Tom Tag Review

Tom Tag is a fantastic new SEN product from Orkid Ideas.The lovely Deborah there sent us a set to play with and review.

Essentially there are 5 differently coloured tags, each with 6 empty slots that house discs that you are free to customise with a large selection of stickers.

The idea is that the tag for each day can be attached to a child's school bag and help them with packing for that day and to provide a handy visual timetable summary.

There are also stickers with the names of the days of the week on them, so you can label each day's tag.

As Natty is only 6 and primary school life doesn't have the timetables changes one would expect to see in secondary school, I decided to use the tags slightly differently.

I made each tag a different theme: clothing, hobbies, food, days of the week.

I was then able to use each tag to provide a sentence model for speech therapy exercises.

"I like singing/swimming/ballet/writing." 

"I'm wearing a coat/an apron, shoes."

I'm eating an apple/sandwhiches/a banana." for example. 

Natty repeated the phrases while I pointed to each sticker.

We were then able to use the tags for a memory game. Children with Down's Syndrome have poor working memory skills and need practice in this area.

We looked at the 5 or 6 stickers on a tag for a while. Then I removed one and Natty had to tell me which one was missing.

Mia got home from school and immediately made up her own game. She mixed up the stickers randomly onto a tag and then challenged herself to tell a story using all those items. "After eating a banana I went horse riding in the morning. Someone was playing the recorder in the background..." etc

I think the tags will be great for older children, helping them become more independent as they move around their school timetable. I would like stickers that show all the self care routine steps in the morning, such as washing and tooth brushing. I could then do away with the large velcro visual timetable on our bathroom wall!

But I also think the tag system would be fabulous for older people with memory loss to help with everyday activities. A neighbour of ours has trouble remembering the stages of tea making for example following a brain bleed. Her husband said a tag with stickers showing the different stages would be invaluable to them.

So, a great product with many possible applications. Useful for everyone. It might even help me get organised! Thank you Orkid Ideas.

This is not a sponsored post.