The Best Gifts (By Age) From the Perspective of an OT

Ages 2 years +

Triangular Crayons: Encourages appropriate grip on coloring and drawing utensils

Fine Motor Keys and Shape Sorter House: Promotes dexterity and visual Skills

Learning Resources Smart Snacks Rainbow Color Cones: Learn colors while strengthening hands

Shape Sort and Match: Promotes bilateral coordination while learning shapes and colors

Fine Motor and Strength Animal Match: Practice Animals Names/Sounds as well as
strengthening those hands!

Snap and Learn Sheep Counting: Builds hand strength and dexterity while teaching number
sequencing.

Animals Peg Puzzle: Promotes grasp patterns and matching skills 

Duplo Lego ABC Train: Promotes hand strengthening as well as letter sequencing.

Activity Tunnel: Great for little kids to encourage crawling, leading to strengthen hands and
arms!

Wooden Piano: A toy that can grow with your child! This toy targets auditory processing,
finger isolation, visual tracking, and body coordination.

Ages 3 years +

Play Doh set with tools: Promotes hand strength and dexterity and exposes students to novel tool use.

Snap and Learn ABC Elephants: Great bilateral hand skill toy as well as letter sequencing toy.

Froggy Feeding Fun Game: Strengthen students hands while engaging in a fun game! Small
parts! Please make sure your child is not an oral sensory seeker.

Lacing Boards: Great for hand dexterity!

HoneyBee Tree Game: A fun dexterity game!

Musical Bells with Music Sheet Songs: Let your student play a song while promoting eye hand
coordination, visual scanning, and auditory processing.

Ages 4-5 years +

Pattern Block Picture Creations: Learn shapes and challenge visual skills as you build pictures.

Lite Brite: GREAT for hand strengthening and visual skills.

Geo Board: Problem solving and hand strength all wrapped into one!

Jungle Animal Puzzle: Challenge your student with a block puzzle. This puzzle relies only on
visual skills as your student is required to look only at picture clues to turn the blocks and find
the correct picture to the puzzle.

Aquabeads Craft Set: Great for your student who loves to create! Promote hand strength and
dexterity while making a craft.

Disney Eye Found It! Hidden Picture Game: A fun game to promote multiple visual
perceptual skills.

Ages 6 years +

Paw Patrol Operation Game: Precision and patience are tested in this classic game!

Musical Instruments: Learning musical instruments is a great way to promote visual tracking, finger dexterity and isolation, hand strength, and auditory processing. Check out your school’s orchestra or band program. Your school may have a renting program to supply instruments.

Sand Timers: These sand timers come in increments from 1 minute to 30 minutes. Great way
to set a timer that is visual and not connected to a technology device.

Water Activated Light Up Toy: Best for students who like the sensory experience of water,
these cubes can be added to promote color names, counting, and block designs.

Pop It! Letters and Numbers: A calming tool as well as a tool to learn the alphabet and
numbers.

Calming Vibes Hedgehog Soother: Some students seek tactile as well as vibration input, which
can have a calming effect.

Reading Nook Tent: Is your child always under the furniture, or wanting to build a fort? They
may prefer to have a special nook to feel safe and secure. Make this a little calm down area for
your student.

Squishmallows Plush Headphones: These headphones can either play calming music or
dampen noise. They are entirely plush so there will be no pulling on ears!

Weighted Teddy Bear 3lbs: Weighted items can soothe your student when they are feeling
stressed, and can be used before bed to calm the body.

Weighted Toy Dog 4.5lbs. :Weighted items can soothe your student when they are feeling
stressed, and can be used before bed to calm the body.

Thinking Putty: Great tool for older students. Let them pull, stretch, and squish when feeling
angry, or fidgety.

Kitty Fidget Ball: Similar to a stress ball this is a great option for older students.

Sequin Animals: Tactile and visual sensory input to calm and relax.

Busy Fingers 3D Foldables: Visual and Tactile Sensory Input.

Rainmaker: Auditory and Visual Sensory Input

Samantha Kelland, OTR