Harry Hastings’ History Heroes – social learning with these great cards

My T (10 year old son) is obsessed by statistics, we call him “our little stat man”. He loves reading match reports for football, finding out who scored and when, who’s been red/yellow carded and the league tables.

He puts this same enthusiasm and thirst for statistics into everything, a journey is planned with duration and locations, a shopping trip is detailed out by where and when we visit particular shops (there is no sneaking into Phase Eight for me), if it’s not on “the list”, we don’t go in!

I was really pleased to be asked to trial History Heroes with T, cards packed full of educational and informative facts – similar to Top Trumps – but the advantage is that you’re learning as you’re playing.

This is how History Heroes came about (from the website):

“History Heroes Ltd is a Sussex based company created by History teacher Harry Hastings and Ian Curtis.

Harry has been referred to as, “The Jamie Oliver of History!”

There are 2 games available at present but more are in production as we speak.

We are working on a game all about Shakespeare and his plays and British
Sporting Heroes. Let us know your thoughts!

The games are all about SOCIAL LEARNING and getting children and families to communicate, learn and work together in the pursuit of knowledge and fun!

It is indeed

‘TOP TRUMPS MEETS TRIVIAL PURSUIT’

as said by Professor Max Jones of Manchester University.”

There are six ways to play the card game:

A favourite way for us to play was “who ruled the longest” in the Monarchs set and “who ranks the highest” in Athletes.

Here’s T’s favourite cards, either because he’s recently studied them at school or London 2012:

Anything that encourages learning through social play is a definite benefit!

Recommended from us for the different ways you can play; the educational aspect and the interaction they provide!

The packs are priced at £7.99 each and available here from the History Heroes website (click for the link).

Disclaimer: we received two packs of cards for the purpose of this review.

We are loving being in Team Skylanders!

We were very happy (nay, overjoyed) to be chosen to be part of Team Skylanders by tots100.co.uk and here was our original review post - click here to read.

I’ve found previously with toys/games that T and D very quickly lose interest and barely-used games end up on eBay/charity shops (I blogged about Toys and Autism here).

Not so with the Skylanders! 3 months on and we are all enjoying the game as much as ever (yes, I have been known to waggle a joystick thingy too).

There are so many different levels in the game, puzzles that can only be accessed with a particular Skylander – for example, an Undead Skylander can access a bonus Undead area – that I don’t think we’ll ever complete 100% of the game.

I have to admit a teensy-weensy Skylander crush….Eyebrawl. His “party piece” is that his eye bounces out of its socket and he says “let’s have a look around”, always makes us giggle!

T likes the smashing/crashing ones and D’s favourites are the gentler ones – FlashWing, for example, which has a home in her bag when it’s not being played with.

Do we still really enjoy the game three months on? Oh yes indeedy. Is my purse lighter because of Skylanders figures? That would be telling, I’ll just *nod*.

Thank you tots100, it’s a definite favourite!

Countdown to the holidays! Mon 25.03.2013

Four days to go, that was our mantra this morning. T and D have both worked hard this half term, both need the break from school but not a break from routine.

That and the fact that we’re going to Legoland on Saturday – woohoo! They run an “exit pass” scheme which – as long as I remember to take the relevant documentation – ensures that we won’t have to queue for rides, something that has always proved very challenging in the past. There is nothing worse than being stuck in a queue, both children moaning, disapproving looks all round and the knowledge that if D got overwhelmed and bolted, we’d be back to square one….literally.

So, it was a happy T that bounced along to school (he walks on the balls of his feet), excited about the shorter week; but a more reluctant D, it’s like she doesn’t want to wait, she wants the good times to happen now.

It was a very tired D I collected at the end of the day, no body-slam for me, just a very cuddly exhausted-looking girl. Her TA tried to jolly her up, reminding her they’re making Easter nest cakes tomorrow (yum yum) but she just wanted her Mumma.

She brightened up at home, happier in her surroundings and tonight we’ve had “The Duck Song” again, but D singing it constantly – with all the dialects and pauses, her memory for songs is amazing.

T’s had a good day on the whole, he did come home with pen all over his nose because he finished his work early and “got bored”. He does have ICT time at the end of every day as he finishes his work before everyone else, he’s ready for the challenges of secondary school now, even though he’s in year 5 (academically that is, not emotionally). School have said previously that they can’t give him any harder work as they don’t have anything behind year 6 that they are able to set him. It will be a challenge during the next two weeks keeping him occupied if the weather doesn’t become a bit more seasonal.

So, four days to go has now become three days to go, little bit closer to that break.

I hope everyone’s had a good day, comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading. I linked in with Magic Moments today over at The Olivers Madhouse, if was good to remember how and why I started blogging.

Hey, got any grapes? Sun 24.03.2013

It’s been a much better day today, all about this little chappie:

“The Duck Song” – you can watch the YouTube link here – it’s been played over and over today, we are word-perfect in it and D has the accents down to a tee.

I was a bit concerned when she asked if she could watch it and said they watched it on YouTube at school, and that it “was the one at the top” as beneath it are some parodies with awful comments (as you can imagine) but I’m sure any Internet browsing is well supervised.

So, it has been watched and enjoyed. It’s been a good prompt for discussion as to why the lemonade seller got annoyed and how his facial expressions changed and, of course, a very catchy/annoying little tune that stays with you.

We’ve had our bubble-blowing too, a nice giggly popping time. The bitter wind carried them away too quickly to photograph but it was nice to see D laughing as they blew away, sometimes very fast!

T’s had a good day too – in between grumps over his homework – he’s very into slapstick comedy (Mr Bean, Laurel and Hardy etc) and he and Hubbie have wound down enjoying that, whilst D and I were occupied with The Duck Song.

It’s a four-day school week for both this coming week, it’s no surprise that we’re all looking forward to the break. Both T and D suffer without the routine of school, even though they’d never admit it, so I’ll write on our whiteboard what and when our plans are, something visual will help.

I hope everyone’s had a good day (apologies in advance for The Duck Song!), thanks for reading. Comments/RTs/shares welcomed J

Changes, potential changes! Fri 22.03.2013

D is meant to be going to a birthday party tomorrow at TVAP or Taplow tomorrow. It’s for a child who had his party there same weekend last year, I was only thinking today how nice the weather had been then, they’d all had their birthday tea outside in the sunshine. Not so, the prediction for tomorrow, T’s paintball-ing party has already been changed to bowling, due to the forecast.

I’ve tried gently broaching the subject with D tomorrow, as it’s a bus, a train ride and then a 20 minute walk away for us, I needed to prepare her for the possibility that we might not be able to go, obviously I want to take her, she loves it there but the way this country grounds to a halt with a inch or so of snow, it’s best to be prepared.

Unsurprisingly it hasn’t gone too well, the potential change preparation. D has threatened to leave home and walk there herself, not a threat to be taken lightly, her stranger anxieties mean that she could and would bolt if someone went near her. Doesn’t bear thinking about.

It’s a shame because she’d had a good end to the week, trotted off to school knowing that this was the last Friday before the Easter holidays and a four-day school week next week. D had made chocolate crispy cakes at school today, something I’d hoped she’d try as she likes chocolate and cornflakes separately, but no, she didn’t want to try them combined and school didn’t force her. The ice cream van was outside school today, in the high winds and rain (?!?)…no, we didn’t!! Lots of singing of songs from “Joseph”, she is not only going to know the choral songs but all of them by the time of the production, bless her!

T had had a good day too, buoyed on by tomorrow’s (now changed) activities, I’m very grateful there is an alternative two disappointed children would be challenging, shall we say!

So, for a family that is so used to routines, to knowing where we are and when, it’s a funny old evening. I wonder how tomorrow will pan out?

Here’s today’s earlier post on Toys and Autism, something that I really enjoyed asking for experiences and writing up. I hope everyone’s had a good end to the week, comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading Jx 😘

Autism and playing with toys

I was really pleased to be asked, as a special needs parent, to write an article for an online toy trade publication.

As with anything I write, I think about my approach and I started by looking up the definition of toys, this is what good old Wikipedia said:

“A toy is any item that can be used for play. Toys are generally played with by children and pets. Playing with toys is an enjoyable means of training the young for life in society.”
and
“Toys, and play in general, are important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. The young use toys and play to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults use toys and play to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, remember and reinforce lessons from their youth, discover their identity, exercise their minds and bodies, explore relationships, practice skills, and decorate their living spaces.”

This is where the metaphorical record suddenly scratches for me, my children don’t know how to “play” with toys in the traditional sense, they have autism (definition of autism here).

I asked people who I connect with on social media for their experiences of toys and their children and whilst it is some comfort to know that so many of our autistic children have the same issues around playing in the conventional sense, there is a definite pattern as to what autistic children play with and how they play.

The first thing I’ve found is that whilst children with autism could be seen to be “playing” with toy cars, for example, it is more of a case of them being lined up, sometimes by make, colour or size, wheels. There would seem to be some reassurance for the child to be gained from doing this. Very often, a child who has an interest in lining up and sorting cars/trains/vehicles will have an almost obsessive interest in anything connected with cars/transport. For example, looking for wheels/tracks/car badges when out, wanting to watch roadworks, wanting to search for train tracks. The train spotters at stations spring to mind, collating numbers on the front of trains. This satisfies the obsessive element of autism, the need to know anything and everything about a particular subject, it can also be an anxiety reliever.

For example, my son could name all the premier league badges at 18 months, I used to have to laminate little pictures of them for him. His interest in football is now such that he will write his own match reports, prepare his own league tables and you could ask him particularly any result in the premier league/championship he would know the result, who scored, was carded etc. he did not “play” in the conventional sense, his stress reliever is to bounce on a netted trampoline with a ball, commenting as he’s heard commentators do.

Another element is sorting, for example Lego. The bricks can be sorted by colour/size and again lined up. One child takes great comfort and pleasure in building Lego buildings he’s seen on the television, once they’re complete, “fools” will smash them and break them. This again, has traits of the obsessive and anxiety reliever, I doubt though the child would be pleased if anyone “smashed” his creation before he is ready for a “fool” to knock it down.

Lights, buttons and sounds are also a favourite. Electronic devices such as v-tech consoles – in younger children – to apps on an iPhone/ipad/tablet, Nintendo D’S, Wii machine, PS3 etc. In virtually all of these examples, it’s a case of “cause and effect”, the child is in sole control and gains instant results both visually and auditory. There generally isn’t turn-taking (another issue for children with autism), they are in sole control.

Toys can also be used as comforters, my daughter’s favourite toy is Bunny, she will generally call toys what they literally are – Bunny, bear, rabbit, puppy etc – Bunny is not just a toy to her, Bunny is incredibly important. There is a stress relief aspect, the sensory aspect of having soft and small to carry around and the immense anxiety if Bunny is ever dropped. Whenever Bunny has to have a trip to the washing machine, my daughter will sit in front of the washing machine for the length of the cycle, intermittently wailing, holding her hands out for her very special toy.

There is also an element of echolalia (or learnt script) in how my daughter will address Bunny, she will use phrases that I will recognise from “Ben and Holly” or “Skylanders” and generally in the same tone too, another indication of the lack of imagination and social skills that autistic children possess. Role-play either by dressing-up or otherwise does not tend to feature in households with autism.

So, as well as the comfort of lining up vehicles/collecting anything to do with a particular topic; the instant gratification of visual and auditory toys, there are also sensory and calming elements for the softer/smaller toys, the ones that are easily transportable. Autistic children will also find benefits in twirling long hair on toys, on pulling out feathers and, in my daughter’s case, rolling out tiny individual balls from tissue paper, regulating herself by doing so.

I used to get caught up in the Christmas rush every year, buying anything that they had shown the slightest interest in, only to find them discarded and barely looked at. This is because my children did not know “how” to play with toys, the social interaction aspect was missing from their psyche, couple that with an element of OCD and “play” was limited to lining up toys, sorting them, just carrying them around for security.

So, purse lighter and charity shops benefiting, you learn to only buy those toys/gadgets that you know your child will gain some benefit from. This is why I primarily asked for gift vouchers/felt tips pens and paper for my children last Christmas and why their main birthday this year will be ipad minis, both personalised in advance with sporty/action games for my son and gentler very visual apps for my daughter.

It takes a while for an autistic child to find their toy/gadget/comforter of choice, but as demonstrated last year – post here – when I saw the most happiest adult male flapping (which some individuals on the spectrum do when excited) whilst watching some roadworks (and the men at work let him stand there and watch, which was great) the choices are likely to be long-lasting.

Not once, but twice! Weds 20.03.2013

It’s Wednesday, the weekend is in sight…hooray!

T was very cuddly again this morning, I’m not sure if he’s getting anxious about the paint-balling day on Saturday, it will be a totally new experience for him. He’s used to working in a team with football but this will involve being splatted by the opposition etc. I’m sure he’ll be fine but my instincts are usually correct where T and D are concerned. He was okay by the time we got to school thankfully.

D, on the other hand, was a jolly little thing. She practically bounced into her classroom and then rushed out to body-slam me by way of a goodbye. That’s usually a “hello Mumma!” In the afternoon so…it woke me up anyway!

I received another body slam when I collected D this afternoon, thanks D! She’d had a good day, lots of practice for the “Joseph” musical the school is putting on after Easter. Her teacher was saying that there are 3 children playing Joseph as it would be too much for just one child, that’s going to mean a lot of costumes! I’ve been wracking my brain cells wondering how I can help – I don’t sew – still unsure. There is always so much that goes on in the background for these productions, so many unsung people putting in a lot of work.

D’s calm mood has continued at home, it’s been nice. T has again been cuddly, not wanting to discuss, just cuddles. He’ll talk when he’s ready, bless him.

A good day then for us, I hope everyone’s had the same, comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading Jx 😘

Getting back to it Tues 19.03.2013

Thankfully, thank you, thanking everything (!) D slept better last night, which meant we all did! Usually I will lie awake, waiting for her to wake up, no chance of that last night….zzzzz.

As a result, much calmer children this morning and we were back in the school routine.

T, happy because he not only had after-school club football today, but he’s going to an all-day paintball-ing party on Saturday. This will be a complete change to routine of playing a match in morning and then watching a local match in pm, he’s very excited about it. I have niggles about what he’ll eat (packed lunch is the answer) and how he’ll cope if he gets paint-balled too early on/too much but I have to push those aside and hope that he has a great time. The birthday boy’s mum us aware of T’s need for timetables and potential occurrences so…everything crossed.

D was also on good form this morning, relieved to be back into routine. She loves pointing out birds/flowers etc on the way to school and was amazed to see a raven observing road safety as he crossed the road in front of us. He walked across the road (not flew) looking left and right, it was very funny! She couldn’t wait to get into school and tell her teacher and TAs.

A very smiley D came out of school this afternoon, there is a wonderful special needs adventure playground near (train ride away) us – tvapSN or Taplow – which she goes to occasionally with school and where the majority of her classmates – if they have one – hold a birthday party. It’s an external place where I’ve never seen D so happy, relaxed and comfortable – just wonderful. She’s there for a party this weekend and another in a few weeks.

Happy children tonight – both of them – which doesn’t happen that often, having enjoyed their day.

Of course, the Easter holidays are drawing closer, both are counting down to the break and already asking what we’ll be doing and when.

For now, I’m just grateful that T and D have had a good day. Tomorrow will probably be different but today has been okay.

Thanks for reading, wishing everyone a peaceful evening, comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed Jx 😘

Sleepless in a Semi Mon 18.03.2013

Last night was either one long evening or one very early morning, it all seemed to merge. No sooner had D settled than she was back, upset. It didn’t seem to make a difference which room she was in, the anxieties were there.

She wasn’t able to say what was causing them in the wee small hours; it could have been our daft cat surprising her earlier, making her want to leave home, to not exist; it could have been the thought of returning to school, it could have been anything.

Whatever it was, the melatonin didn’t work, it doesn’t tend to if she’s over-anxious and the night went on and on.

Unfortunately it wasn’t just me she kept awake, T was too, as well as Hubbie. A houseful of tired inhabitants.

We’ve all had a day at home. T and D have got on surprisingly well, I think they were both too tired NOT to get on.

We ventured out to the playground, in between the would-be after-nursery and after-school visitors. It was nice and quiet, perfect for T and D to run around and enjoy themselves without stares/looks/comments. Too often we run into people like this mother I blogged about here, not understanding and not wanting to understand either.

T and D enjoyed themselves and we left when others started to arrive, it’s not being rude, it’s risk-assessing (almost) and preventative measures. Roll on our trip to Taplow (tvapSN) this weekend!

I linked in with oliversmadhouse for Magic Moments, here was my post, a moment when my life changed for ever!

I hope D has a more restful night (please) and that everyone’s had a good day. Thanks for all the answers to which are your child’s favourite toys/gadgets, all for something I’ve been asked to write. Will share when I’ve finished it.

Comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading Jx 😘

Compliments, kind of! Sunday 17.03.2013

It’s been another (mostly) good day, albeit with another early start. It is the law-of-sod that, during the week D has to be persuaded awake, the weekend arrives and she’ll rush in, squeaking and squealing with happiness before it’s light outside.

Anyway, that aside (yawn) it’s been a bouncing, flapping, squealing, happy day on the whole. There was a moment when one of the cats scared her and she got very cross, very quickly and threatened to “quit” the house, to not “exist”. She soon calmed with some deep-pressure bear hugs and gentle reassurance. I’ve started to think of parenting with autism as being similar to a line of dominoes, something will suddenly happen and ….bam! Everything falls down.

D can be incredibly cute at times (well, most of the time) with the things she’ll say, today was a lovely moment..and then the need for routine stepped in.

T and D had both helped me prepare to send off all the Anna Kennedy books to the giveaway winners during the week.

They helped in different ways; D checking we had the correct number of Jiffy bags and books, T assisting with the packing.

I wanted to show them part of the Tesco Mum of the Year ceremony – click on the link to watch – so they could see why I’d been blogging/helping to promote it. D watched, fascinated by the item on Anna Kennedy, especially the scenes from the schools. She then turned to me and said “I want you to be a mum of the year” and then, in the next breath “when’s tea ready?” It was a lovely moment and then a reminder that the routine needs adhering to! I did stay to her that I’m very, very happy just being their mum (if you haven’t watched the programme, please do, the winners are so deserving of their awards and so inspiring).

Hopefully there wouldn’t be too many school anxieties this week, T and D both have birthday parties to attend on Saturday, separate venues, similar times aaargh! Both are counting down, both looking forward to them. Not long until the Easter holidays too.

I hope everyone’s had a good day, comments/RTs/shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading Jx 😘