I can’t believe it’s that time of the year already! I’ll be kicking off the Mac and Toys Gift Guide season with one of my favorites, Small Gifts and Stocking Stuffers. I am going to do something a little differently and break this year’s gift guide down into age groups to make it easier for people to figure out what is best for the little (or big) ones on their gift list this year.Gift ideas for tweens and teens will come in a separate gift guide.
This is always my favorite gift guide to put together each year. I spend the entire year gathering ideas and have parents or friends refer to this gift guide throughout the year if they are looking for birthday gifts. When I put these together, I try and find a variety of gifts that work on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourages creativity and imagination and works on executive functioning skills such as planning, focus and attention skills. There is a big variety in the kinds of gifts such as building toys, fidget and sensory play, crafts and building toys.
I had so much fun putting this year’s small gifts and stocking stuffers gift guide and hope that it is easier for you all to navigate. If you are looking for something more specific for children on your gift list, please reach out to me at otmeghan@gmail.com. There are so many other great products out there that I would have loved to include but didn’t have the space. Happy Gifting!
Babies/Toddlers (0 to 2 years old)–the most important thing about gifts for this age is that they encourage fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills. We want them to be durable because we all know that babies and toddlers drop and throw things often and we want them to be made of safe materials because we know that part of this stage of development is that kids tend to put lots of things in their mouth. Cause and effect and toys that offer a variety of sensory input are really important during this stage of development.
1. Tugl Cube-this is one of my favorite toys to recommend to parents of little ones because for something so small, it works on developing so many essential skills in your little ones. This is a great toy to work on developing grasping and manipulation skills, encourages bilateral coordination and works on developing early problem and cause and effect skills. This rounded cube toy features 6 different colored and textured silicone bubbles on each side and has a tab that can be pulled out and pushed back in.
2. Sensory Play Jar-I love this sensory play jar by GloPals for many reasons but it’s ability to be taken on the go is number one. This sensory jar is different than most because it lights up once you add water to it which can be great for calming kids down. You can put your own sensory jar materials in it (glitter, little toys, etc.) or you can stock up on their various fun fillers. The fun fillers themes include letters, numbers, farm, vehicles and many more. Sensory jars are not only a great tool for helping with emotional regulation, it can encourage fine motor development by having them help put all the materials in the jar, helps with improving focus and attention and depending on what you put inside, it can help with learning about colors, numbers, animals, shapes, etc..
3. Plugzy-this is the perfect first puzzle/shape sorter for your little ones. It features 6 different colored shapes with each one having a unique texture. Fit the large hollow shapes ont their matching shapes and the fit the squishy silicone plugs into the matching shape. You can also put the plugs right over the shape that is sticking out of the base. This toy is great for an early introduction to learning about shapes and colors, works on matching skills, encourages problem solving skills and works on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on bilateral coordination and eye-hand coordination and works on developing focus and attentional skills all while providing opportunities for sensory exploration.
4. pipSquigz Loops-I love all of the pipSquigz products but these are the perfect ones for your little ones. There are two to choose from and both offer different sensory experiences for your toddler. These oversized pipSquigz are made from food grade silicone materials making them exceptionally safe for your toddler who will most certainly put them in their mouths! It can stick to any non-porous surface and will keep your littles ones entertained while helping encourage fine motor skill development and allows for sensory exploration with both their mouth and hands. This set comes with two different textured PipSquigz Loops with rings attached, 3 rattling Pip Squigz and a case for on-the-go entertainment. These are great to throw in a bag and attach to a highchair tray when out to eat or even stick on the tray when on airplanes.
5. Thread-O-Ball Toy-as I have mentioned, I love a toy that is not only fun, but provides many opportunities for learning. This see-through ball has several different colored balls and comes with 10 different colored strings and 10 play cards. The strings are flexible and can connect which is great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills for your little ones. Kids are encouraged to put the strings through the holes, even bettter if they can match them to the same colored hole. This is a great toy for working on developing hand-eye coordination, encourages bilateral coordination skills and works on color recognition and matching skills.10. Leap Frog Learning Hamburger-I can’t really explain it, but my kids at work are always drawn to fake food toys so when I saw this I knew it had to be on this year’s list. I love stacking toys for toddlers because they work on so many developmental skills and while we all know the original colored ring stacking toy, they have definitely evolved and become more fun over the years. Stacking toys work on fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourage problem solving and motor planning skills and can work on color and shape recognition. This 13-piece burger stacking toy from LeapFrog is so much more than a stacking toy! Each piece of the food is a mini-shape puzzle that can pop in and out and it spins town the pole when they put it on making it intriguing for them to watch. An added bonus is that each piece of the burger has a different texture for tactile exploration.
6. LeapFrog Learning Hamburger-a good stacking or nesting toy is really good at this age and I am loving this one from LeapFrog because it offers so much more than just stacking. Kids place the ingredients on the pole and watch as it spins to the bottom. Each of the ingredients of the hamburger has shapes that pop out and has a unique texture making this great for sensory exploration. Kids can learn about colors and shapes while exploring all of the different pieces. One of the features I like is that the pieces do more than just stack and you can begin introducing matching and early puzzle skills. As kids get older, you can work on sequencing. Additionally, this toy is great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills and works on motor planning.
7. Glo Pals Light Up Cubes-I have had a variety of these light up cubes for a while and the kids are always excited when I take them out and put them in my Hope Learning Sensory Tray. These small little lights can be used in a variety of ways including making bath time more fun, throwing them in sensory bins, putting them in sensory jars and so much more. They can provide calming visual input for your little ones while learning about colors. My kids love to stack them and see how big of a tower they can make which is great for developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on developing hand-eye coordination and improves focus and attention. I am obsessed with the little characters (they also have Daniel the Tiger and Sesame Street figures) that you can put a glo pal into which encourages play and language skills.
8. Color Wonder Bluey-I know I am not the only one who loves a non-messy activity, especially for traveling or when out at restaurants. Crayola’s Color Wonder activity books are great for on-the-go entertainment and they have so many of the beloved characters from television and movies that your kids will be motivated to work on their coloring skills. Right now Bluey is a crowd favorite at my gym but you can look through the whole Color Wonder collection to find what is best for your little one. You can choose from their mess-free marker or paint activities and both are great for beginning to work on graphomotor and coloring skills.
9. Dimpl Digits-another great toy that works on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills for your little ones. This colorful pop toy is two-side, is made from food grade silicone making it safe for your toddlers and has 10 silicone buttons that have numbers, dots and words. One one side, there are the numbers 1-10 with matching words in English and the other features the Spanish word with the same number of dots. This toy is great for working on color identification and learning numbers in addition to being a great sensory exploration tool. Great for throwing in a diaper bag and keeping your little ones entertained when in the car, traveling or out to eat.
10. Duplo Bathtime Animal Floating Train-when my daughter was little, bath time was one of her favorite times of the day. We always made sure that we had good toys for her to play with. In the years since, the bath toy selection has gotten so much better. I love this floating animal train from Duplo and it works on developing so many skills. This 14-piece set comes with 3 animals and little floats that connect to play with while in the bath. The two-piece animals can be mix and matched to whatever your child wants. These are great for working on increasing grasp strength, works on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and encourages bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination skills. One of the best things is that they are easy to clean which is one of the most important criteria for me when it comes to bath toys.
Preschool Age (3-5. years old)-when looking for developmentally appropriate toys for preschool age kids, I like to look for toys that not only work on developing fine motor and other developmental skills, but encourage creativity and problem solving skills. I also think that finding multi-sensory learning toys that work on letter and number recognition make learning more fun and helps children retain information better.
1. Plip Links Kit-I saw these on Fat Brain Toys and couldn’t wait to try them. I love a good open-ended building toy and these became a favorite of my kids as soon as I brought them out. This set comes with 46 different shaped and colored silicone ball-and-socket construction toys that kids connect to build whatever comes to their imagination. They are great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on increasing grasp strength and encourages bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination skills. Open-ended building materials promote creativity and imagination skills, motor planning and critical thinking skills and improves confidence and self-esteem. I love that kids can work together to create structures, taking turns adding pieces on and off and being flexible about their plans.
2. Plus Plus Big Blocks Travel Case Set-I absolutely love all the Plus Plus Blocks products and think these larger ones are just perfect for preschoolers. This mix and match set allows you to choose up to 6 different colored Plus Plus Blocks (you get 30 in total), choose a white or green baseplate and comes with an idea guide that all fit in a really durable storage case with a handle for on-the-go entertainment. These open-ended building blocks are great for encouraging imagination and creativity while working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on developing visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourages bilateral and hand-eye coordination and can work on following directions if you make structures from the idea booklet.
3. microMags Travel Set-MagnaTiles will always be one of my favorite childhood toys and will always be on my gift guide. Recently, they came out with a line of miniature MagnaTiles and I immediately picked up a set for work. Built with the same quality as the original MagnaTiles, these come in a handy little storage container making this a perfect on-the-go gift for your favorite little builders. This set comes with different pieces and can be used on their own or used to add details to structures made with the larger MagnaTiles. The metal storage container can be a base for kids to use for building as well. These mini MagnaTiles are good for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills. As an open-ended building material, it will also encourage imagination and creativity, promotes problem solving and critical thinking skills and can be a great toy for working on play skills with siblings and friends.
4. Young Wild and Friedman Mini Sensory Kits-it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect sensory kits as there are just so many to choose from. I recommend the Young Wild and Friedman sets because they have a large variety of themes to choose from and come with homemade play dough or kinetic sand using only the finest, natural ingredients and there is so much thought put into the sensory materials that are included with each kit. Each of the mini kits comes with either playdough or kinetic sand, a variety of small toys/materials that go with the theme and come in a durable storage case. Sensory play encourages creativity, imagination and play skills, assists with language development and can help with with social emotional development. They are also great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and increasing grasp strength.
5. Sticklets Mega Fort Set-this one is for your outdoor lovers. These colorful plastic connectors are used to build outdoor forts using branches that they collect. Kids can work together to build their fort by putting the connectors on different size branches (the connecters can stretch for different width branches). This set comes with enough connectors to make a pretty big outdoor fort. These are great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves visual motor skills, encourages bilateral coordination skills and encourages motor planning, problem solving and critical thinking skills. I love that kids can work together to problem solve and figure out the best sticks to collect, which ones should go together and how to put the whole fort together.
6. Noodling Noodles Sensory Fidget Toy-every year, new sensory/fidget toys come out and some of them really stand out like this one. I’m obsessed with fidget toys but become even more obsessed when a fidget toy that also works on improving fine motor skills like the Noodling Noodle. This two sided fidget toy (choose from a heart or circle) has different paths and channels that you can push the silicone noodles/strings into. There is no right or wrong way so it allows for creativity. This is not only good for providing calming sensory input but also great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination and encourages focus and attention.
7. Match & Learn Letters and Numbers-with so many schools being more play based, I find that parents ask me for good toys to help teach their kids their letters and numbers. There are a million different products out there but I like to keep things as simple as can be. This Match and Learn Letters and Numbers set from Fat Brain Toys is one of my favorites. This set comes with 26 letter cards and blocks and 10 number cards and blocks. My favorite thing about the cards is that the letters and numbers blocks fit into an indented space on the card which means that the kids can use their fingers to practice writing them out before putting the block in. When it comes to learning letters and numbers, I truly believe that toys that have a multi-sensory experience help kids learn things faster. In addition to kids learning their letters and numbers, they can work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, work on fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and work on improving focus and attentional skills.
8. Foodie Fidgets-as I previously mentioned, kids seem drawn to food related toys and add a squishee/stretchy component to it and they love it even more. I picked up these Mindeware foodie fidget toys from a local toy store and they have been a huge hit with my kids. What I loved about them is that they each came with a set of chopsticks which made my occupational therapy so happy! Anytime a toy comes chopsticks it adds bonus points for me. This set that I linked comes with all three (dumplings, sushi and ramen noodles) but you can purchase them separately. Each one comes with multiple pieces but you can mix and match if you get all three. By picking up the pieces with the chopsticks, kids can work on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and improves hand-eye coordination.
9. Go Go Gears-I love finding a puzzle toy that kids love going back to no matter how many times they have done it. For example, we have this Button Board toy at my gym and it just never gets old for the kids. While I wanted to include that in this gift guide, I wanted to find something that was a little different but had the same purpose. This Gear puzzle has the same basic goal but adds some bonus features that I thought were really cool. This set comes with 5 double-sided picture cards and 8 different wooden gears that the kids have to mach to each picture. Once the gears are in the right place, they can turn the gears to make things move. This is great for working on visual motor and visual perceptual skills, improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and promotes problem solving, focus and attention. The nice thing about this is that kids can also play this without the pictures and try and come up with their own gear puzzles.
10. Melissa and Doug Reusable Puffy Sticker Sets-we are big fans of Colorforms and all other kinds of reusable stickers at the gym and use them daily because they can be used so many ways. I personally love the Melissa and Doug because they are thicker and hold their stick more than other reusable stickers. There are so many different themes, characters and scenes to choose from which means that you can find something for any of the little ones on your gift list this year. Some of the sets to choose from are Paw Patrol, Princesses, Pirates, Farm Scenes, Mermaids, Blues Clues and SO many more. These sticker sets are great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on hand-eye coordination and visual motor and visual perceptual skills. I also love the Melissa and Doug Sticker sets because they are great for keeping kids entertained while you are on the go because they can be thrown into a diaper bag or travel backpack.
School Age (5-9 years old)–when I think about toys for kids in this age range, I think about sharing ones that work towards developing more advanced fine motor and grasping skills, works on improving executive functioning skills and encourages social emotional and social skills. There are several that can be played with independently or with a friend or sibling to encourage turn taking, flexibility and taking ideas from other people. It is also during this time of development that I encourage people to find toys that work on improving problem solving and organizational skills so you will see more advanced building toys and higher level problem solving games.
1.Pop-It Pro Electronic Game-another toy that has been a big hit with my kids at work and I love how it works on a ton of occupational therapy skills. This addictive bubble popping game is a great game to keep kids entertained while on the go and it works on improving visual motor, visual perceptual and visual tracking skills, encourage hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills, works on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and frustration tolerance. There are 3 game modes including a multi-player mode so in addition to all of the other benefits, you can add a social skills benefit as well.
2. Trestle Tracks-marble runs have been a long time favorite of mine and while I don’t really use them during my sessions, I recommend them to parents all the time because they are such a great toy for working on problem solving, cause and effect, motor planning and organizational skills. They are also great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages bilateral coordination skills. The 43-piece starter set is a great introduction to marble runs and it comes with 3 guided builds for your child to follow. Once they have the hang of it, they can make their own builds. This is another toy that allows for lots of opportunities to work with a sibling or a friend to work on improving social skills and building flexible thinking skills as they take turns sharing ideas.
3. Road Trip Packing Puzzle Game-I have found that brain games are becoming a fan favorite for the older kids on my caseload and I love how they not only work on improving problem solving and executive functioning skills. In this game, children pick a card and have to fit all of the objects into the trunk. It starts off easy but then becomes increasingly more challenging. The game comes with a game board, 14 objects and 34 Challenge Cards. Not only is this great for improving problem solving, it works on developing critical thinking, improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and works on developing visual motor and visual perceptual skills. This could be a great game for kids to work on together to improve social skills such as turn taking, being flexible about ideas and trying out other people’s ideas.
4. The Happy Me Junior Journal-one thing I wish I had introduced to my daughter at an earlier age was the art of journaling. There are so many benefits to journaling but the most important thing is that it provides children with a safe place to share their feelings with honesty, write about both good and bad moments and be a place for kids to problem solve and work through challenging moments. The thing about journaling with kids this is age, especially kids who may have learning, sensory or developmental delays, is that it can be very hard to figure out where to start so they need prompts. If you are thinking about introducing your child to journaling, this is the best book to start with. While some kids can do well with a blank journal, many of the kids I work with need the prompts to be able to be successful with journaling. The front of the book has fun pages with activities for your child such as filling out lists about themselves. The daily pages asks you to list your top three things of the day, circle the emoji that matches the way you are feeling and then has a variety of other activities (what helpful things did you do for someone else and a checklist of things you might have accomplished that day). There is plenty of space on each page for doodling or drawing out answers if your child prefers. This is a great way for your child to gain a better understanding of themselves, have a safe place to reflect on the good or bad things that happened that day and can help develop great writing skills.
5. 3-Doodlers Pen Start Kit-if you have a kid who is interested in STEM and has been wanting a 3-D printer but you aren’t quite ready to make the investment yet, the 3-Doodlers pen is a great place to start. Kids can use the 3-D pen to create whatever comes to their mind. They simply put the plastic tubes into the pen and it will quickly come out to form their creations. While some kids can just create, others might need to draw out and plan what they want to make including what colors they want to use before building it. 3-D pens encourage creativity and imagination while working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, task completion, planning and improving frustration tolerance.
6. Crazy Aaron’s Mixed By Met Putty Kits-slime and putty are still a crowd favorite with my kids at work. These Mixed By Me putty kits are a great gift for kids who love crafting and playing with putty. There are 6 different sets to choose from including a make your own Boba putty, smelly putty and others. Kids work on following directions while creating their very own putty including coming up with names for it once it is done. This is great for working on increasing grasp strength and improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination and encourages creativity and imagination skills.
7. Plus Plus Blocks Creepy Critter Set-another great building toy that my kids love. The Plus-Plus blocks are great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages hand-eye and bilateral coordination, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills and improves focus and attention. Plus-Plus blocks are an open-ended building material which encourages creativity and imagination skills. However, all of their tubes and sets come with building guides and suggestions which is helpful for kids who have a hard time with coming up with their own ideas. This Creepy Critter set comes with 4 bags and each bag comes with 40 blocks, 1 or 2 eyes and visual instructions on how to construct each critter. Once kids have made their critters, you can encourage them to make their own.
8. Foosbots and Foosbots Stadium Battle Set-I bought these last winter for my hockey loving husband and then immediately bought a set for work. If you have a kid who likes hockey or playing Foosball this is the perfect gift for them. This is better for older kids who have bigger hands. The set comes with 2 Foosbots, a ball and two different colored silicone goal lines. The Foosbot spins when you squeeze their arms in and out making this a great toy for working on increasing grasp strength and improving grasping and manipulation skills. Just like Foosball, the goal is to get the ball past the goal line and be the one to score the most goals. One of the things I like about this game is that it encourages kids to make a plan about how many goals it takes to win, how far away the goal lines should be, etc.. For some kids, they need more defined boundaries so you can get the Foosbots Stadium which gives them a smaller and more defined playing area. Playing with Foosbots are also great for working on improving hand-eye coordination and works on developing visual motor skills.
9. Cat’s Cradle Activity Book-I love when things from my own childhood make a comeback and the Cat’s Cradle was a game I remember spending so much time playing with my sisters and friends. And if nobody was around to play with me, I would do it on my own. This Cat’s Cradle activity book comes with step-by-step directions on how to make a bunch of different shapes and objects using the rope that it comes with. Cat’s Cradle is a great fine motor activity and works on improving grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills, works on motor planning and organizational skills and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning and frustration tolerance.
10. Animal Offbits Kits-there are so many different kinds of fine motor building toys out there but not all my kids are into Legos or just need something completely new. I discovered the Offbits years ago when I was looking for something to challenge some of my older kids and I loved how this could be good for both open-ended building or you could follow the directions to make the different animals. One of the things I like the most about the kits was that they could be done in one sitting as opposed to some of the other building toys that can take a while to complete. These are great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages bilateral coordination skills, works on improving visual motor, perceptual and tracking skills and work on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, following directions, task completion and improving frustration tolerance.