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Best Toys for Kids with Autism as Recommended by Therapists

Sensory Friendly Toys that Don’t Involve Electronics

Welcome to our exploration of the beautiful world of toys uniquely crafted for children with autism. Selecting toys for kids with autism involves a delicate dance between understanding sensory needs, promoting skill development, and, most importantly, ensuring hours of joy and engagement. In this blog, we’ll delve into a curated list of favorite toys that cater to the diverse interests and preferences of children with autism.

 

Sensory Toys: A Symphony of Textures and Colors:

 

 

Cause-and-Effect Wonders:

 

 

Educational Gems:

  • Puzzles: Offering a mix of challenge and satisfaction, puzzles contribute to cognitive development and problem-solving skills.
  • Building Blocks: The timeless joy of building and creating, these blocks encourage imaginative play and enhance fine motor skills.

 

Calming Oasis:

  • Weighted Blankets: Not exactly a toy, but a soothing addition to any space, providing comfort and a sense of security.

 

 

Communication and Social Play:

 

  • Board Games: Structured play with clear rules, board games provide a fun way to learn social interaction and turn-taking.

 

Outdoor Adventures:

 

 

Artistic Expression:

  • Playdough Fun: The joy of squishing, molding, and creating with playdough offers a satisfying tactile experience.
  • Markers and Crayons: Encouraging creativity, drawing, and coloring provide an expressive outlet for children with autism.

 

Choosing toys for kids with autism is a personalized journey that requires attention to individual preferences and needs. The toys mentioned above are just a glimpse into the vast array of options available, each offering a unique way to engage, inspire, and bring joy to children on the autism spectrum. As you embark on this exploration, remember to observe, communicate, and, most importantly, have fun discovering the perfect toys for your child’s unique world.  Check out our specially curated Amazon Storefront for more toy suggestions!

 

Spring Activities For All Ages!

Join us as we welcome spring!

As the world outside bursts into color and warmth, it’s the perfect time to dive into some fun activities that celebrate the season. We’ve put together a bunch of excellent OT spring activities for all ages that you can do that are fun and help you learn and grow.

From making yummy flower-shaped snacks to crafting bird feeders and sensory bottles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a parent looking for fun OT activities with your kids at home or a teacher searching for exciting activities, you’ve come to the right place!

Join us as we explore the wonders of spring through activities that work on our fine motor skills and try new foods! Let’s make this season even more remarkable by having a blast with these therapeutic activities.

Spring Activities: Flower Snacks: 

This fun and creative activity works on fine motor skills, food play, and meal preparation skills. It is also a great way to introduce healthy snacks into your child’s diet. 

  • Beet slices flower snack– Use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut beet slices (or other soft fruit/veggies: pineapple, apples, thin potatoes…)
  • Mandarin orange flower– Peel an orange and open one end.  Add celery for a stem.
  • Orange with flair–  Add a grape tomato to the center of your orange to add a little color.  Other fruits could also be arranged into a flower shape: apple, pear, and banana slices would work.
  • Dried cranberry mini flowers– Arrange cranberries (or raisins) into petal shapes.  Add chickpeas for a center to each flower.
  • Tulip cucumbers– Cut a jagged line into cucumber slices.  Add a piece of the peel for stems for each flower.
  • Flower art–  Get the kids involved in this one!  Provide carrots, broccoli, red peppers, and grape tomatoes, and create a flower design as a family.  Enjoy!

Paint With Flowers: 

This is an easy and cheap activity to complete at home that only requires paint, paper or plate, and flowers. Use the flower as a brush and press it into the paint, then paint away!

Oral Motor Exercise With Plastic Easter Eggs: 

This is a fun activity to incorporate into your routine before feeding. Adding oral motor exercises provides sensory input and “wakes up” the muscles of the mouth. Give your child a straw and ask them to blow into the straw to push easter eggs toward a target. 

Spring Animal Walks: 

This is a fun gross motor activity that can be done in the home or outside. Have your child bunny hop, bear walk, frog jump, and snake slither from one side to the other. You can even have an animal race to see who gets to the finish line first!

Homemade Bird Feeders: 

This is a great activity to improve executive functioning skills and bilateral coordination skills. You will need toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, birdseed, and spreading tools. Spread the peanut butter on the toilet paper, roll it in the birdseed, and hang it up outside!

Spring Themed Sensory Bottle: 

Sensory bottles can provide a calming sensory experience to children by focusing on the different moving objects inside. All you need is 4 ounces of clear glue, warm water, hot glue (to seal the lid), a bottle, and any desired spring-themed objects to put inside (glitter, small toy animals, flowers, etc.). 

 

At Home Spring Activities

Spring Fun in Full Bloom!

Spring has officially sprung here at Carolina Therapy Connection! We are taking full advantage of all of the creative opportunities to foster a supportive learning environment. The onset of a new season also brings opportunities for fun, hands-on ways to incorporate goals into daily play routines!

 

The Role of Play

Play is the predominant way that our children learn; it helps them develop and grow into functional roles necessary for daily living. Play helps them access the world around them and is one of the PRIMARY occupations in which they engage.

Through play, we help our children to explore and thrive in a way that is interactive and full of purpose! Here are some of our absolute favorite ways to employ play in a meaningful way. Check them out and share your joy!

Fine Motor Coordination Spring Themed Activities 

  • Lacing rainbow
  • Button Flowers
  • Nature Scavenger Hunt (Handwriting and Grip Development)
  • Seed Sorting
  • Chalk! Make this activity as structured or as creative as you would like. Upgrade the challenge by having them help to “wash it off” using a water gun or spray bottle for greater strengthening of the hand muscles, development of age appropriate grasping patterns, and overall coordination.

Gross Motor Spring Themed Activities 

Spring Themed Sensory Play

We can’t get enough sensory play around the clinic! Sensory play and exploration is vital for developing brains, and has such an important role in overall health and development. Any activity that engages your child’s senses is considered sensory play, but did you know that each new experience builds upon the last? Through sensory play, our children learn to plan movements, develop organizing concepts such as color, shape, texture, foster problem solving, and many more!

So, go ahead.  Squish, scoop, jump, smash, smear, and dig into these ideas for your next play activity!

Feel free to share your creative and fun spring festivities with other families on our social media! 

Additional resources to help keep the Spring fun going!

OT Toolbox: Spring Gross Motor Activities

Pink Oatmeal: Spring Themed Gross Motor Ideas

Kindergarten Connection: Spring Themed Fine Motor Activities 

 

Written by: Katie Joyner, MS, OTR/L

Katie Joyner Carolina Therapy Connection Occupational Therapy Spring Activities

 

Spring Occupational Therapy Activities Carolina Therapy Connection