Dear Santa,
Can you help Gympanzees this Christmas…
Here is a Christmas wishlist with examples of equipment for the Gympanzees Centre, created in collaboration with children and young people who use Gympanzees.
Any donation you make will make a huge difference to thousands of disabled children and young people…
But don’t take our word for it…
A donation to Gympanzees this Christmas could help fund....
Spinning Carousel
The Gonge Spinning Carousel is a fun and exciting way to improve body strength, balance, coordination, and agility. As users take a spin, they’re working on essential gross motor skills that support their physical growth and everyday movements. The carousel helps enhance stability, increase body awareness, and develop coordination, all while having loads of fun.
Glow Bricks
Glow Bricks are a lot of fun and great for sparking imagination. By playing with them, individuals get to explore cause and effect—like what happens when they stack or arrange the bricks in different ways. This helps children think more critically and problem-solve as they figure out how to make the bricks light up or create their own designs. The glow adds a sensory element, making the experience even more engaging.
If you or your organisation would like to fund any of the equipment and you would like to talk to our fundraising team please contact Jenny Davies – jen@gympanzees.org
Mark-making Boards
Mark-Making Boards support small-world play scenes, encouraging children to create and explore imaginative environments. The board fosters creativity and critical thinking by allowing children to draw, write, and design scenarios. It also promotes collaborative learning, developing and sharing ideas, and enhancing social interaction and communication skills.
Hammocks
Hammocks offer a cosy, relaxing way for children and young people to unwind, de-stress and regulate. Perfect for taking a break after active play, they help improve balance and coordination as children practice getting in and out of them. The gentle rocking motion can be calming, promoting relaxation and helping with sensory processing.
Playstation and accessories
Having a PlayStation in the Hangout room at Gympanzees will allow the young people visiting us to interact socially. It allows teens to relax, unwind, and connect with friends through exciting and interactive games. Playing together will help build teamwork, improve hand-eye coordination, and encourage friendly competition in a low-pressure environment.
Rowing Machine
Both typical and adaptable, rowing machines offer our young visitors a unique and inclusive way to improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, and coordination in a low-impact, accessible environment. The adaptable machines cater to various abilities, providing tailored support for those with mobility challenges or physical disabilities.
Unlike standard gyms, where equipment is often unsuitable or even accessible for young people or individuals with less mobility, these rowing machines will provide a welcoming workout in a space where everyone can build confidence, independence, and physical strength through exercise specifically designed to meet their needs.
Invictus
The Invictus is an innovative treadmill designed for wheelchair users, offering a unique way to enhance physical fitness. It allows users to push their wheelchairs on a flat surface with adjustable resistance, providing a full-body workout that strengthens upper body muscles, particularly the shoulders, arms, and chest. The Invictus helps refine pushing techniques, improving wheelchair control and manoeuvrability while supporting calorie burning and endurance.
Cardio Snowboarder
The Cardio Snowboarder offers a fun and energetic way to stay active while simulating snowboarding movements. It provides a full-body workout that improves balance, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness, building strength in the legs, core, and upper body. The interactive nature encourages users to push their limits, enhance motor skills, and gain confidence in their physical abilities. It’s a playful combination of exercise and adventure, promoting physical and mental well-being.
Photo Credit – abllab.com
Table Tennis
An adaptable Table Tennis table would be a super addition to the hangout room, offering an inclusive and engaging way for young people to stay active and have fun. With its adjustable height and features that cater to various abilities, it will ensure everyone can join in, whether seated or standing. Table tennis promotes hand-eye coordination, focus, and quick reflexes, encouraging social interaction and friendly competition. It will be an excellent way for young people to build confidence, improve motor skills, and enjoy active play, all in a relaxed, supportive environment where everyone can feel included.
Hypervibe
This vibrating machine helps improve strength, balance, and circulation by gently stimulating muscles, making it an excellent way for children and young people to engage their bodies in a low-impact, exciting way. The vibrations provide a unique sensory experience that can help with coordination and flexibility while being easy on the joints. Whether for building muscle, improving posture, or just having a fun, calming moment, the Hypervibe is a fantastic way to stay active and feel great with a bit of extra wiggle and giggle.
Mechanical Horse
The Mechanical Horse is a fun and engaging way for children to get active while reaping great health benefits. Mimicking the motions of horseback riding helps improve balance, coordination, and core strength. As children ride, they engage key muscles, build stability, and enhance posture while enjoying a playful, low-impact activity. This experience not only boosts physical fitness but also supports the development of motor skills and body awareness, making it a brilliant way to encourage healthy movement, build confidence, and promote overall well-being.
Swings
The Swings will feature specialised therapeutic attachments designed to cater to a wide range of children and young people, including those who are mobile, less mobile, or use a wheelchair. Each attachment offers unique sensory and therapeutic benefits, providing relaxation, stimulation, or play options. This will ensure that everyone, regardless of mobility level, can experience the advantages of swinging, such as improved balance, core strength, and sensory integration.
Cardio Wall
The Cardio Wall offers a fun and engaging way for children and young people to stay active while developing physical and cognitive skills. Hitting targets, following patterns, and completing challenges help improve coordination, reaction time, and cardiovascular fitness. It turns exercise into a game, making it enjoyable for those who might not typically enjoy traditional workouts. This experience boosts physical strength, focus, decision-making, and problem-solving while promoting health, social interaction, and confidence in a safe and inclusive environment.
Hand / Leg Bike
The Hand and Leg Bike is a fun and effective way to move the whole body while building strength, coordination, and endurance. Using both the hands and legs to pedal provides a full-body workout that targets both upper and lower body muscles, helping to improve muscle tone and flexibility. It’s a wonderful, low-impact exercise for boosting cardiovascular health, enhancing stability, and increasing overall stamina.
NuStep
The NuStep is a seated, adaptive cross-trainer designed for children and young people with physical disabilities or limited mobility. It offers a safe and effective way to exercise. It provides a low-impact, full-body workout by engaging both the upper and lower body. At the same time, children remain seated, making it ideal for those who have difficulty standing or performing traditional exercises.
Climbing Wall
A Climbing Wall will be designed to be accessible for all with hoists, which is an exciting and inclusive way to challenge our visitors and build physical strength. Climbing helps improve coordination, balance, and problem-solving skills while boosting confidence as users reach new heights. The hoists will allow everyone to experience the thrill of climbing safely, regardless of ability. This accessible feature should encourage independence, support physical fitness, and foster a sense of achievement as children conquer each climb, all while having fun and pushing their limits in a safe environment.
If you or your organisation would like to fund any of the equipment and you would like to talk to our fundraising team please contact Jenny Davies – jen@gympanzees.org
Soft Play
Soft play provides a safe, soft, and inclusive space where children and young people with disabilities can explore, move, and have fun. It involves lots of hard work, pulling Velcro, and working your muscles, and it helps children with social interaction. For many of our visitors, it is a safe alternative to regular soft play.
Gympan-example: Two autistic brothers played in the soft play their entire session, pulling the pieces off the floor and chucking them into the pirate ship, which calmed down their sensory system. Afterwards, Mum said they did four things they never do:
- Ate together as a family.
- Played nicely together.
- Had a peaceful bedtime.
- Slept through the night for the first time.
Innowalks
These brilliant pieces of kit offer whole-body exercise with weight-bearing, allowing our young visitors to sit, stand, and move more comfortably. They are designed to help those with limited or no mobility stand and move independently. Last summer, we had an 11-year-old wheelchair user using the Innowalk to walk 6km, getting out of breath for the first time.
Outdoor Play Equipment
We know from our research that playgrounds generally have one piece of inclusive kit, such as a swing, that you need to apply to the council to access for a month. We’re not holding back with our outdoor playground – wheelchair see-saws, a climbing frame you can access for crawling, and accessible rockers that you can lie in if you don’t have head control. It’s going to be amazing!
