Therapy toys are vital in a child’s development, especially early on.
For a child with cerebral palsy, autism, sensory challenges, behavioral issues, ADHD, or motor delays, therapy toys are a great way to encourage learning and development through playtime!
Let’s explore how these toys benefit numerous skill sets like:
- Motor skills (balance, coordination, and fine motor development)
- Social skills (interaction and communication)
- Sensory skills (relaxation and focus)
Without further ado, here are our top 10 recommended therapy toys for kids to add to your toy list.
Be sure to stick around from start to finish to find out which toy may uniquely benefit your child and to access your bonus resource!
Air-Lite Sensory Kit
For Ages: 3 years and up
Best For: Sensory Integration
Create a pop-up sensory room in a snap!
This Air-Lite Sensory Kit includes three favorite activities recommended by pediatric therapists to enhance sensory integration, movement, and motor skills.
This kit includes the following:
- Ball pit (creates body awareness and muscle strength)
- Barrel roll (improve balance reactions)
- Bolster swing (encourage core strength while improving postural form)
On top of the therapeutic benefits, these toys are a great way to entertain your kiddo.
Benefits
- Lightweight
- Latex-free
- High quality
- Durable vinyl material
- Easy to wash
- Hassle-free to travel with (deflates and inflates easily)
- Improve numerous skills sets (motor, social, sensory)
Something To Consider…
- An air pump is not included (to view the air pump, click here)
Final Verdict: An engaging activity for kids who experience sensory challenges or who need to work on motor skill development; balance, coordination, and muscle strength. Use it in schools, at home, or in therapy clinics.
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Chewy Tubes
For Ages: Infant to Adult
Best For: Teething or Aggressive Chewers
Hence the name “super chews” this material is super tough.
It is made for those 6 months and up who are teething or for aggressive chewers.
The purpose of a chew toy is to reduce a child’s stress and anxiety.
It provides a safe alternative chewing solution to clothes, pens, hands, or other unsafe things kids may want to put in their mouths.
Benefits
- Strengthens oral muscles
- Releases tension in the mouth
- Helps tactile sensitivity
- Made from non-toxic materials (free of PVC, BPA, phthalates, and latex)
- Two texture chew options (knobby or smooth)
- Budget-friendly
Final Verdict: This chew toy supports challenges of sensory issues, ADHD, Autism, and little ones who are teething.
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Crash Pad
For Ages: 3 years and up
Best For: Active or High Energy Kids
For kids who need to get their energy out or improve coordination, a crash mat provides a safe way to do this.
These mats are a fantastic therapy tool to use for movement-based activities like:
- Jumping
- Rolling
- Sitting
- Resting
- Dancing
For added safety, place the mat under things like a swing or slide to protect you from bumps and bruises.
Benefits
- Hassle-free to clean (durable nylon cover to easily spray or wipe down)
- Helps sensory seeking
- Helps sensory under responders
- Improves mood and focus
- A fun way to exercise!
Something To Consider…
- If the cover should become damaged, additional replacement covers are available.
Final Verdict: A useful therapy tool to protect high-energy kids from injury. Use it in sensory rooms, schools, during physical therapy, clinics, or at home.
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Fat Brain pipSquigz
For Ages: 6 months to 3 years
Best For: Sensory, Tactile Stimulation, Fine Motor Skills
Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks.
Hence, the importance of sensory integration early on for infants and toddlers.
That’s precisely what this toy, pipSquigz, is all about.
Stick it to smooth surfaces, rattle it, or push and suction the shapes together.
Benefits
- Encourage sensory awareness
- Exploratory play
- Fine motor development
- Made of high-quality BPA-free silicone
- Easy travel toy that’s compact
- Dishwasher safe
Something To Consider…
- Use it as a prop tool for your child to watch their favorite movie or show. One reviewer and parent shares, “It doubles as the best phone stand. Just suction it to the back of your phone or tablet.”
Final Verdict: A great sensory tool to encourage tactile exploration and fine motor development.
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Foam Ball Pit
Foam Ball PitFor Ages: 1 to 5 years
Best For: Motor Skills, Sensory Play
Does your child need an entertaining play toy?
Not to mention, a super cute one?
A ball pit is the perfect sensory activity for infants and toddlers.
Plus, it’s an engaging way to strengthen the muscles.
Kids can’t help but throw and roll around in the ball pit!
Benefits
- Handmade
- Comfy soft foam ball pit
- High quality
- Made of non-toxic materials
- Balls are BPA free
- 200 balls are included
- The pool design matches most kids furniture
- Easy to wash as the cover is removable
Something To Consider…
- Due to the packaging, the ball pit needs a full 2 days to return to its shape
Final Verdict: A wonderful sensory outlet that’s safe for infants and toddlers to enhance motor development.
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Inflatable Sensory Peapod
For Ages: 6 to 12 years
Best For: Relaxation, Vestibular Input
Think of a relaxing deep pressure therapy session when you hear the words Sensory Peapod.
This sensory tool is made for those who experience anxiety or who are touch-sensitive.
While sitting down, the soft vinyl material surrounds you while applying deep even pressure around your body.
The supporting deep pressure holds you upright.
How To Use It
- Have your child sit in it next to you while they read, play, or watch their favorite flick
- Cozy up with a weighted blanket to enhance the sensory experience
- Sit lengthwise for added deep pressure
- Sit sideways to lounge
- Sit sideways to rock back and forth or to challenge balance reactions
Benefits
- Strong durable vinyl material
- Easy to clean (surface wash and air dry)
- Kids feel independent
- Improves sensory skills like concentration, mood, and focus
- Electric pump included
- Patch kit included
- 1% of sales support Autism research at The UW Autism Center!
Things To Consider…
- Adult supervision is recommended
- The material is not flame resistant
Final Verdict: A wonderful sensory tool for a child who has anxiety, is sensitive to touch, or needs upper body support to sit upright. It’s great to use in the home, daycare, classroom, or clinic.
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Kids Nest Swing Chair Nook
For Ages: 3 years and up
Best For: Social Skills, Balance, and Coordination
Do you need a fun activity to increase your child’s social skills or balance and coordination?
If you answered yes, this swing chair may be the one for you.
The swing chair is like a hanging seat hammock.
It is an engaging activity for your child to enjoy with their friends or loved ones.
Plus, it’s a great outlet to turn things down a notch to soothe and relax.
Benefits
- Fits 2 to 3 kids or up to 250 pounds
- Improves motor skills while the swing is in motion
- Enhances social skills and imaginary play
- Supports sensory needs
- Easy to install
- Use indoors or outdoors
Things To Consider…
- Adult supervision required
- Assembly required
Final Verdict: This swing chair is a multi-functional therapy tool for kids who need to focus on balance and coordination, socialize, or to relax.
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Pop Tubes
For Ages: 3 years and up
Best For: Fine Motor Strength
For kids who love to grasp things or fiddle with objects, these pop tubes are an excellent sensory tool.
There are numerous ways to play with these plastic tubes by stretching, connecting, or popping.
It’s a wonderful activity to get little fingers moving to improve fine motor strength.
Benefits
- Develop strength and coordination in the hands
- Budget-friendly
- Provides tactile stimulation
- Storage box included
- Lightweight
Something To Consider…
- The plastic is not made for kids to chew on or to put in their mouth
Final Verdict: For kids who struggle with sensory processing disorders or need to enhance fine motor strength. Use it as a physical therapy tool during sessions, at home, in the classroom, or in clinics.
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Rainbow Counting Bears and Sorting Cups
For Ages: 3 to 8 years
Best For: Fine Motor Skills, Counting Skills
This is one of the best learning games to boost a child’s cognitive development early on.
It is an entertaining way to develop math skills through hands-on learning:
- Sort (arrange the bears or in groups by color)
- Count (how many are red, yellow, or green?)
- Color coordinate (place the bears into the correct color cup)
Placing the items in and out of the cups encourages a child to use their thumb and pointer fingers to develop strength and coordination in the hands.
Benefits
- Promotes fine motor development
- Fun STEM activity for Preschool to 2nd Grade
- Learn beginner math concepts like addition and subtraction (even multiplication)
- Great memory activity to improve attention and focus
- Teaches colors, counting, and sorting
- Storage bag included
Something To Consider…
- The pieces are tiny which may be a choking hazard (not recommended for kids under 3 years)
Final Verdict: A creative STEM activity to inspire early math skills and fine motor development. Use it in the classroom, occupational therapy, resource centers, or at home.
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Turtle Steps Stepping Stone
For Ages: 3 to 8 years
Best For: Motor Development, Sensory Play
Do you know the game Floor is Lava where you hop on objects to not touch the floor?
That is exactly what this game is like, but with an added benefit to enhance motor development.
While not touching the floor, hop from turtle shell to turtle shell to work on coordination and develop muscle strength.
The raised non-slip stepping stone forces kids to balance.
Benefits
- Improves body strength
- Use indoors or outdoors
- Create numerous obstacle courses
- Inclusive activity
- Easy to store or travel with
- Storage bag included
Something To Consider…
- Wear shoes to play on the stepping stones for added support
Final Verdict: If you need a fun activity to enjoy inside or outside, with a group, or to improve a child’s balancing skills, this game is for you. Use it at home, in school, or in therapy clinics.
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Final Thoughts
Final ThoughtsTherapy toys for kids play an important role in improving the important skills a child needs to develop, learn and communicate.
A toy that engages while providing therapeutic benefits, allows a child to live their best life possible!
→ Bonus Resource: If you are undergoing financial constraints to care for a child with special needs, click here for a list of potential funding resources to help you with the purchase of therapy products. ←
Thank You!
We want to wrap up by extending our gratitude to thank you for stopping by today!
What therapy toys do you recommend?
Let us know in the comments below. ♥
Was this information helpful to you? If so, you’d make our day by sharing it! 🙂
About the Author
Lindsey is the co-founder of The LENN Foundation and content creator of the Intensive Therapy for Kids blog.
When she isn’t busy playing Godzilla with her son or chasing around her mischievous Rottweiler pup, she loves creating experiences and memories with her loved ones (traveling, watching a good flick, trying new n’ yummy restaurants). Speaking of restaurants, one of her favs is Taco Bell!
Most of all, she is grateful for her supportive circle of family, friends, and to live out her passion for helping kids with Cerebral Palsy (like her sweet nephew Lenny).
If you’re curious about The LENN Foundation, you may see the kids’ helped and feel-good content here. ♥
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The contents of the Intensive Therapy for Kids Site, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the Intensive Therapy for Kids Site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Hey nice recommendations you have there. Your thoughts are quite invaluable. I honestly fell in love with the swing chair Nook, as it allows other kids to play with a child with cerebral, this will actually gives them some sense of belonging and the feeling of being loved. I will definitely recommend this to a friend of mine to purchase for her child’s.
Wonderful, so glad you found the Swing Chair Nook valuable. Thanks for your feedback.
Hello there! This an awesome review we have here , it my first time hearing about “Therapy toys and with what I read so far am really impressed with it. . These are some really great suggestions for therapy toys, even if a child doesn’t have cerebral palsy! I especially like the look of the inflatable pea pod. I know that children we be very happy having this.
thanks for sharing this with me
Wonderful, glad you enjoyed the article and we appreciate your comment! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this post of the recommendation of therapy toys for kids with Cerebral Palsy. I am impressed with Sorbus Kids Nest Swing Chair Nook. Does it have to be hooked to the ceiling with a nail? How easy is it to self install? Does it have safety belts to secure the children down, or an adult has to hold them as they sit inside?
Hi Bee, thanks for your great questions. Yes, it’s very easy to install (minimal assembly required and mounting hardware included) but it can hang from sturdy trees, posts, swing sets, or ceilings for secure hammock suspension. With adult supervision required, it is a great therapy tool because the child can sit, stand, or lay freely inside the swing without any support to enhance their motor development, sense of balance, and hyperactivity. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your feedback!
Very insightful indeed, thank you for taking out time to compile this list, these toys can really help the motor skills of a child with this condition, is there any known cure for this condition yet …if yes please enlighten me, if there is non..how can it be managed so the child can go on and live a relatively normal life?
Great questions Fola, thanks for asking! At this time there is unfortunately no cure but hopefully someday 🙂 From our research, interviews, and years in the industry, therapy (physical, occupational, etc.) has been the most effective treatment to help a child live a better quality of life. Also, different combinations of treatment such as therapy, medicine, or surgery can also help improve a child’s life with cerebral palsy.
It is so sad to hear of children that have this issue but it so good to know that there are products out there that are designed especially for them to help them. With this kind of support, it makes it easy for parents with kids that have this issue and it helps children to get around making life a lot easier.
Hi Norman! It definitely does make a difference and can improve their overall quality of life suited to their needs. I appreciate your insight! Thanks for stopping by today.
Thanks for taking the time to research and write this post. These are some really great suggestions for therapy toys, even if a child doesn’t have cerebral palsy! I especially like the look of the inflatable pea pod. I know that many kids, my son included, like to feel that comforting pressure…heck even I do every now and then, and that seems like the perfect way to get it. Great article! Thanks again!
Hey Steve, I thought the same thing about the inflatable pea pod, do they make those for adults? Lol. Glad you enjoyed the article, thanks for your comment!