Dirt Diggers 2-in-1 Haulers Dumptruck

Published on AblePlay - Play products for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs (http://ableplay.hubshift.net)

Manufacturer Name: Little Tikes	Product Name: Dirt Diggers 2-in-1 Haulers Dumptruck
Customer Quote: My son uses the bucket as his construction hat! -- Mother, Chicago, IL
Product Images:
Sensory Description High contrasting colors of yellow and black make this truck easy to see and recognize. An audible “click” is heard when the container is correctly placed onto the truck. The plastic is smooth and pleasant to the touch. Skills Visual tracking skills are used when children follow the truck with their eyes. Eye tracking is a pre-literacy skill. Children increase bilateral coordination as they move, scoop, dump and play with this truck. One-handed play and two-handed play can take place maneuvering this truck. As children push the truck along, they are working on coordinated movement and weight shifting – good practice and strength training for walking. Children can use grasping skills to hold the handle of the container. Eye-hand coordination is used throughout play as children place items in and out of the truck, drive the truck and maneuver around obstacles. Simple in/out play can take place as children place items in and out of the truck. Action concepts such as go, stop, load, dump are reinforced during play. Play Ideas Place several items in the container of the truck. Without looking, have the child grab one item and identify it by touch. Add different textures into play by incorporating dried beans and rice, cotton balls, autumn leaves, dirt or small toys into dump truck play. Drive on different surfaces to feel and hear the sensory variations. Some suggestions are grass, dirt, carpet, corrugated cardboard, empty snack bags, or bubble wrap. Adaptation Ideas
Communicative Description This truck has a simple, straightforward design that is easily recognizable to most children. Skills Turn taking and sharing are encouraged as two children share this one truck. Social interaction and play can take place as one child drives the truck to the other child who then loads it up with “stuff”, such as small toys, sand, or dirt, to haul. Language development can be included in play from labeling truck parts, putting two words together (“Truck go.”), labeling the action (“I’m making the truck go.”), verbalizing wants or needs (“I need help.”) to acting out play scripts (“We are building a road and need to move the dirt…”) Simple in/out play can take place as children place items in and out of the truck. Action concepts such as go, stop, load and dump are reinforced during play. Play Ideas Add small play people to enhance pretend play. Incorporate numbers and counting into play as you count each item placed into the truck. Then count, “1-2-3!” and dump them out. Create an obstacle course for the child to drive through. Incorporate color into play by telling the child to “drive” around the room and pick up something red. The next time pick up something green, and so on. Make two parallel lines on the floor with masking tape (or outside with chalk). Push the truck back and forth through this road to a friend. For added fun, place notes or toys inside the truck to transport to the other player. Have the child tell a story incorporating the truck and then have him act it out. Provide the child with story starter ideas. Adaptation Ideas
Cognitive Description The dump truck is familiar and easily recognizable. Play with this truck does not have a required time duration allowing children to play as long as their attention spans permit. Skills Using the detachable container to create sand castles helps build creativity and imagination. Simple in/out play can take place as children place items in and out of the truck. Action concepts such as go, stop, load and dump are reinforced during play. Cause and effect learning is heightened as children pack sand in the container and then flip it over to create a structure. Children practice problem solving skills as they learn how to take the container off the truck and how to place it back on. This is an open-ended activity that can help increase motor skills. Visual tracking skills are used when children follow the truck with their eyes. Eye tracking is a pre-literacy skill. Children learn how to cognitively process a sequence of events to drive, load, move and dump with the truck. Play Ideas Add small play people to enhance pretend play. Incorporate numbers and counting into play as you count each item placed into the truck. Then count, “1-2-3!” and dump them out. Create an obstacle course for the child to drive through. Incorporate color into play by telling the child to “drive” around the room and pick up something red. The next time pick up something green, and so on. Adaptation Ideas Place a small towel or cloth at the bottom of the container for children who may startle easily. This will muffle the sound of hard items, such as blocks, when they are tossed into the container.
Physical Description Play with this truck does not require refined movements to be successful. The truck is big, easily pushed and has a large container bucket to use. Skills Children increase bilateral coordination as they move, scoop, dump and play with this truck. One-handed play and two-handed play can take place maneuvering this truck. As children push the truck along, they are working on coordinated movement and weight shifting – good practice and strength training for walking. Children can use grasping skills to hold the handle of the container. Eye-hand coordination is used throughout play as children place items in and out of the truck, drive the truck and maneuver around obstacles. Simple in/out play can take place as children place items in and out of the truck. Action concepts such as go, stop, load, dump are reinforced during play. Play Ideas Try out different places to maneuver the truck such as deep pile carpet to make the truck roll slowly; kitchen tile to drive faster; or dirt and grass to explore. Make two parallel lines on the floor with masking tape (or outside with chalk). Push the truck back and forth through this road to a friend. For added fun, place notes or toys inside the truck to transport to the other player. Create an obstacle course for the child to drive through. Adaptation Ideas


	Sensory Communicative Cognitive Physical

DESCRIPTION:
Plastic molded dump truck that has a detachable bucket for sand castle play.

Approx. Price: $17.99
Box Age Range: 2+ yrs
# of Pieces: 2-5
Washability: Surface Wipe
Storability:
Directions: None
Play Locations: Indoor and Outdoor
Adjustability:
Levels of Play: One Level
Batteries: None needed

Features and Benefits

Promotes Active Play
Open-ended
Large Openings
Visually Stimulating
High Contrasting Colors
Simple
Fosters Imagination/Promotes Creativity

Developmental processes promoted

Physical Range of Motion
Problem Solving
Imagination/Pretend Play
Coordinated Movement
Social Interaction
Pre-Literacy
Spatial Relationships e.g. Under, Over, On, Off
Eye-Hand Coordination
Hand and Finger Grasp
Fine Motor
Action Concepts e.g. In/Out, Push/Pull, On/Off, Go/Stop
Cause and Effect
Language Development
Memory and Recall
Visual Processing
Visual Tracking
Visual Attention
Two-Handed Play – Midline Focus and Transferring
Gross Motor
Balance
Motor Planning
Weight Shifting
Sequential Thought
Bilateral Coordination