Toy Ideas for Sensory Kidos

 Play is an important occupation for children. Play is “any spontaneous or organized activity that provides
enjoyment, entertainment, amusement, or diversion”. Play is the arena for the development of sensory
integration, physical abilities, cognitive and language skills, and interpersonal relationships. Through play,
children learn skills and develop interests that later affect choices and success in work, leisure, and social
interaction and relationships. Toys are the tools of play. Providing the appropriate toys, helps engage a
child’s sense of curiosity, creativity, and imagination as well as develop physical, mental, and social skills.
Questions to ask before purchasing toys
Is the toy safe and developmentally age appropriate? Does the toy match child’s interest and abilities?
Too young the child will get bored quickly. If too old, may get frustrated and give up. Be
cautious of small parts that can become choking hazards.
Can the toy be played in more than one way?
Does toy allow for creativity, uniqueness, and making choices?
Can the toy be used in more than one position?
Toys that can play while in sitting, standing, tall kneeling, tummy, etc.
Does the toy appeal to multiple senses?
Toys with bright colors, sounds, lights, different textures, and parts that move will appeal to the
visual, auditory, and tactile system.
Does the toy allow the use of both hands?
Helps improve bilateral coordination.
What is the method of activation?
Will toy provide a challenge without frustration? How much force/strength is required to activate
toy? What is the number and complexity of steps required to activate toy? How long is toy
activated?
Does the toy include moving parts, buttons, or gears?
Toys that include ways for children to use their hands and fingers help to build the small
muscles and promote coordination needed for fine motor activities. (ex: handwriting)
Does the toy encourage activity and movement?
Toys that include ways for children to use their arms and legs will help build large muscles and
coordination necessary for gross motor activities. (ex: catching, throwing, running, jumping, and
climbing)
Does the toy encourage thinking or solving problems?
Encourages your child to problem solve and complete steps in a certain order or ask your help
to give you the chance to provide feedback.
Does the toy promote communication or interaction?
Toys will help build social skills and learn social rules, norms, and practice social roles.
Is the toy worth the cost?
Will the toy be something your child will play with over a long period of time? Is it durable and
withstand many months of heavy use? Can you substitute the toy you are thinking about buying
with something you already have at home? Does toy have moisture resistance? Can toy be
washed/cleaned?
Remember: Play is always influenced by the child’s environment. Play flourishes when the child’s play
styles match expectations of the environment. Set up and manipulate the environment so the child can
choose activities/toys that provide the “just right challenge” so the child can be successful, which enhances
self-confidence and positive self-esteem. Although a child’s play may not be typical, it is more important for
them to be good at what they want to do.
Sensory system includes:
o
Vestibular – position of the head and body movement
o
Proprioception – awareness of muscle position to know where each body part is and how it is moving
o
Auditory – hearing and listening
o
Visual – seeing and perceiving
o
Tactile – touch and texture
Musical Instruments
-
Encourage use of
both hands to play
Play instruments to
rhythm
Orbeez
Ball Pit
-
Hide items in ball pit and
have child search for
them
-
Hide items in
orbeez and have
child search for
them
Squishy Baff
-
Good for sensory
seekers or tactile
defensiveness
Trampoline
Jiggler Oral Massager
Hippity Hop
Bean Bag Chair
-
-
Vestibular &
proprioception
Balance and control
-
Vibration provides input
for oral seekers
Proprioception
Calming, deep
squeezes
-
Creativity – imagination, art, music
Tactile – touch and texture
Fine motor – handwriting, grasping, eye-hand coordination
Social skills – interactions, relationships
Thinking – cause & effect, counting, color matching
Visual – seeing, perceiving
Language – speaking, reading
Auditory – hearing, listening
Self-esteem – satisfaction, respect
Gross motor – large muscle movement
Vestibular &
proprioception
Jack in the Box
Illumination Station
-
Provides multi-sensory appeal
with lights, sounds, textures
Cause & effect
Can be detached from base to
use as a rattle
-
Cause & effect
Song gives guidance to know
when jack in the box about to
pop out
-
Provides multi-sensory appeal
with lights, sounds, touch
Cause & effect
Learn simple, fundamental
skills
Teaches isolated control for
making deliberate choices
-
Mega Blocks
Touch & Teach Turtle
-
Discover Sounds Kitchen
-
Grasp and hand manipulation;
stack and build; create
patterns by color, or size;
identify shapes by sight or feel;
opportunity for peer
socialization and cooperative
play
Shape matching, pretend play,
cause & effect, improves hand-eye
coordination, expressive language,
auditory cues
Deluxe Pounding Bench
-
Grasp, cause & effect, hand-eye
coordination, upper body strength
building, proprioceptive input
through pounding with hammer
Creativity – imagination, art, music
Tactile – touch and texture
Fine motor – handwriting, grasping, eye-hand coordination
Social skills – interactions, relationships
Thinking – cause & effect, counting, color matching
Visual – seeing, perceiving
Language – speaking, reading
Auditory – hearing, listening
Self-esteem – satisfaction, respect
Gross motor – large muscle movement
Don’t Break the Ice
Fishing Puzzle
Elefun
-
Hand-eye coordination, visual
skills, counting
Idea: Make harder by
catching only certain color
butterfly
Hand-eye coordination, visual
skills, grasping, strategy,
adjusting pressure of
hammering so do not knock
more than one ice cube out,
turn taking
-
Hand-eye coordination, visual skills,
grasping, isolated movements
Call out certain creature for them to
fish for, use both hands – one to fish
and other to pull creature off, perform
puzzle in sitting, tummy, side lying, tall
kneeling (same skills for any puzzle)
Hedbanz
Angry Birds Game
Scramble!
-
-
Hand-eye coordination,
dexterity, visual skills,
matching, social skills
Ideas: place shapes in without
timer, use tweezers to
increase hand strengthening
-
Learn how to formulate and
ask questions, improves
thinking skills, social skills,
turn taking
Ideas: play without timer to
work on asking/answering
questions for better success
-
Visual perceptual skills to match
structure to card, dexterity, learn
balance and weight distribution while
building, trial and error of how much
pressure to use with slingshot, visual
tracking, creativity with create your
own card, turn taking, social skills
Creativity – imagination, art, music
Tactile – touch and texture
Fine motor – handwriting, grasping, eye-hand coordination
Social skills – interactions, relationships
Thinking – cause & effect, counting, color matching
Visual – seeing, perceiving
Language – speaking, reading
Auditory – hearing, listening
Self-esteem – satisfaction, respect
Gross motor – large muscle movement
Guess Who?
UNO
Jenga
-
Color and number matching,
social skills, turn taking
Ideas: play memory game of
matching face down cards by
color or number, work on
flipping cards over for fine
motor control
-
-
-
-
-
Visual perceptual skills,
formulating questions,
strategy, turn taking, social
skills, impulse control
Ideas: create rule that each
question has to be different
from opponent’s question
-
-
Building skills, strategy, dexterity,
coordination, finger isolation, turn
taking, social skills
Ideas: use creativity to build blocks,
build and crash
Play is an important part of healthy development and growth for your child
Play helps children learn to solve problems, get along with others, and develop fine and gross motors
skills
Play helps children develop physical skills, cognitive concepts, language skills, and social skills
You can help your child play by
o Observe what your child can do and what they have problems doing
o Follow their lead in play and join in
o Be creative – use toys in different ways than intended purpose. Being creative will make playing
more fun and allow children to be successful.
Play materials should match the developmental and individual needs and interests of your child
Be cautious of sensory needs of your child. If your child is an oral seeker, ensure there are no small
parts to toy that could cause choking hazard. If sensitive to lights and sounds, choose toys that do not
have those features or remove batteries.
Limit video games, computer use, and television time. Total “screen time” should be less than 1-2
hours per day.
Creativity – imagination, art, music
Tactile – touch and texture
Fine motor – handwriting, grasping, eye-hand coordination
Social skills – interactions, relationships
Thinking – cause & effect, counting, color matching
Visual – seeing, perceiving
Language – speaking, reading
Auditory – hearing, listening
Self-esteem – satisfaction, respect
Gross motor – large muscle movement
Solitary Play – Play in which the child is completely involved in the activity and blocks out
surroundings both physically and psychologically
Parallel Play – Play in which children are doing the same activity at the same time and place, yet
doing it separately
Associate Play – Play in which each child is participating in separate activity, but with the
cooperation and assistance of the others
Cooperative Play – Goal set form of play which involves two or more children striving for same goal
Exploratory/Sensory Play – Child develops body scheme, sensory integrative and motor skills, and
concepts of sensory characteristics and actions of human and non-human objects
Functional Play of Objects – Begins to use toys according to their functional purpose
Symbolic Play – Child formulates, tests, classifies, and refines ideas, feelings, and combined
actions. Associated with the development of language.
Creative Play – Child refines sensory, motor, cognitive, and social skills; explores combinations of
actions on multiple objects; and develops interests and competencies that promote performance of
school-related work and work-related activities
Game Play – Distinct rules and involve skill development and social interaction in a competitive
atmosphere. Actions and results of actions are compared against those of peers.
References
Case-Smith, J. (2010). Development of childhood occupations. In J. Case-Smith & J.C. O’Brien (Eds.), Occupational Therapy for Children (6th ed,
pp. 56-83). Missouri: Mosby Elsevier.
Differently-abled kids. (2012). Retrieved November 24, 2012 from ToysRUs: http://www.toysrus.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2257808
Glassy, D., Romano, J., & the Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care. (2003). Selecting appropriate toys for young
children: The pediatrician’s role. American Academy of Pediatrics, 111(4), 911-913.
How to pick a toy: Checklist for toy shopping. (2011). Retrieved November 17, 2012 from TIPS For living life to its fullest:
http://www.aota.org/Consumers/consumers/Youth/Play/Toy.aspx?FT=.pdf
Jacobs, K., & Jacobs, L. (Eds.). (2009). Quick Reference Dictionary for Occupational Therapy. New Jersey: SLACK Incorporated.
Knox, S.H. (2010). Play. In J. Case-Smith & J.C. O’Brien (Eds.), Occupational Therapy for Children (6th ed, pp. 540-554). Missouri: Mosby Elsevier.
Morrison, C.D., Metzger, P., & Pratt, P.N. (1996). Play. In J. Case-Smith, A.S. Allen, & P.N. Pratt (Eds.), Occupational Therapy for Children (3rd ed,
pp. 512-513). Missouri: Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Occupational therapy. (nd). Retrieved November 24, 2012 from Sensory Solutions, LLC: http://sensorysolutions.org/ot.html
Schaaf, R.C. & Miller, L.J. (2005). Occupational therapy using a sensory integrative approach for children with developmental disabilities. Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 11, 143-148. doi: 10.1002/mrdd.20067