Located in the Glasshouse at the Rainbow Centre, Play.Able is a pilot project designed to make play accessible to children with disabilities or special needs. The space is a toy library that allows members to borrow educational toys & learning resources.
Safe Playable Space for Kids with Disabilities or Special Needs
Play.Able is run by Be Kind SG and Friends of ASD Families, 2 volunteer-led groups, and supported by the Rainbow Centre and Majurity Trust SG Strong Fund. Founder, Sherry Soon, shared that the space was inspired by the needs of her co-founder Sun Meilan, who was unable to find a space for her kid with special needs to play. There was also had a desire to connect with other parents who had shared experiences.
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This unique toy library aims to create a safe space for children with special needs to play in and parents to meet other families, as well as support special needs families especially those new on the caregiving journey by making a range of educational toys and learning materials accessible.
In the future, Play.Able also hopes to expand to create volunteering and employment opportunities for special needs families and those from the larger community who are interested to contribute to the special needs community.
How Parents can Access Play.Able’s Resources
To use the resources provided by Play.Able, one must first register as a member. Due to limited resources, Play.Able membership is only applicable to parents with children enrolled in or waiting for admission into EIPIC or enrolled in or graduated from special education schools (above 2 years old). It is free to register as a member.
After registration, members can then book a time slot to visit Play.Able. During their allocated slot, they will have full access to the various toys and resources that are in the toy library. There is a wide range of toys from puzzles, to tactile toys, as well as imaginative toys such as cooking sets and a mini rocking toy. Most toys and resources are also available for a three-week loan with a refundable deposit of $20 for two toys and two resources at a time.
The space is cosy, clean and conducive, making it a welcome place to relax and connect. All kids who visit the space must be accompanied by their parents or guardian. There is also a comfortable area that is great for parents who might be visiting at the same time slot to connect with one another.
Play.Able Singapore
The Play.Able team hopes that more parents who are applicable for the membership will sign up and use the resources. Those interested can sign up for a membership at the link here. The available time slots can be found here.
The team is also open to having volunteers with a heart for the community to help to manage the space, thus allowing more time slots for the space to be open. For more information, visit Play.Able’s Facebook page here.
