Toys & Games

Fidget toys-we love them. Fidget toys can help relieve stress and increase focus and attention. More and more teachers are reporting that learners focus better and retain more information if they have something to do with their hands. Good fidgets should feel interesting, provide movement for the fingers, be durable and not distract others. The following is a list of our five favorite fidget toys.

 The Tangle Relax

This is by far our favorite fidget toy.  The Tangle Relax features twistable rubberized Tangle pieces with a bumpy rubberized cover. It’s durable, quiet, and people love the way they feel. It’s big enough to break in half to make two smaller sized fidgets.  A larger size version of this is the Tangle Therapy; this fidget toy is a little more expensive but also fantastic.

Nubby Stretch & Bounce Ball

The Nubby Stretch and Bounce Ball has a bumpy soft cover and is filled with a foam putty a student can quietly stretch and shape. The unique texture is soft and stimulating. This fidget toy is particularly nice for kids who need to squeeze something. However, for someone who is particularly aggressive with their squeezing you may want to try an  Isoflex ball.

Large Porcupine Ball

The Large Porcupine Balls is about 3 1/4″ in diameter. These balls feel interesting, provide lots of movement and exploration for the fingers, are quiet, and the threads on these are thicker than a Koosh ball. They are very sturdy and as an added bonus they’re fun to throw and easy to catch!

The Tactile Atom Ball

The Tactile Atom Ball has long tentacle like arms that stick out from the center that are soft and squishy. The tentacles are bumpy and knobby making it very interesting to hold and touch. This fidget toy is fairly sturdy, but if you have a student who is particularly aggressive we would not recommend it.

Stretchy Frogs

What can we say; Stretchy Frogs have been around forever! They are small, stretchy, and very inexpensive making them a nice option for teachers.  They are great for students who move from class to class because you can easily put them in a pocket.

A fun and simple oral motor activity that kids love is a bubble factory.  All you need to make it is a straw and a clean empty yogurt cup.

 To make it cut two holes in the top of a yogurt cup:

Cut a small hole on the top of the lid and a larger hole on the bottom. Fill the yogurt cup half full of bubble mix. Insert a straw in the small hole and let the child blow bubbles. If you are worried about the child sucking up the bubble mixture, cut a hole in the straw about one inch down. This will keep them from sucking up the bubbles.

As Summertime approaches, we are often asked, “What are some good travel toys for kids on the autism spectrum?”  So, we at National Autism Resources wanted to share with you a list of our best travel toys for those with autism:

Wikki Stix Activity Set:

Wikki Stixs are bendable, colorful yarn that sticks to a surface with just fingertip pressure.  These provide an interesting tactile experience and also help fine motor skills. Children can make all kinds of art projects with no glue or mess.  Fun Activity Kit includes: 96 Wikki Stix, Wooden shapes, Feathers, Pompoms, 4 blank faces that are great for exploring emotions, 2 greeting cards, Do-Wikki Gam,e Wikkidoodle sheets, a Travel Fun Book and more!  The activity set comes in a convenient carrying case.

Vibration Buddy:

We love vibration buddies, these soft musical buddies play music and vibrate when squeezed.  The soothing vibration is good for calming and soothing kiddos when they get stressed out.  We appreciate that the manufacturers have included volume control.

Squishy Dino Set:

This is one of our most popular toys.  These dinos are rubbery and squishy with little beads inside.  They are wonderful for imaginative play, incredibly sturdy, and provide great sensory input.

Knobby Teether Ball:

This is a teether ball that a child can hold and chew on. Many teachers use these during circle time to help kids sit who also need to chew.   These are nice for airplane and car rides, particularly if your child is prone to chew on things.

Mini Light Spinner:

It’s easy to keep track of the mini light spinner because it has a break away necklace.  Visually mesmerizing a child can  wear it and watch the lights spin and flicker.

Mini Dozer:

This small, inexpensive item is not meant to be durable.  However, depending on the child, it can keep them occupied for awhile.

Tangle Jr:

Tangles are great for keeping hands busy on trips in the car, on a plane or anytime. The Tangle Jr. has  18 interconnected pieces that a child can quietly twist keeping their fingers quietly moving. Tangles are a great manipulative toy that stimulates the brain as it helps increase finger dexterity.

Let’s Make Faces Book:

This spiral bound book is designed to be drawn in.  Kids can draw in faces, wipe them clean, and then draw them again! A wonderful tool for exploring emotions and easy to travel with.