At a recent workshop, National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland (NCJW/CLE) members worked at soldering after disassembling battery-operated toys in order to attach a switch so it can be more accessible to people with special needs.
They were under the supervision of RePlay for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been repairing and adapting toys that serve children with disabilities in the community.
Natalie Wardega, director of operations at RePlay for Kids, said they have held about 130 workshops like the one NCJW/CLE members attended. They have different options, including for organizations that want to host workshops, to families who want to learn how to adapt toys, to schools that are interested in getting students involved.
Wardega says they even have workshops for adapted power wheel cars for kids with disabilities, replacing a foot pedal for a more accessible option. In addition to adapting toys, as part of its volunteer work, RePlay for Kids also repairs toys for agencies.
“We work with county boards, hospitals, school districts, teachers and families,” she says. “When we host these workshops, the volunteers do not have to have any technical background. We train them, teach them how to open up a toy (and share steps on how to place the switches). We have a video and hands-on training to show them how to do it.”
She says the toys are put through a quality test before being handed out to families and other agencies.
“Over the years we’ve grown, and now we give away about 2,000 adapted toys and switches each year,” she says.
RePlay for Kids receives all different types of battery-powered toys, from new to gently used. She adds it’s not just for little kids, they serve from ages birth to 26.
“For these children who receive the toys, it’s the first step for them to learn the cause-and-effect relationship,” Wardega says. “A lot of kids had someone do something for them. They are learning to intentionally do things for themselves. That’s the motivation, and these toys are there to motivate them to do that.”
If you would like to host or attend an upcoming workshop, find an adapted lending library, donate toys to a drive or host a drive, visit replayforkids.org. Also, view their calendar for the latest workshop events and more.
