Sensory play is so much fun and so important. If you’re interested in a quick overview of our other senses besides the common 5 senses, check out my post More Than 5 Senses.
Below I will share my favorite types of toys to encourage sensory play. Feel free to click on the pictures that will take you to amazon, or you can do your own search for similar items. If you have toys you love, I’d love to hear about them in the comments section! This will be a growing list, so please come back again.
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Proprioceptive and Vestibular Activities
These activities are good for body awareness, large motor skills, balance, movement, etc.
If you have room for an indoor trampoline like this, I would highly recommend it. Great for bad weather days. This is the one we have at work, and it’s definitely a favorite
Saucer swings are the best. I use this more than anything at work. I’m not sure what brand we have at work, but it looks like this.
These are so much fun! If you don’t want to spend as much money, check out FB Marketplace, I oftentimes see them there, but they go fast.
I haven’t used this specific toy, but ball pits and tunnels in general are great proprioceptive activities
There’s so much you can do with a scooter. They’re great for motor planning, vestibular input, proprioceptive input, and more. I like the ones that can connect together like this one.
Another great toy to have indoors when you can’t make it outside
These are great for obstacle courses inside or out. I’m not sure what brand I have, but they look like this
Another great addition to your obstacle courses. You can set it up different ways kind of like a train track. I have one of these at work, and it’s great for so many motor skills.
I also have these at work, and they’re great because they’re different sizes. They’re good for balance, and motor planning.
One of my schools had these, and they were great for indoor play. They’re good for balance and vestibular input. You can stand or sit on them. The kids had so much fun with these
This scooter is good for beginners. I own this one, and it’s been a great starter scooter. They’re good for balance, vestibular, proprioception, and coordination
I have two balance bikes, the chillafish one and the strider. I definitely prefer the strider balance bike. It cost twice as much, so I guess that makes sense. Biking is such a great activity from childhood to adulthood
If your child is bouncing off the walls (literally), these are fabulous for getting some of those wiggles out. It does require some coordination and body awareness though
These are great for obstacle courses, or building and knocking down. You can knock them down by running into them or throwing a ball at them. I use these all the time with my class
Tactile Activities
Tactile activities are great for kids who seek out a lot of tactile sensory input, but they’re also good for kids who avoid them. Don’t force your kids to play with them, but giving them exposure to different textures can be good for them.
Tactile Toys
There’s lots of different themes you can choose from. The texture is great, and it never dries out.
A fun texture to explore. Watch them go through different phases as they grow. Fun to scoop and transfer.
I’ve gone through a lot of bubbles over the years. These are my favorite brand.
There are so many different play-doh sets to choose from. This is great for fine motor skills too.
My daughter had this toy when she was little, and it was a big hit!
This sink really works, I loved having one of these for my daughter to play with while I cooked dinner.
Another fun and different texture to explore
Theraputty is so great for hand strength and fine motor skills. Hide little toys in it for your child to find. This is what our OTs use at the clinic I’m at
Yes, it’s messy, but it’s such a great tactile experience for young kids
I loved theses as a kid. They’re so fun to explore with and make new designs. Plus, they feel really cool.
I just came across this and think it looks awesome. It’s a tactile puzzle. I can think of some kiddos that would have loved this when I was teaching them
My friend told me about this, they use it all the time and love it. It gives different textures to finger paints. You do have to buy the finger paints separately though
I haven’t tried these yet, but as far as a tactile activity goes, I think this would be awesome
Of all the sensory tables I’ve used, this one (at least it was one that looked just like this) was my favorite. It’s on the pricier side, but if I had my choice, I’d choose this one
