Our 2nd Annual Gift Ideas to Promote Speech and Motor Work

Top 18 Holiday Gift Ideas (2015)

For Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Just for Fun

Our team of speech pathologists and occupational therapists have compiled a list of our favorites for the year 2015.  The following are gift ideas for children that support sensory processing, language, strength, coordination and social interaction.  This year, we had a hard time narrowing it down, so we have 18 favorites!

1. An indoor swing. Depending on how they are used, swings can provide either calming or alerting input. Swings can be found at Ikea, as well as Amazon.
2. Trampolines and Bounce Houses. These are not only fun, they provide great vestibular input with the up-and-down movement, as well as proprioceptive input to joints and muscles, providing calming and organizing input. Both indoor and outdoor trampolines are great options!
3. Tunnels. Create obstacle courses using tunnels to provide heavy work opportunities.
4.  Tents. Tents provide great areas for quiet spaces when children get overwhelmed or dysregulated.
5.  Weighted blankets. These provide deep pressure for calming and regulation.
6. Learning Advantage 7060 Joey Jump
7.  Play-Doh, Kinetic Sand, and Moon Dough for tactile play, as well as heavy work and fine motor strengthening for hands.
8. Bean bags. Great for jumping and crashing into!
9. Water Beads. Water beads provide quite the tactile experience, great for tactile play.
10.  Scooter Boards. These are great for strength, as well as providing various types of vestibular input.
11. Ball-pits. Ball-pits provide tactile and proprioceptive input, and can also provide great challenges with coordination and strength.
12. Fidgets. These can be great for children who need to move! Fidgets can be small toys that move or bend. They can also be tactile balls, squishy balls, small magnetic toys, or anything that a child can hold in their hands.
13.  Ele-Fun for visual spatial, visual motor, and social skills.
14. Head Banz to facilitate language and imagery.
15.  Pop the Pig Game is great for fine motor skills.
16. Touch and feel books
17. Melissa & Doug Sticker Boards are great for fine motor skills, sequencing, and spatial concepts.
18.  Mr. Potato Head facilitates learning body parts and fine motor coordination all while incorporating language.