Gifts/Toys for SPD kids?
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Anonymous
| With the holidays coming up, I thought maybe we could share some thoughts about what gifts are good for kids with sensory issues. (Mine is sensory seeking, so I'm particularly interested in anything good for those kids). Two ideas to get the ball rolling -- Stomp rockets; Spin Art. I'd also love to hear thoughts on trampolines -- most of the ones I've seen are either for toddlers, or require a big back yard -- is there a compact option for school age kids? If so, does it help? Does anyone have a mini rowing machine? |
Anonymous
| Trampoline and bean bag chair. Both are huge hits with my SPD DS. |
Anonymous
| I'm not sure what they're called now, but we used to call them Hippity-Hops. Big rubber balls that you bounce on. |
Anonymous
| For a trampoline, check Target exercise equipment. |
Anonymous
| For those with trampolines, do you have any concerns about injuries? Do you monitor use, or is this something you can leave out for general play? Is 48" the right size? |
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
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Not sure how old you are, but I just got my nephew a whole bunch of SPD -appropriate writing support materials.
http://www.amazon.com/Handwriting-Without-Tears-Letters-Numbers/dp/B0062TL0G6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381949397&sr=8-1&keywords=writing+without+tears http://www.amazon.com/Handwriting-Without-Tears-Slate-Chalkboard/dp/B0042SQWT4/ref=pd_sim_op_6 http://www.amazon.com/The-Sensory-University-GROTTO-GRIP/dp/B001FY39RQ/ref=pd_sim_op_83 |
Anonymous
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We had 48" trampoline: left it in the living room. Sensory seeking DS loved his dizzy disk. http://www.sensoryedge.com/dizzy-disc-jr.html?gclid=CIzgsK_vnLoCFZOe4AodHjoABw
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Anonymous
| Also a Bop It - any size. |
Anonymous
|
Yay, BopIt -- helps with impulse control as well as sensory seeking needs.
We have an oval trampoline from SpringFree, which is tucked in a corner of our typical small suburban garden . The oval shape limits the number of kids doing tricks on it, because you can only go in one direction and it makes for a smaller footprint. Ours is 8x12 -- I would never dream of a 12' plus edges in our backyard. SpringFree trampolines are expensive, and hard to find second-hand. But they are safer, since there is no spring frame around, and the side walls are sturdy and bouncy. I don't feel like I have to hover over my 5 and 8 year olds, but I will supervise when the neighborhood kids join in. Other outdoor goodies: a zipline and monkey bars; Tall swing off a tree branch (the playset ones are way too short); Scooters and bikes if they don't have one; stilts. Big huge bucket of chalk, empty driveway and friends to paint with. Indoor: pottery wheel and clay (get the sturdiest one you can afford. Better to have a mechanical one, used, off Craigslist than one of the kid toy ones, if you can afford it. It may well become a grown-up hobby as well. But the kid one was still a huge success in our house. ) Playdough and paint are still a big hit in our home. For a girl (although my boy also loves it) the Rainbow Loom (Michael's sells it) allows them to make bracelets out of rubber bands -- much better for sensory kids than doing the old-fashioned way, with thread strands. A portable CD player with CDs -- I know, all your music is on your iphone / computer, but kids still like to handle their music and look at the pretty jackets! Yay to beanbags, but don;t get the styrofoam ones, they get squished down in a few months. Especially with a sensory seeking child who will soon discover they can squish the pellets bubble-wrap style. See if you can find something filled with non compressing pellets. Maybe even actual beans! Also, a fuzzy moonchair/sauccer chair for reading can be a big hit for a 2nd-4th grader. etc... |
Anonymous
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You can find a lot of great sensory play toys at www.funandfunction.com
Also, check out www.tipsandtoys.com. They put together boxes filled with fun toys and activities that target specific developmental skills. |
Anonymous
| IKEA made a really cool and unusual plastic chair for kids and I'm sure they still do. It came in bright colors and was shaped like a globe, with a soft interior and a swivel so the chair could spin around but the cool part was that it could close around the child so they could have almost a sensory cocoon. I saw it in all sorts of therapist offices and in schools, it was very popular with all sorts of sensory and non-sensory kids. |
Anonymous
| Just a note on the ikea chair--out OT thought it would be affirmatively harmful for our sensory seeking kid, as excess spinning would just wind him up. Swinging is apparently organizing, but spinning can be disorganizing. |