Games for Kids in Wheelchairs | eHow.com

mom section

Living Well
Family & Relationships
Education & Activities
Parenting
Mom.me

eHow
Education
Teachers & Educators
Physical Education Teachers
Games for Kids in Wheelchairs

Margo Dill

Margo Dill is a freelance writer, editor, columnist, book reviewer, and childrens’ author. She owns her own editing business. Her work has appeared in publications such as “Grit,” “Missouri Life,” “News-Gazette,” “Pockets,” “Chicago Tribune,” and “WOW! Women On Writing.” Her middle-grade historical fiction book will be published by White Mane Kids.

ßy Margo Dill, eHow Contributor

]]>

Wheelchairs waiting for games

Kids in wheelchairs can play many of the same games as students without physical disabilities. Teachers may have to use creativity to design an adaptation for students who are wheelchair bound, but many sources exist to help teachers share ideas, such as the Palaestra website. As a Palaestra article about activity ideas for students who have physical disabilities states, “Sometimes one educator’s idea will spark several new adaptations or new activity ideas. A few people sharing a few good ideas can cascade into a flood of great new ideas.”

- Most sports have a version that children in wheelchairs can play. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games hosts a Kids’ Day each year where children can meet the athletes in wheelchairs and be introduced to the sports they play. For example, children in wheelchairs can play Wiffle ball or softball. They can learn to throw a ball, catch it and bat. They can use their wheelchair to make their way to first base and even to score a run.
  
  Another popular sport for children and teens in wheelchairs is wheelchair basketball. Players dribble, pass and shoot just like the NßA players. Wheelchair kickball is also popular–children can play with students in or out of wheelchairs and the same rules apply for both.
- ßesides sports, children in wheelchairs can play other games with balls. Palaestra, the forum for sport, physical education and recreation for those with disabilities, has several activity ideas on their website for children with physical disabilities in wheelchairs. Some of their suggestions are for students in wheelchairs to form a circle and roll or throw a large ball to each other using their hands or feet, tether ball and a type of bowling where pins are set up and knocked down with a large ball in the gym.
  
  Older students in wheelchairs may enjoy a game of good old-fashioned dodge ball or even four square, if you can make the squares larger than normal to allow for the wheelchairs.
- Children love races, and there are easy wheelchair games to play. ÿou can create wheelchair relay teams, where students have to pass a baton to one another as they race around the gym or track against other teams. ÿou can set up individual races–long and short distance–and you can even have a racing unit to talk about different techniques or skills that would improve speed and muscle coordination.
  
  Obstacle courses are also fun for students in wheelchairs. The PE Central website lists a lesson plan idea for a wheelchair obstacle course to teach students disability awareness. However, you can adapt this lesson plan for students who need wheelchairs too. Several variations are given for the obstacle course idea. The important thing to remember is safety, whether your children are in wheelchairs or are taking part in disability awareness activities. Make sure the gym obstacle course is a safe environment for the students.

Photo Credit wheelchairs image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com

Games for Children in Wheelchairs
Playing games is a natural part of being a child, but children in wheelchairs are often left out of traditional sports games
Games for People in Wheelchairs
Games for People in Wheelchairs. People in wheelchairs are not limited to playing cards or board games. In fact, wheelchair users play
Classroom Activities for Children in Wheelchairs
Just because a child is wheelchair bound does not mean he is incapable of learning or participating in traditional mainstream education. His
Active Games for Children With Disabilites
The key to making active games manageable for children with disabilities is to think cleverly. ßased on the special needs of the
Goals for Power Wheelchairs for Children
If a child has a disability or illness that confines him to a wheelchair, he will need to learn to adapt and
Physical Activities for People in Wheelchairs
Physical Activities for People in Wheelchairs. Depending on your medical condition and prognosis, you may need to spend some or all of
Obstacle Course Ideas for Adults
ÿou can get fit with an obstacle course in your own backyard, matching the size to the space you have available. Obstacle
Group Games & Activities for Kids
Group games and activities give kids an opportunity to learn the value of teamwork while exploring their competitive side. Divide the kids
Physical Activities for Disabled Children
Physical activity is vital for all children, especially those with disabilities because it helps reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure,
Games for Kids with Disabilities
Games for Kids with Disabilities. Children with disabilities want to have fun just as much as their peers without disabilities. There is
Vacations for Kids in Wheelchairs
Vacations for Kids in Wheelchairs. Having and taking care of a child with a disability is very difficult. ÿou and your child
Wheelchairs for Paraplegics
Wheelchairs for Paraplegics. A paraplegic is a person disabled or paralyzed from the waist down. The condition can severely affect locomotion and
Activities for Wheelchair-bound Individuals
Activities for Wheelchair-bound Individuals. Medical conditions that warrant wheelchair use range from paralysis to congenital diseases. Not long ago, individuals in
Activities for Seniors Confined to a Wheelchair
Activities for Seniors Confined to a Wheelchair. Seniors confined to a wheelchair may feel limited in their activity options, but there are
Obstacle Course Ideas for Equine Driving
With the right course setup and the ideal driving team, a horse driving obstacle course makes a tremendous experience. Obstacle driving horses
ßirthday Party Games Ideas for Kids
Some might say the cake is the star of a kid’s birthday party. If you’d ask the kids though, they would probably
Educational Games for Kids With Disabilities
Educational Games for Kids With Disabilities. A number of games and activities are accessible to children with disabilities. Most of them tend