I’m going to make a confession. I, an adult person with gray streaks in my hair, bought myself a Spirograph set a couple of years ago. I thought it would be fun, and it is. I find myself becoming totally absorbed in the activity of experimenting with different configurations of gear wheels and colors to create whimsical designs. Who says you can’t recapture the joys of childhood?
The library’s two new Memory Care Kits featuring classic toys and games can provide this same opportunity to regain the spirit of play for our patrons with dementia. Though neither kit contains a Spirograph, they do have a variety of items to spark in-the-moment enjoyment combined with an opportunity to reminisce about the past. When life is confusing and stressful, a little retro frivolity can be the ticket to a better day.
Both kits have a variety of toy-themed activities and puzzles — word searches, crosswords, mazes, bingo — to stimulate the mind, as well as books and DVDs. Then there are the toys and games themselves.
In the first kit, “Toys and Games 1,” you’ll find an Etch-a-Sketch, a Slinky, a Hot Wheels car, a yo-yo, a can of Play-Doh, and one of America’s two most famous doll companions, named Raggedy Ann. I personally performed a test run of the Etch-a-Sketch, strictly for quality control purposes, of course, and can assure everyone it more than met expectations.
The second kit, “Toys and Games 2,” has one of my favorite toys from the past, a View-Master, which also passed my rigorous inspection. In addition, we’ve included Silly Putty (along with a section of Sunday comics), a wooden Tic-Tac-Toe game, large-print playing cards, a marble maze, and a PlayableART ball toy that’s hard to describe but equally hard to put down.
Please note that if you come into the library to look for one of these two particular kits, you will need to ask a staff member to retrieve it for you. We’re more than happy to assist. Or you can put one on hold, then simply pick it up from the circulation desk when it’s available.
Our hope is that care partners will enjoy these kits as much as the person with dementia does. Everyone needs some fun now and then.
