Are you looking for some great toys for the holidays (or even a birthday)?
Here are a few favorites of ours. Some can be a bit pricey, most you can find at your local Wal-Mart or online, and some you may already have in your house.
This is the favorite in our house. It is a light up musical turtle from Baby Einstein. [1] You can find this in stores and online. We love it because it is easy to grab the legs, the buttons are really easy to push, and it is not heavy in order to be lifted up toward the face.
This is an O Ball. [2] It is very easy to hang on to, very light, and you can find a couple different versions. The rattle part is not so loud that it will distract you from other things and we like to put light scarves inside so he can try and pull them out.
[3]
A plastic Slinky [4] has many uses. It can be found in any store or on line. We like to put one end on his foot and have him grab on to the other end. When he moves his hand, he can feel it on his foot and then that moves too. We hope that one day he will be able to hold an end in each hand and move it back and forth but until then, we will just make it walk down the stairs and laugh at it.
[5]
The Phonics Fun Animal Bus [6] from Leap frog is great for learning the letter name and sound. It features 26 colorful letter buttons that come alive with unique and silly personalities. Press a letter button in letter mode to hear its name and sound.
Spoons and Spatulas. You probably have both (or something similar) of these in your house already. These are both really good for grabbing, banging, waving in front of your face, and chewing on. Put them in the freezer, to make them cold to the touch, for added stimulation. If your child has a hard time hanging on to them you can add a ribbon or rubberband around it and attach it to their hand.
[7]
[8]
Books are great too. Really any kind of book is good for any kind of kid, but ones like this are light and easy to hold. This one can also be used as a pillow! You really can’t go wrong anywhere you look.
[9]
The ThinkFun Roll n Play [10] is great if there are other kids in the house because it includes everyone. Kids have to roll the big, soft block, match the color on the block to the color card, and then do what the card tells them to do. Our kids are not quite old enough for this but it is on my list of things to try when they get a bit older!
[11]
This Activity Cube [12] toy was actually found at the grocery store! It can be a cube or it can open up. You could lay it on a table or hang it on a wall while it is flat. There are so many options with this one.
[13]
This is Leap frog’s Puppy Pal Scout. [14] He teaches songs, colors, and much more. He can be found online or in stores too. He can also be a comfort item when in bed, or the hospital.
[15]
I only made a Top 9 favorite toys list because I would love to know what the one toy you would add would be. The bottom line here is that you can be creative with what you already have, keep your eye out when you go ANYWHERE, or seek out what you think your child would like by going to a store or shopping online. If you are looking for educational toys here is a link to just one site that has some really great ideas too…. www.fatbraintoys.com [16] . There are many toy/gift ideas out there. Some of them you will come up with on your own, some you will have gotten from other parents, and some will come from therapists and teachers, or you may read about them in an article you saw in a magazine. Anyway you find them, they will be great and your child will love them, because they came from you.
Looking for more ideas here are a few additional articles to check out:
Great Toys For Kids With Special Needs [17]
17 “Mom Approved” Gifts for Kids with Special Needs [18]
18 Favorite Fidgets for this Holiday Season [19]
Check out our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide [20] for Kids with Special Needs
[7]
[13]