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If your kid is anything like mine, then he’s constantly searching for something to jump, run or bounce off of. His hands and brain need to be busy at all times and it’s hard for me to meet that need sometimes!
He gets stimulation from just me telling him over and over again to stop jumping on the couch, stop pulling his sister by her socks, stop coloring on the table.
He actually isn’t doing it to be bad, he’s doing it because he is a sensory seeking child, he seeks input, negative or positive almost constantly.
For me, I like to “fix” this by providing him with constant new activities, puzzles, games and sensory toys. He gets bored after a couple weeks but then I put them away and take them out in a few weeks! And voila! It’s like as if they’re brand new!
Here are a couple of unique toys that really work for sensory kids like yours and mine. Because they’re not only a squishy thing that provides input, it’s also an activity and sensory experience.
The Pushpeel
I like this toy because it not only provides input from the stretchy strings and tracing boards, but you can stick the strings into the paths for a satisfying squishy experience.
Pushing it in and pulling it out over and over again is a very relaxing and gratifying activity not only for kids, but even for adults!
2. Finger Maze
These finger mazes give something for busy little fingers to do. Besides for the satisfying feeling of the liquid beneath the plastic, your kid also has to get the ball from one end of the maze to the other. This is a great addition to any calm down basket or sensory corner.
3. Play Putty
If your child is fidgety and likes to pick at his skin or bite his nails when he’s trying to concentrate, handing him something like Play putty can really help him focus on the task at hand.
If your child’s teacher allows this type of thing in school, it might really boost your child’s concentration levels. Kids who need to constantly be doing something with their hands can play with something like this instead of picking at their skin or pulling at their eyebrows.
4. Sensory Tubes
I like that these sensory tubes all have a different function. For a child who is overstimulated, staring at some of these relaxing glittery tubes may help.
Turning them over and over to watch the effect the water and the bubbles and the glitter make together is very relaxing even for an adult. I also like that they are a larger size, so easier for little hands to handle.
5. Stretchy Robots
These funky robots have a double purpose. They have arms and legs that stretch and suction to the wall! So your child can pull and push to their hearts content in millions of different formations. These can work great for car and airplane busy bags!
6. Stretchy String
I don’t think you’ll believe me when I tell you how addictive these are to play with. Something about stretching and twisting something to your hearts content is just so addictive and soothing.
I give these to my son when he’s winding down to go to sleep and it works like a charm. Just make sure to remove it from your kids hands once they’re asleep!
7. Shape Sensory Pad
This plastic shape pushing sensory pad comes with 4 double sided boards that have different activities on each side.
The point is for the child to push the little shapes a round in the water according to the corresponding activity. The sensory input from the soft squishy plastic and the concentration on the activity makes this is a great calm down or soothing activity.
8. Squishy Shapes
These super squishy shapes are also the type of thing I give my child when he is trying to fall asleep. Keeping his hands busy lets his brain focus on falling asleep and not wonder too much.
These can also be used to build wobbly towers and they get really slippery in the bath. Overall, an affordable option for a sensory toy. And there are 8 included in the box, so if you’re buying for a few kids, it’s a budget friendly option.
9. Maze Boards
These finger tracing boards are super for teaching breathing patterns and just in general for calming down. You can also use clay, kinetic sand, water and droppers with these boards to make it more engaging for your novelty seeker.
10. Breathing Kazoo
This genius invention is amazing for helping kids with anxiety, and ocd as well. When they start to feel panicky, they can pull this out, breathe through their nose and breathe out and watch the ball rise to the top of the plastic tube.
The kazoo makes a white noise sound as long as the child is breathing out and the ball stays at the top. Doing these deep breaths 5 times should calm them down.
This works by providing oxygen to the brain, since it is sending lots of oxygen to the heart and muscles instead to get ready to “fight or flight” in a panicky situation.
If there’s one thing I recommend as a therapist for anxious or panicky kids, it’s this!
I hope this roundup helped you find something for your kid, grab this little organizer (it comes in a million colors and costs $7) to keep all their sensory toys together in one place.
Don’t forget, you can always drop a comment or message me over on Instagram if you need help with a child.
Until next time,
Libby
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