The Little Room

A Little Room is a safe environment for independent play and exploration.

If you ask parents raising a child who is blind or has low vision what their child’s favorite toy is many of them would say their “Little Room.” A Little Room is more than a single toy; it’s a piece of equipment that provides their child with a safe environment for independent play and exploration with many different objects. Playing in a Little Room supports the development of intentional movement (such as reaching), their understanding of space, and early object concepts.

The Little Room was designed by Dr. Lilli Nielsen, a developmental psychologist and preschool teacher, who worked for over 43 years with children and adults with multiple disabilities at the National Institute for Blind and Partially Sighted Children and Youth in Denmark. She found that children with blindness or disabilities are more willing to tactually explore objects when they are in control of an activity and can anticipate what might happen. This is called “active learning.” You can learn more about active learning HERE.

The Little Room “den” is created with a frame, wooden panels, and a plexiglass ceiling. Graspable objects are hung from the ceiling and attached to the walls with elastic, so they will return to their original positions when your child lets go, allowing them to find the object again and repeat an action as quickly and often as they want. These items should also have an interesting variety of tactile, auditory, and visual qualities that will arouse your child's curiosity to encourage exploration and learning. Children typically lie under the ceiling of the Little Room with their feet pointing out, but it can be used in a variety of ways to accommodate other positions as well.

“The Little Room worked especially well for Noah,” explained his dad, Kevin. “He could practice focusing on and reaching for something to touch and grasp. When he got older, we made a toy bar. When he could stand in his gait trainer, we made a standing toy bar with three rows of toys that he could explore.”

“The Little Room has been a safe, exploratory play spot for Theo since he was an infant,” added his mom, Lydia. “We expanded it as he grew bigger, too.”

If your child is receiving early intervention vision services, an EI-TVI can help you build a Little Room and choose the right objects to hang from it based on your child’s preferences and stage of development. Early on, your child might prefer to lie on their back to engage with the objects. If your child can sit unsupported, you can also work with your EI-TVI to make the Little Room bigger so your child can sit in it.