramshott · 05/12/2011 18:30

Is it this one zebra?

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zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 19:56

It looks very similar but the accessories are different (buddy the dog missing?), clothes different and feet seem too small -the feet are important as they had the yes no buttons on for the interaction. Maybe this is later model with fabric clothes instead of original plastic clip on clothes but it could be a copy?? Ours is like the photo on Amazon site. It may still be a good deal but the yes no interaction is central to the enjoyment. I need to learn how to make a link to an item on an exact web page as you have done Bramshott Can you enlighten me??

zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 20:06

Looking closer I think it is a copy???

zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 20:42

Bramshott apparently there were four interactive dolls, Nikki, Alexa Summer and Tia in the series. On ebay (cant link to it) there is a used Diva Starz Alexa -look for plastic clip on clothes and massive feet with a yes no button on the feet. You might be able to find one of the others in good condition

zebrafinch · 05/12/2011 21:14

Bramshott cannot link but there is the full set of all 4 on ebay up for bidding. Look for massive feet and yes and no buttons on feet I have seen pics of dolls without the very big shoes and they are not the ones even if they are described as interactive.

Original poster
Bramshott · 05/12/2011 22:05

You are a star - thank you! Your link worked great! Although if you want to put different text, you just do web address, then a space, then your text

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