Sensory toys can be a big help to children with special needs who are experiencing anxiety or stress. These toys help kids manage the sensory overload that can come with anxiety or excitement, and they provide ways for kids to focus on something else other than their worries.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Sensory toys can provide a calming and soothing sensory experience for children. |
| Sensory toys can help distract and refocus the mind during stressful situations. |
| Sensory toys can help children develop important skills, such as fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. |
| Sensory play can be especially beneficial for children with special needs. |
| Fidget toys can provide a physical outlet for nervous energy and help distract the mind from anxious thoughts. |
Reduce Sensory Overload
Sensory overload is when a person has too much stimulation going on, which can cause anxiety, stress and/or difficulty processing information.
For example, if you have someone talking to you while they’re also playing music in the background and there are flickering lights in the room, then your brain would likely be overwhelmed with sensory input.
A sensory toy can help reduce that feeling of being overwhelmed by providing calming visual or auditory stimulation that keeps the brain focused on one thing at a time.
For example, you could use a fidget spinner that spins around like a propeller blade (and make sure it doesn’t spin for more than 20 seconds at a time) or create some calming music using an app like GarageBand on your iPad or iPhone.
Sensory play has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s mental health, including reducing anxiety and improving mood. For more information on the benefits of sensory play, check out our article on the benefits of sensory play for children’s mental health.
Increase Concentration And Focus
Sensory toys can be a great tool for helping children focus and concentrate. Children find it easy to lose focus in a noisy environment, be it the classroom or home. In fact, many teachers use sensory toys in their classrooms to help students with attention issues.
A great way to use sensory toys is by having your child play with them at home before school or work begins.
This will help them associate positive feelings with the activity so that they begin feeling good about how much better they feel after playing with these games and activities.
Types of Sensory Toys
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Tactile Toys | Toys that provide a variety of textures and materials for children to touch and explore. |
| Visual Toys | Toys that provide visual stimulation, such as colorful lights or moving objects. |
| Auditory Toys | Toys that provide auditory stimulation, such as music or white noise. |
| Proprioceptive Toys | Toys that provide deep pressure or resistance, such as weighted blankets or compression vests. |
Improve Fine Motor Skills
One of the most important and often overlooked benefits of sensory toys is that they improve fine motor skills.
Fine motor skills are the small movements of the hand and fingers, including grasping, holding, manipulating small objects, and writing.
They’re important for developing early writing skills as well as learning to tie shoes and button clothes.
As an adult you may think your kids’ fine motor skills are good enough—but it’s never too late to develop them further!
Sensory toys can be a valuable tool in speech therapy for children with communication difficulties. Learn more about the role of sensory toys in speech therapy by reading our article on the role of sensory toys in speech therapy.
Strengthen Hand Muscles
The hand is a very important part of a child’s body. The fingers, hands and arms are the tools that allow children to do all sorts of things from coloring in the lines with crayons to playing with toys.
Hand muscles are used for fine motor tasks such as writing, manipulating small objects and grasping larger ones. For example, when you’re holding your favorite toy or game controller, you’re using your hand muscles!
Strengthening this area through activities like squeezing a stress ball or clenching an object between your thumb and index finger can help improve handwriting skills by strengthening grip strength (the ability of one’s hand to hold onto items).
This also provides benefits associated with improved self-confidence as well as comfortability around others who may have difficulties with their hands (or lack thereof). It will also increase dexterity so that if something breaks off during playtime then there won’t be any accidents happening because someone couldn’t catch it quickly enough – which ultimately leads back into building trust within oneself.”
Top 10 Sensory Toys for Managing Anxiety and Stress
| Toy | Description |
|---|---|
| Weighted blanket | Provides a comforting and calming sensation |
| Fidget spinner | Helps relieve stress and nervous energy |
| Stress ball | Can be squeezed or manipulated to provide stress relief |
| Sensory bottle | Provides a calming visual sensory experience |
| Chew necklace | Helps relieve anxiety and promote focus |
| Texture squares | Provides tactile stimulation and can help promote relaxation |
| Lavender scented playdough | The scent of lavender can promote relaxation and calmness |
| Bubble tube | Provides a calming visual sensory experience |
| Sand tray | Provides a tactile and soothing sensory experience |
| Calming coloring book | Can help promote relaxation and reduce stress |
Promote Creativity And Imagination
For children who have anxiety and stress, it’s important to encourage their creativity. Sensory toys are one way to get kids thinking creatively and imagining new things. Here are some ideas for creative activities you can do with your child:
Play dress up in costumes. Your child can pretend they’re a superhero or princess, which will help them feel more secure about themselves.
Create art projects together using sensory materials like finger paints, pipe cleaners and foam beads! The messier the better!
If you don’t want things getting too messy though you could always just do this on paper as well by drawing pictures of what each thing would look like if made into art pieces out of different materials such as wood or metal etc…
Make something out of clay (like a sculpture) or play dough–just be sure not to use any food products from home unless Mommy says it’s okay first because some foods might cause allergic reactions on other people’s skin (such as banana peels).
Sensory toys can help children develop important skills, such as fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. To learn more about how sensory toys can benefit your child’s development, check out our article on how sensory toys can help your child’s development.
Provide A Way To Express Emotions
Many parents are unaware that sensory toys can help kids express emotions. When kids are feeling frustrated or angry, they sometimes lash out and act out in ways that hurt themselves or others around them.
Sensory toys provide a safe outlet for kids to be able to express their feelings in a way that won’t hurt anyone else.
For example, if your child is upset about something he doesn’t like about school, he might have a meltdown and go on an unprovoked rampage around the house.
If you give him the opportunity (and make it clear this is okay) to have a sensory meltdown with his favorite toy instead of attacking his brother or sister, it will allow him to release some frustration without having any negative consequences.
Another benefit of using sensory toys as an outlet for anger is that it allows parents to see their child at their most vulnerable state which gives them insight into what triggers these meltdowns so they can better manage them in future situations when they arise again later down the road.”
Offer A Distraction From Anxiety Or Stress
A distraction is something that takes your mind off of something else. When you’re feeling stressed, a sensory toy can be a distraction from that stress.
Sensory toys can help kids feel better when they are anxious or stressed. The best part about sensory toys is that they can also help manage the child’s anxiety and stress!
Encourage Deep Breathing And Relaxation
A common recommendation for adults is to take deep breaths or perform a form of meditation known as “mindfulness.” This relaxation technique can be effective for adults and children alike, but it’s even more beneficial when practiced with the help of sensory toys and activities.
In addition to helping them manage their emotions and reactions, deep breathing sessions also help your child increase focus on what comes next in their day.
This is important because anxiety often arises from being unable to predict what will happen next—so by practicing deep breathing techniques regularly, you can help your child learn how to better manage their anxiety when they do experience an anxious moment in the future!
As a parent, there are many other ways that you can use sensory toys in conjunction with deep breathing exercises:
Sensory play can be especially beneficial for children with special needs, as it can improve their development and overall well-being. Read our article on sensory play for children with special needs to learn more about how sensory play can help children with special needs.
Decrease Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity is a common symptom of anxiety and stress. For example, both children and adults with ADHD or ADD are often found to have high levels of anxiety.
One way sensory toys can help children manage hyperactivity is through calming their nervous system by providing them with a safe space where they can play and be free from distractions. Some examples of sensory toys that would be good for hyperactive kids include:
- Sensory balls
- Fidget spinners
- Squishy balls
Improve Coordination Through Gross Motor Activities
Gross motor activities are physical activities that involve large muscle groups and tend to be more active.
They can help improve children’s coordination and support the development of their muscles, bones, and joints. Examples of gross motor activities include running, jumping, skipping, hopping, etc.
Help With Decision Making And Cognitive Functions
Sensory toys are a great way to help children make decisions. Many of these toys come with multiple options, and can be used in games that require children to choose which one they prefer.
Sensory toys are also helpful for visual processing skills, which are often difficult for those with autism or sensory processing issues.
Some of these toys have bright colors and shapes that provide an easy way for children to identify things visually, while others help improve auditory processing by making noises or having words on the toy itself.
The tactile nature of these toys can also help with memory and language skills because they’re so engaging!
In addition to improving fine motor skills like hand-eye coordination, some of our favorite sensory toys will even encourage gross motor skill development like crawling!
Sensory Toys Are Helpful For Kids Of All Ages And Abilities
Sensory toys are very helpful for kids of all ages and abilities. Sensory toys can help children of all ages who struggle with anxiety and stress manage these feelings in a healthy way.
The soft, squishy texture of the toy provides a calming effect for the child. The soothing nature of this type of toy is especially beneficial when used by a child who has sensory processing disorder (SPD).
SPD refers to an underdeveloped nervous system that makes it difficult for someone to process sensory information from the environment around them in an organized way. This often results in issues like over- or under-stimulation, which may cause emotional distress or behavioral problems in some people.
Sensory toys also benefit children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which include Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism as well as others that fall under this category.
Research has shown that certain senses such as touch are more heightened than others among those diagnosed with ASD; therefore, they tend to be more sensitive than other types of people when it comes time for them to interact socially or physically engage with their environment through playtime activities such as coloring pictures together while sitting next to one another at preschools across America today!
Every toddler should have a variety of sensory toys in their toy box to support their development and keep them engaged. Check out our article on 15 sensory toys every toddler should have for some great toy ideas that can help support your child’s development
Conclusion
If you have a child who is struggling with anxiety and stress, sensory toys may be a great way to help them manage their emotions. They can help kids improve their focus, their gross motor skills, and even their fine motor skills.
Some even provide a way for children to express their feelings through creative play! If your child is experiencing anxiety or stress-related behaviors at home or school or if they just seem like they need some extra stimulation then sensory toys may be worth exploring further as an option.
How to Choose the Right Sensory Toy
| Considerations | Examples |
|---|---|
| Age Appropriateness | Some sensory toys may be more appropriate for younger or older children. |
| Sensory Needs | Consider what type of sensory input your child needs, and choose toys that will provide that input. |
| Personal Preferences | Consider your child’s personal interests and preferences when choosing sensory toys. |
| Safety | Choose toys that are safe and durable, and always supervise children during play. |
Further Reading
Forbes: This article discusses the benefits of fidget toys for anxiety and provides recommendations for some of the best fidget toys on the market.
Overcome With Us: This blog post provides tips for using sensory toys to help children stay calm and regulate their emotions.
BunMo: This blog post explains how sensory and fidget toys can help reduce anxiety and stress, and provides recommendations for specific toys.
FAQs
What are sensory toys?
Sensory toys are toys that engage children’s senses, such as touch, sight, and sound. They can be used to help children develop a variety of skills and can also be used to help children with sensory processing issues.
How do sensory toys help with anxiety and stress?
Sensory toys can help reduce anxiety and stress by providing a calming and soothing sensory experience. They can also help distract and refocus the mind, providing a sense of control during stressful situations.
What are fidget toys?
Fidget toys are small toys or objects that can be manipulated, squeezed, or twisted to help improve focus and relieve stress and anxiety. They are often used by individuals with ADHD or anxiety.
How do fidget toys help with anxiety?
Fidget toys provide a physical outlet for nervous energy and can help distract the mind from anxious thoughts. They can also provide a sense of control during stressful situations.
Are sensory toys only for children with special needs?
No, sensory toys can benefit all children, as they can help support overall development and provide a calming sensory experience. However, they can be especially beneficial for children with sensory processing issues or other special needs.
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.
