Hawkin's Bazaar

Mathematical Curiosities
For anyone with a love of numbers this is a great set of tricks. For children who are not so confident with numbers, with a little practice they can amaze all around at the speed of their calculations and gain confidence. My testers couldn't be bothered to read the instructions so it is best for an adult to pre-read the instructions before introducing the toy and demonstrate what to do, the children then loved the tricks and were happy to calculate some basic maths. My son would have adored this when he was younger but even now we both found it fun.
[AvdP]

I'm always rather sceptical of these "tricks", usually because they either take an enormous amount of preparation in order to work properly, or, well, they just don't work. These card and number tricks actually worked - and with minimal effort! These would be ideal for a child with AS, with their logical brain they'll be wanting to find out exactly how they work.
Tested by AS Teen son (16yrs)
[RH]


Stretchy Mice and Cheese
This was excellent for co-ordination. It has a very slight scent which one child noted but tolerated, however this was not a problem for any of our other testers. Two little girls in particular said it was addictive and fun to fiddle with like an executive toy. They thought the mice were really cute and reminded them of 'Stuart Little'.
[AvdP]

The plastic used for this toy left a slight residue on the hands. Hardly noticeable, but probably not a good toy for a child with sensory touch issues. Although another AS child may appreciate its squidginess.
Tested by AS Teen son (16yrs)
[RH]


Horse and Magnetic Sculpture
This kept some of our testers occupied but they described it as frustrating. The objective is to try to balance all of the metal horses onto the magnetic base. Some of the children gave up and never returned to it whereas others felt compelled to keep trying and felt extremely satisfied when they succeeded.
[AvdP]

This was seen as "pointless". Mind you the tester was 16 yr old AS son! Without being sexist, it may appeal more to girls.
[RH]


Non-stop Spinning Top
An excellent toy, which we all found fascinating including husband, and 16 yr old AS son. 16 yr old got it started and suggested it was a bit fiddly as you have to first unscrew three very small screws in order to insert the batteries (but does come with spares). Once in, and you develop the technique for spinning, it's great though. I think this product would be greatly appreciated by those on the autistic spectrum because of the changing lights that emanate from it while it spins. It also started a rather in depth conversation about perpetual motion.
[RH]


Switch Ball
For some reason this ball became a firm favourite. It is a comfortable size and weight for catching and the colour and shape change seemed to entrance the children. It is a good toy to play with alone or in small groups. It is also small enough and light enough to carry around and could be used indoors.
[AvdP]

We also found this quite an ingenious little toy, once we'd worked out what to do (I shan't tell). I'm not sure how robust it is. Only time will tell. Could genuinely fascinate a child on the autistic spectrum.
[RH]

Traditional Skipping Rope
It is long enough for most children and small adults and was light without being flimsy. It was not long enough for multiple skippers but is cheap enough to buy a few for groups of children playing together. With a bit of encouragement the children looked up traditional skipping rhymes on the internet.
[AvdP]

Son not into skipping and unwilling to test, so I did: not really long enough for an adult on the tallish size, and the rope not really heavy enough. But nice to see wooden handles, and would suit children.
[RH]

If you've also had experience of these products, or similar, we'd love to know what you think! Email us here with your views.

Anna van der Post
July 2009