14 GAMES FOR THE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DISABLED - ARTE - 2024

Next we are going to make a list of 14 games for the physically and mentally disabled, both children and adults. If you are an educator or if your child has a disability, these games can be useful.

Both children with disabilities and those without disabilities have the right to play and access toys. Despite this right, the former have serious difficulties in being able to use much of the games and toys on the market.

The fact of having a physical disability should not prevent the child from playing with his / her classmates or friends. Play is very important for a person with physical disabilities, as it provides them with a closer means of participation with their environment and helps them to have pleasant moments in their free time.

In most cases, these people cannot play because the activities are not adapted to their needs. At other times it is only necessary to vary the forms, the complexity of the game, the objectives or the rules so that they can participate in the activity.

Games for people with physical disabilities

Here are some games that can be used in both small and large groups:

1- Heads and Cross

Title: Cara y Cruz

Main content: Basic motor skills and speed.

Material: It is not necessary to carry out the activity.

Number of participants: 2 teams of 10 players maximum will be needed.

Development:

Once two teams of ten players are formed, they must be placed separating the rows with a distance of approximately 1.5 to 2 m and 1 m between each student.

The teacher will then assign a name to each group, "heads" or "tails". The activity consists in that if it says heads or tails, the team that is called that has to try to catch the members of the other group before they reach an area that they previously named as safe.

Each student has to try to catch their partner next door.

Adaptations:

• It must be taken into account that there is homogeneity in the pairs. Furthermore, the teacher has to pay close attention to how the traps should be carried out so that they do not endanger their physical integrity. On some occasions, materials such as balls will be added so that the physically disabled person can catch their partner simply by throwing them.
• You also have to take into account how your peers catch you, so you should be aware of how to do it and the ways that exist. One way would be by tapping him on the shoulder.

2- The sculptor

Title: The Sculptor

Main content: Body awareness and relaxation.

Material: No material is necessary to carry out this activity.

Number of participants: 20 to 22 participants (in pairs) will be required.

Spatial requirements: A space that is as flat as possible.

Development:

The children have to form pairs and one of them will be the sculptor and the other the sculpture. The first has to make a sculpture with the body of his partner, for this he will have to move both his arms and legs, as well as the other parts of the body.

The partner who works as a sculpture has to take into account that he will not be able to move while the activity is being carried out.

Once the sculptor has finished, the other partner must guess what shape it is. They can change roles.

Adaptations:

• In the event that there is a child with a physical disability, the movements that they can or cannot do should be taken into account.
• It will also have to be taken into account if there are people who have balance problems, in this case they will carry out the activity sitting down.
• On the other hand, if there are children who have a great problem in the extremities, they will participate by giving orders to the teacher so that he / she makes the sculpture to another classmate.

3- The giant ball

Title: The Giant Ball

Main content: Basic motor skills and tactile perception.

Material: A giant ball for each group.

Number of participants: Groups of 10 people will be held.

Initial situation: All together in groups located in different parts of the room.

Procedure: The game consists of while the ball is moving to prevent it from falling to the ground. First, you must agree on the place where you intend to take it.

Adaptation:

• If a person with a physical disability participates, it should be expected that they touch the ball at all times like their teammates while they are moving it.

4- The divorced

Title: The Divorced

Main content: Basic motor skills and spatial organization.

Number of participants: maximum group of 10 people.

Development:

Since the children are forming a pair, one member of the pair acts as the pursuer and the other as the pursued. The second can be saved when he goes to look for him by holding the hand of another member of another couple. The remaining partner becomes the one being pursued and so on until the pursuer catches it.

Adaptation:

• On some occasions it is possible that they cannot shake hands, so it will be considered valid that they are located close to each other.

5- Land, sea and air

Title: Land, sea and air

Main content: Spatial perception.

Number of participants: between 15 and 20 people maximum.

Material: benches and mats.

Development: The teacher will shout land, sea or air and for each word the child must go to a specific place. By yelling the word "earth," you can run through the space in which the activity is taking place. If, on the other hand, he yells "sea" he must go to the mats. Finally, if you yell the word "air" they should go to the benches and try to raise their legs.

Adaptation:

• For people who participate with physical disabilities, actions such as lifting the legs will be replaced by touching the bench, as in the case of the mats, their mission will be to touch it as quickly as possible.

6- the king

Title: The King

Main content: Basic motor skills and visual perception.

Material: You do not need any material to carry out this activity.

Number of participants: Groups of 5 people can be made.

Procedure: Before starting, the players must position themselves in a certain way. They should be placed in a row one behind the other leaving a distance between them of one meter. Then the first in each row will act as king.

The companions of each group have to imitate their actions and the one who fails is eliminated. The role of king will rotate among the members of the group.

Adaptation:

• In principle, no adaptation is necessary to carry out this activity. The only thing to keep in mind is that the person who plays the role of king, take into account what his partner can and cannot do so as not to cause discomfort.

7- Cut the thread

Title: Cut the Thread

Main content: Spatial organization and basic motor skills.

Material: It will not be necessary to use any material.

Number of participants: between 20 and 25 people.

Development: The students will be distributed around the room where they will carry out the activity randomly. A player will be in charge of stopping the teammates and specifying the name of the person they are going to chase.

The aforementioned must flee, while the rest of his companions help him to do so by crossing the imaginary straight line that joins the pursued and the pursuer. Once he has done this, the pursuer must pursue the one who has cut the thread.

Adaptation:

• No adaptation is necessary to carry out this activity, since the student would only have to be agile to move. In the event that the teacher sees fit, the student can have an assistant to help them move more easily and faster.

Considerations in games for people with intellectual disabilities

In general, people with intellectual disabilities handle information more slowly than other people. This causes your responses to be slower as well.

Play is highly recommended for these people, as it can shape brain function and cause both substantial and lasting modifications that facilitate learning.

In addition, it is recommended because it stimulates them, helps them to relate to others, gives them psychological benefits and can generate new learning.

Some characteristics and implications to take into account for leisure and free time activities and the intervention of the monitors:

• People with intellectual disabilities need supervision and support in a generic way, as they show a lack of initiative and lack of control.
• It is difficult for them to mark distances from things, to make abstractions… They stick to the concrete.
• Avoid any type of paternalistic relationship in which the child feels inferior, protected or different from other peers.
• You have to be certain that you have understood the messages.

Games for people with intellectual disabilities

Here are some games that can be used with people with intellectual disabilities in the classroom:

1- Dancing, dancing

Title: Dancing, Dancing

Main content: Temporary organization.

Material: Handkerchiefs or fabrics, CD with songs that encourage dancing and moving.

Number of participants: A maximum of 10 people.

Procedure: Everyone should have a handkerchief. They should be distributed as they want by the site where the activity is going to take place. When the music starts to play you can move and dance with the scarf as you like.

The teacher will have to mention the parts of the body and the students must point them out with the handkerchief in addition to dancing at the same time.

Adaptation:

• If necessary, a more relaxed type of music will be used so that the student can identify the parts of the body without stress like their classmates.

2- Bank game

Title: Bank game.

Main content: Basic motor skills and auditory perception.

Material: A bench and an audio player.

Number of participants: groups of a maximum of 12 players will be held.

Procedure: The activity consists in that when hearing the music, everyone must get up and go around the bench in a clockwise direction.

When it stops they will have to sit down quickly, thus avoiding being the last. Whoever arrives last will be eliminated.

Adaptation:

• As in the previous activity, music should be used with rhythms that are not very fast, in order to give it time to act.

3- Draw in space

Title: Draw in Space

Main content: Basic motor skills

Material: Ribbons similar to those used in rhythmic gymnastics.

Procedure: Once all the children have their tape, they will have to freely position themselves in the space where the activity will take place.

They will then have to perform movements with the tape both in motion and without moving. They can also imitate the movements of other classmates.

Adaptation:

When necessary, the monitor should help the child with arm movements or even doing the activity with him.

4- The flying balloon

Title: The Flying Balloon

Main content: Coordination skills.

Material: Large balloons and a volleyball net or similar.

Participants: Groups of 12 people.

Procedure: Once the participants have divided into two groups, each team has to keep their balloon while sending it to the opposite group. The balloon can be sent via hand touches.

Adaptation:

For people participating with disabilities, you can be given guidelines on how many times to touch the balloon before sending it to the other team.

5- The pump

Title: The Bomb

Main content: Speed ​​and basic motor skills

Material: A ball or any object that can be passed.

Development: The children are placed in a circle, while one person remains in the middle of that circle. The teammates who form it will have to pass the ball clockwise, while the one in the middle counts from one to ten.

When it reaches number ten, the person who has remained holding the ball will be penalized by moving to the center of the circle.

Adaptation:

• In the case in which people with a high degree of disability participate in the activity, the account will be lengthened to twenty or thirty in order to give them time to understand how the game is going.
• In the event that you cannot understand it, you will need the help of a colleague or even the monitor if necessary.

6- return home

Title: Back Home

Group content: Reaction speed.

Number of participants: two or three groups of 12 to 15 people.

Material: To carry out this activity, you will not need any material.

Development: The children will be placed in pairs. First, two circles of different sizes will be formed, in the smaller one the "A" will be placed very close to each other. While their "B" pairs form the other circle at a medium distance from them.

The “B” are the only ones that can move, so they will start moving around the room until the teacher yells “come home”. When this happens, everyone will have to look for their partner in the small circle that they previously formed.

Adaptation:

• In the case of moderate disability, both people who form the couple will wear a garment of the same color so that both members can be identified. If it is not possible to use a garment, any material that does not interfere with the activity may be used.

7- Rain of balls and net

Title: Rain of balls and net

Group content: Cooperation game where motor skills are developed.

Material: a volleyball net and as many balls as you have.

Procedure: the net will be located at a height of about 50cm-1m above the players. While the balls will be scattered around the room. The participants must catch all the balls and throw them against the net.

Since they are divided into two teams, the winner will be the one who first made all the balls that have previously been assigned with a color for each group.

Adaptation:

• No adaptation will be necessary for this activity. If there is a problem, the teacher is the one who must make the appropriate adaptations.

conclusion

All people, whether disabled or not, need to play with their peers to have a correct physical, social and psychological development. Our duty as parents and educators is that they participate in these activities based on their abilities and adapting them as necessary to their needs.

References

1. Antequera, M., Bachiller, B., Calderón, MT, Cruz, A., Cruz, PL, García, FJ,… & Ortega, R. (2008). Manual of attention to students with specific educational support needs derived from intellectual disabilities. Ministry of Education. Junta de Andalucía.
2. Costa, M.; Romero, M.; Mallebrena, C.; Fabregat, M.; Torres, E.; Martínez, MJ.; Martínez, Y. Zaragoza, R.; Torres, S. and Martínez, P. (2007). Play, toys and disability. The importance of universal design. AIJU
3. de Vivienda, C., & de Asturias, BSDP (2003). Principles and recommendations to promote the exercise of rights and social participation of people with disabilities. Fortunately yes.
4. Hernández, MR, & Rodríguez, AB (1998). The game and students with disabilities (Vol. 43). Editorial Paidotribo.
5. Pereda, C., de Prada MA, Disabilities and social inclusion. Collective loé Social Studies Collection, no. 33. Obra Social La Caixa. 2012.