There’s nothing more annoying than packing your child’s diaper bag, only to find that you’ve forgotten something. Whether it’s diapers, a sippy cup, or snacks, there are plenty of things parents can forget when they’re out with their little ones.
But when it comes to sensory toys that can keep kids entertained while traveling or just hanging out in the car I’ve got you covered.
And not just one or two of these items but 15 different things that will make your life easier as a parent.
| Sensory Toy | Age Recommendation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Playfoam | 3+ | Squishy, sensory foam that can be molded and shaped |
| Busy board | 6m+ | A board with various latches, buttons, and switches to encourage fine motor skills |
| Sensory balls | 6m+ | Soft, textured balls with different colors and patterns for sensory exploration |
| Sensory table | 2+ | A large table filled with sensory materials such as sand, water, or rice |
| Bubble machine | 1+ | Produces bubbles to stimulate visual and tactile senses |
| Fidget toys | 3+ | Small toys that can be manipulated and fidgeted with to provide calming sensory input |
| Light-up toys | 6m+ | Toys that produce light and sound for visual and auditory stimulation |
| Weighted blanket | 2+ | A heavy blanket that provides deep pressure input for a calming effect |
| Kinetic sand | 3+ | Moldable sand that can be squeezed and shaped for tactile stimulation |
| Sensory bin | 18m+ | A container filled with sensory materials for exploration and play |
| Chewelry | 3+ | Jewelry that is safe for children to chew on for oral sensory input |
| Scooter board | 3+ | A board with wheels that can be used for gross motor play and sensory input |
| Therapy swing | 2+ | A swing that provides vestibular input and can help with sensory processing |
| Squigz | 3+ | Suction-cup building toys that provide tactile stimulation and encourage creativity |
| Sensory bottles | 6m+ | Clear bottles filled with different materials for visual and tactile exploration |
1. Munch Mitt
A munch mitt is a chew toy for babies and children, usually made of silicone or latex. It is designed to be used by parents to help their children with oral-motor skills while reducing the risk of choking on food.
Children typically start using it between eight months and one year old. Once they are able to use it effectively, parents can begin giving them small pieces of food (such as cheese cubes) which will help them develop better chewing skills without having to worry about choking.
The best part about using this toy? It won’t break your budget! You can find these for as low as $10 on Amazon!
When it comes to selecting the best sensory toys for your child, it’s important to consider their individual needs and preferences. Our guide on how to choose the right sensory toys provides helpful tips and recommendations to ensure your child gets the most out of their sensory playtime.
2. Water Beads
Water beads are made of polyethylene, a soft, flexible plastic that won’t harm your child. They’re great for making sensory bins and crafts you can even shape them into fun designs like stars or flowers! Water beads are safe for toddlers and older children to play with, too.
There is one caution with water beads: they may retain an odor if you don’t clean up the spilled water right away.
Thankfully, these toys are easy to wash off in soapy water or by running them under hot tap water until all of the liquid has drained out from inside each bead (this takes about 20 minutes).
3. Sensory Slides
These are great for younger kids, because they can be used to teach shapes, colors, numbers, letters and animal sounds.
They can also help with music skills (we all know how much kids love to sing). You might think about getting a different shape for each letter or number so that your child gets familiar with them.
When it comes to selecting the best sensory toys for your child, it’s important to consider their individual needs and preferences. Our guide on how to choose the right sensory toys provides helpful tips and recommendations to ensure your child gets the most out of their sensory playtime.”
4. Glow Sticks
Glow sticks are great for sensory play because they make a lot of noise, which helps promote speech development in children. It also helps with fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.
You can encourage your kids to interact with glow sticks by shaking them up and down, or even up and down gently so that the liquid inside the plastic casing moves around inside.
This will create an interesting visual effect, allowing your child to see how light travels through glass or plastic materials differently than it does through air (or water). You could also try rolling a few glow sticks together on their sides into a ball, then letting them roll across the floor until they stop moving!
Or maybe you could take one long glow stick and break it into two shorter ones; have your child hold these while making shapes with their hands but be sure they don’t put any part of their bodies over top of those glowing chemicals!
5. Chew Necklace
If you have a child who needs to chew on something, a chew necklace can be a great alternative to chewing on clothing or other objects. You’ll want to choose one that is made of sturdy materials and not easily ripped apart.
You can purchase these online or make them yourself at home!
6. Peek-A-Boo Balloons
Balloon: This is a classic, but it’s a goodie. The look and feel of balloons (especially the rubbery ones) are sensory-friendly, but they can also help kids learn to blow bubbles and pop them.
How about some balloon animals? If you’re looking for something more challenging than blowing up balloons, try teaching your child to tie them into knots or shapes. You can also switch things up by substituting long strips of paper streamers for yarn or thread when making animal tails!
Every toddler should have a selection of sensory toys in their toy box to promote learning and development. Check out our list of 15 sensory toys every toddler should have to ensure your child is getting the most out of their playtime.
7. Lacing Beads
Lacing beads are a great way to develop fine motor skills, which makes them perfect for children with special needs.
They can also help kids with visual perception and hand-eye coordination, as well as dexterity. Even if your child is not struggling in any of these areas, lacing beads are fun for everyone to play with!
It’s important to buy the right type of lacing bead. There are plastic ones that come in all shapes and sizes, but they’re not ideal because they tend to be more difficult than wooden beads.
Wood has more friction on its surface so it can grip onto yarn better than plastic does; this means it will be easier for your little one to work with these toys without injuring themselves or breaking another toy (this would happen if you were using a plastic item).
8. Letter Magnets
Letter magnets are an excellent tool to help your child learn the alphabet. Not only can they be used to build words, but they can also be used as a spelling system. You could spell out the name of your child’s new pet, or you could use them to make up funny sentences like “Let’s run away together!”
You can also use letter magnets for color matching games like “I Spy” or “Memory.” For example, you could tell your child that this set of letter magnets represents some candy and then ask them what color is represented by each letter and vice versa.
This toy is great for kids who are beginning to learn their letters because it offers a hands-on way for children to create words using pictures instead of just seeing letters on paper. Letter magnets are an excellent way of keeping kids occupied while cooking dinner or doing other household chores that require adult supervision!
9. Hopping Ball
Hopping Ball is a ball that bounces, but instead of moving up and down, it moves side to side. The movement is smooth and slow, so it’s easier for children with special needs or sensory processing disorder to use.
A Hopping Ball can be used inside or outside, and it can also be used by children who want to burn off extra energy while they’re playing!
Sensory toys are a great way to encourage a child’s development and provide them with a fun and engaging playtime experience. Our guide on how sensory toys can help your child’s development explores the many benefits of sensory play and offers suggestions for incorporating sensory toys into your child’s routine.
10. Marble Run
The marble run is a fun toy that can help your child develop their fine motor skills. It’s also great for teaching them about gravity, as they try to figure out how to build the marble run so it doesn’t fall down.
There are many different types of marble runs available, but one of the simplest (and cheapest) ways to create your own is by using plastic bottles or containers that you have around the house.
You can make several different designs with just some basic items found at home (like plastic cups and water bottles), which makes this an easy activity to set up and clean up after!
11. Sensory Bottles
Get a clear container. You can use just about any container you have lying around the house, as long as it’s clear and not too large or heavy to carry around. It should also be semi-opaque (so you can see what’s inside), easy to open and close, and durable enough that it won’t break if your child drops it (and yours).
Add some water. Fill up your sensory bottle with clean water—enough so that it’s roughly half full.
Add a few drops of food coloring. This will tint the water in the bottle, making it look more interesting and appealing than plain old H2O! Don’t worry if there are still some white splashes of coloring; these ingredients tend to separate over time anyway (which is why we’ll add more later).
Add some glitter or confetti for fun! Sprinkle in some glitter or confetti into your partially filled bottle until everything is evenly covered by an even layer of sparkle-y goodness!
You can also use tiny pieces of tissue paper instead of confetti if you’d like something softer on little fingers—it’ll still add an interesting texture when touched gently against one another during playtime 🙂
12. Pounding Bench
A pounding bench is a tool that helps kids improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It can also be used to help develop other sensory skills, such as tactile sense and proprioception (body awareness).
Here’s what you need to know about this toy:
A pounding bench is simply a wooden board or tabletop with two holes drilled into it at the same height as your child’s elbow joint.
You can purchase one online or at a store like Home Depot if you don’t want to make your own. The best materials are maple or birch plywood, which don’t splinter easily when used with sanding blocks or mallets.
To use a pounding bench, simply sit the child on his/her legs while holding onto his/her shoulders so they don’t fall off while playing with it! The child then uses both hands together in order to pound through the holes using either small sponges/balls etc., depending on age/ability level.”
Infants and toddlers can benefit greatly from sensory toys, but finding the right ones can be a challenge. Our guide to the best sensory toys for infants and toddlers provides a comprehensive list of top-rated sensory toys, complete with descriptions and age recommendations.
13. Tactile Squares
Tactile squares are tactile objects that can be manipulated to see, feel, and hear their different textures. You’ll find them in a variety of shapes and sizes some are round, some are square.
If you’d like to teach your child about sensory play and how it helps them develop their senses better, then tactile squares will certainly help with this goal! As long as they’re safe for your child (no sharp edges!), these toys make a great addition to any kid’s toy collection.
You can also use them in other toys such as building blocks or puzzles if you’d like! For example: if you have a wooden block set but want to add more variety into the mix of how children learn from it, then adding some tactility is an easy way to enhance their learning experience even further than before!
Other examples include using these simple items as part of another activity such as painting or drawing where kids will need something different than paper surface beneath their fingers while working on their craft project at home together with mommy/daddy/caregiver etcetera…
14. Chewy Toys (and fidget spinners)
Chewable toys are a must for any baby in your life. Babies need to chew on something to help with teething, but they also get sensory stimulation from the texture of the toy and the act of biting down on it. Chewing also helps build oral motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as language development.
Fidget spinners are pretty cool too! They’re like stress balls that you can spin around really fast in your hands while sitting at a desk or standing up and walking around (if you’re trying not to be annoying).
They’re small enough that you can take them anywhere without worrying about losing them, which makes them ideal for those who struggle with fidgeting or anxiety issues related to feeling confined.
15. Car Seat Tray Toy
You can never have too many of these in your arsenal. A car seat tray is exactly what it sounds like: a plastic tray with holes for holding bottles and cups, along with a slot for you to insert your tablet or phone, which will then project on the ceiling of your vehicle as you drive.
It’s perfect for long trips and flights when you need something to keep kiddos entertained without having them reach for yours or their siblings’ phones at every turn. They come in different colors and designs, so pick one that works best for your kids’ preferences and personality!
The trays are great because they give kids something to do while confined inside small spaces, but also because they hold snacks (or even food) so no one has to worry about spills while driving down the road.
Plus they’re inexpensive enough that if one gets damaged or lost somehow—which happens more often than parents may think you can always replace it without breaking any budget rules!
Sensory Toys by Type
| Type of Toy | Examples |
|---|---|
| Tactile | Sensory balls, kinetic sand, playfoam |
| Visual | Light-up toys, bubble machine, sensory bottles |
| Oral | Chewelry |
| Gross motor | Scooter board, therapy swing |
| Fine motor | Busy board, Squigz, fidget toys |
| Multi-sensory | Sensory table, sensory bin |
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this list of 15 sensory toys to be helpful in your search for fun ways to entertain your kids.
Remember that there are no right or wrong answers here—it all depends on your child and their personality!
If they like water beads, great! If they don’t, maybe try some other options from our list instead. Just remember that whatever you do, make sure you keep things age-appropriate and follow safety guidelines so no one gets hurt (like always). Happy parenting!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources you may find helpful for learning more about sensory toys:
We Are Teachers: This article provides an overview of sensory toys, their benefits, and specific recommendations for different types of sensory toys.
Good Housekeeping: Good Housekeeping’s guide to sensory toys includes expert advice, product reviews, and recommendations for toys that can help with a variety of sensory needs.
Parents.com: This guide from Parents.com offers age-specific recommendations for sensory toys, as well as tips for how to use them to encourage your child’s development.
FAQs
What are sensory toys?
Sensory toys are designed to stimulate a child’s senses, including touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste. They are often used to promote learning and development, as well as to provide sensory input for children with sensory processing issues.
How do sensory toys benefit child development?
Sensory toys can help promote language development, cognitive skills, fine and gross motor skills, and social skills. They can also provide a calming effect for children with sensory processing issues and help them regulate their emotions.
What are some examples of sensory toys?
Examples of sensory toys include textured balls, sensory bins, fidget toys, and weighted blankets. Other examples include toys that produce sounds or light up, such as musical instruments or light-up toys.
Are sensory toys only for children with sensory processing issues?
No, sensory toys can benefit all children, regardless of whether or not they have sensory processing issues. They can be used to promote learning and development, as well as to provide a fun and engaging playtime experience.
How do I choose the right sensory toys for my child?
When choosing sensory toys, it’s important to consider your child’s individual needs and preferences. Look for toys that offer a variety of sensory input and that are age-appropriate. You may also want to consult with a pediatrician or occupational therapist for guidance on selecting the right toys for your child.
Meet Hellen James, the multi-talented writer and nurturing mother who takes young readers on a thrilling journey through her sensory-infused blog. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a parent.
