Heavy Monkey

We noticed early on that at times, especially when Ayden Jane is going through developmental spurts that she needs some extra deep input to calm down. We looked into weighted blankets, but I wanted her weighted friend to be something that looked like the same 'friend' any kid her age would be attached to. Ayden Jane is also very tactile and she loved the feel of the monkey. So I decided to try to weight him.




Well, this is 'Heavy Monkey' as Ayden Jane calls him. As you can see he is a gund cozy. They come in different animals, but Ayden Jane is quite into monkeys thanks to 'Monkey George' (Curious George). She liked him okay at first, but once he was heavy she fell in love.



The picture below shows the lap pad that goes inside of him. I bought the lap pad and cover off the internet after my pt and I figured the weight to be appropriate. Here is the link:
http://funandfunction.com/sensory-integration-everything-weighted-c-65_235_237.html

The cover is sewn inside of the monkey with the strong velcrow opening at the seam. I can slip out the pad and wash the monkey (with cover intact) anytime/everytime I need to.



Heavy monkey is a big hit so there are lots of pluses. On the negative side, the weighted lap pad can bunch at times and, obviously, does not spread out through the monkey. I think the idea was perfect to weight a favorite toy/blanket and it was an easy way to make him thoroughly washable. However, I think those of you out there who are more creative in the sewing category could likely make big improvements. Let me know what you think! I would love to improve on the design and yes, I think it would be marketable! Maybe profits to FPWR?