About RePlay for Kids
Our Mission
The mission of RePlay for Kids is to increase the availability of toys and assistive devices for children with disabilities. We repair, adapt and distribute toys and assistive devices free of charge. In so doing, we strive to raise awareness and increase the number and variety of toys and devices available to the children who need them.
Our Workshops
RePlay for Kids hosts a variety of toy adapting and repair workshops that increase the availability of toys and assistive devices for children with disabilities. These workshops also educate our participants about the needs of the disabled community, while also teaching some basic electronics skills.
Toy Adapting Workshops
RePlay for Kids host workshops in which volunteers are shown how to adapt mainstream, battery-powered toys with external switches so that children with disabilities can use them. These adapted toys are then provided, for free, to agencies that work with kids with disabilities.
Toy Repair Workshops
RePlay for Kids volunteers provide the following free repair services to agencies that work with kids with disabilities:
- Repair battery-powered toys designed for children with disabilities
- Repair external switches that children use to operate the toys
- Repair other battery-powered assistive devices, such as communication aids and educational devices.
RePlay Ride-On Workshops
The RePlay Ride-On program adapts ride-on cars (like Power Wheels) for children with disabilities so that the foot pedal is replaced with a more accessible option, such as a large plate switch on top of the steering wheel. These cars allow the child to experience independent movement, which has been shown to increase cognitive skills and improves socialization.
Family Toy Adapting Workshops
In our Family Toy Adapting Workshops, RePlay for Kids teaches families of children with disabilities how to adapt a toy. The family member is then given a toolkit with the necessary tools, parts and instructions to allow them to continue adapting toys at home.
STEM School Toy Adapting Workshops
In our S.T.E.M.(Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Toy Adapting Workshops, RePlay for Kids teaches high school students how to adapt a toy. In the process, the students learn about basic electronics, problem solving, and the needs of children with disabilities.
RePlay @Home
The adapted toys that we provide to agencies are used in therapy sessions as a fun way to encourage a child to make a particular movement, or to teach cause-and-effect relationships. The benefits from the activities that a child does during therapy would be increased if that child could practice the activity at home too. RePlay for Kids works with agencies to identify low income families whose child could benefit from playing with an adapted toy at home, and give them one of the toys that was adapted at our workshops.
How We Got Started
In 1990, toy repair and modification services started to be provided to a local agency on a voluntary basis.
In 1994, in association with the Case Engineering Service Group at Case Western Reserve University, toy repair workshops were organized to increase the number of toys repaired and adapted, and to increase the number of agencies benefiting from this service.
In 1999, RePlay for Kids was formally established as a nonprofit corporation to further increase the productivity of this toy repair and modification effort.
Since then RePlay for Kids has continued to grow, with steady increases in the numbers of workshops, volunteers, toys and devices repaired, and toys adapted. See the News section for updates.
Ronald J. Triolo, Ph.D. (Board Chair)
Professor of Orthopaedics
and Biomedical Engineering
Case Western Reserve University &
Senior Career Research Scientist
Department of Veterans Affairs
Subba Shankar, Ph.D. (Secretary)
Medical Device Entrepreneur
Whitney Slaght, B.B.A. (Treasurer)
Chief Financial Officer
Dreison International Inc.
Louis Buchino, C.P.A.
Chief Financial Officer
GS Capital LLC
Kelle Foust, Ph.D.
Assoc. Professor of Occupational Therapy
Cleveland State University
Amy Friedl, M.S., OTR/L
Research Occupational Therapist
MetroHealth Medical Center
Vic Gideon, B.S.
News Anchor
iHeartMedia
Michele Kay, B.S., M.Ed.
Educational Consultant
Joe Lorenzo, B.S.B.A.
Alliance Manager
Swagelok
Fred Montague, M.S.
Manager, Hardware/Implant Development
Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Chris Pulliam, Ph.D.
Asst. Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Edward J. Rapp, B.S.
(parent of a child with a disability)
Sr. Systems Engineer
Orbital Research Inc.
Jane Rapp, B.S.
Graduate Student
(person with a disability)
Joseph Sauer, J.D.
Partner
Jones Day
Joan Szczepanik, B.A.
Community Relations Manager
Nordson Corp.
James Sulzer, Ph.D.
(parent of a child with a disability)
Assoc. Professor, MetroHealth and CWRU
Dept. of Phys. Med. and Rehabilitation
Non-Board Member Officers
Bill Memberg, M.S. (President)
(parent of a child with a disability)
Biomedical Engineer
Cleveland FES Center
Natalie Wardega (Vice President)
Director of Operations
RePlay for Kids
RePlay for Kids Annual Report
Click here to view the RePlay for Kids Annual Report
F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q01. Is there a RePlay for Kids in my area?.
A. Currently, RePlay for Kids is only located in Northeast Ohio
Q02. I have a child with a disability. How do I get an adapted toy?
A. There are several ways.
- First of all, there are a few companies that sell already adapted toys.
- Many areas have agencies or school districts that operate toy lending libraries that loan out adapted toys for use. Ask your local agency that provides services to children with disabilities or ask your local school district.
- RePlay for Kids works with agencies in Northeast Ohio to adapt mainstream battery-operated toys for the children they serve. If you live in Northeast Ohio, contact the agency you work with, and ask them to contact us. For liability reasons, we are unable to provide our services directly to families.
- Adapt it yourself, or find someone with technical skills who can adapt it. Tip sheets and tutorials are available on our web site, and we would be happy to answer any questions that arise.
Q03. If I don't live in Northeast Ohio, can I still get a toy adapted?
A. If you are unable to get an adapted toy using the methods above (purchasing an already adapted toy, contacting a toy lending library, or adapting it yourself), you can try contacting your local agency that provides services to children with disabilities, and see whether they would be willing to pay for shipping the toys to/from RePlay for Kids. If so, have them contact us. For liability reasons, we are unable to provide our services directly to families. Our ability to adapt the toys depends upon the volume of toys we already have to repair or adapt, and the number of volunteers who attend the workshop. It may take a few months for it to get done. There is also a risk that the toy will get damaged during the adaptation process.
Q04. I would like to donate toys to RePlay for Kids. What type of toys do you need?
A. RePlay for Kids accepts new or “gently-used” battery-operated toys that we will adapt and donate to agencies that provide services to children with disabilities. Examples of the kinds of toys that we need can be found here.
Q05. How (where) do I donate?
A. Financial donations can be made online or mailed to our offices. See our donation page for more details. If you live in Northeast Ohio and want to drop off donated toys, contact us and we may be able to arrange a dropoff place that is convenient to you. Otherwise, you can drop them off or ship them to our offices (map).
Q06. Who receives the adapted toys?
A. RePlay for Kids donates the adapted toys to agencies in Northeast Ohio that provide services to children with disabilities. This includes most of the county boards of developmental disabilities, United Cerebral Palsy, local toy lending libraries and school districts.
Q07. What if you are unable to adapt the toy I donate?
A. If the toy cannot be adapted, we will donate to another organization that accepts donated toys, such as the Marines’ Toys for Tots program, or Providence House.
Q08. How can I volunteer?
A. Simply contact us by filling out the Contact Us form. If you want to volunteer at a workshop, we can add you to an email list to be notified of upcoming workshops.
Q09. I want to help out, but I don't think I have the technical skills to adapt or repair toys. How else can I help?
A. We’ve successfully guided many non-technical people (librarians, secretaries, accountants, lawyers) through the toy adaptation process at workshops, so you may be able to do more than you think. However, if you’d rather help out in other ways, we always need help with fundraising and toy drives. You could raise money for RePlay for Kids through the usual fundraisers such car washes, bake sales, etc. Or you could collect new or “gently-used” toys at your school, church, or workplace. We can provide you flyers and other information.
Q10. Can I have my child (or class, scout troop, or youth group) come to or host a workshop?
A. For liability reasons, we don’t have children at workshops unless they are supervised by a parent. However, we have had scout troop and schools hold fundraisers and toy drives for RePlay for Kids. You could raise money for RePlay for Kids through the usual fundraisers such car washes, bake sales, etc. Or you could collect new or “gently-used” toys at your school, church, or workplace. We can provide you flyers and other information.
Q11. Where are you located?
A. RePlay for Kids Administrative Offices are located at 600 W. Sturbridge Dr., Medina, OH 44256. The RePlay for Kids’ Creative Space is located at 6190 Cochran Rd., Suite E, Solon, OH 44139. See the maps on our Contact Us page. We also hold many of our workshops at a host’s location, and bring the toys, parts, and tools there.
Q12. Why do you adapt the toys?
A. While there a few companies that sell adapted toys, there is a small market for these toys, so the price is high and there is not much selection. It is often difficult to find room in a family’s or agency’s budget for adapted toys. By adapting a wide variety of toys and donating them, RePlay for Kids increases the availabilty of adapted toys for children with disabilities.
Q13. Do you need any prior knowledge (experience) to volunteer?
A. No. We’ve successfully guided many non-technical people (librarians, secretaries, accountants, lawyers) through the toy adaptation process at workshops, so you may be able to do more than you think.