This article is from page 30 of the 2007-10-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
KILLALOE woman, Aine Conacur (nee Kierse) and her Roscommon- born husband, Michael, are the pro- prietors of a unique toy shop, Think- ing Toys, which focuses on carrying a range of educational/activity based toys that assist the development and stimulation of children of all ages through play and fun.
The range of toys featured in the shop at Ballina/Killaloe includes board games, brainteasers and logi- cal deduction games, science and nature kits, construction kits, books, jigsaws and baby/toddler toys.
What makes Thinking Toys unique in Ireland is its extensive range of
toys, equipment and books that can assist the development of children with special needs or learning dif- Wt eles
Aine and Michael’s eldest child had major brain surgery when she was just two years old and the frustration and the difficulties they endured in trying to source suitable products that would assist in her development, was a catalyst in deciding to try and reduce this frustration for other par- ents in similar situations.
Over the past number of months, they have been sourcing appropri- ate products from around the world and have worked closely with occu- pational therapists, speech and lan- guage therapists and psychologists.
The products they source must be of acceptable quality, affordable and competitively priced.
Aine and Michael liase with par- ents and relevant professionals to get feedback and advice when expanding their range of products. All requests and inputs are welcomed.
In recent times, Thinking Toys has sourced and made available such items as bodysox, sloped writing boards and weighted products such as weighted vests, each of which arose from specific requests.
Aine and Michael demonstrate and display their products any- where in Ireland to groups including schools, professionals and support groups. They have both travelled
throughout the country during the past few months carrying out these demonstrations and can be con- tacted by interested individuals/ groups at 086-8792769 or by email: aine @thinkingtoys.ie. All products are available from the shop in Balli- na/Killaloe, or www.thinkingtoys.ie Recently Aine and Michael launched a voucher scheme specifi- cally aimed at supporting local pri- mary schools. It is a simple scheme whereby a voucher worth 20c is giv- en to the school for every €10 spent. Thinking Toys will participate in a toy fair organised by Enable Ireland, which will be held in O’Donovan’s Bar and Restaurant, Derg Court on October 16 from 10am to 9pm.