“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..”! Oh my! It’s already that time again. Time to start doing your Christmas shopping! The Child’sPlay therapists have compiled a list of our favorite toys to facilitate child development! Remember, limit toys that do the talking or action for your child! The less the toys do, the more the child will have to do! Children need less time with electronics and more time with hands on manipulative toys to develop appropriate motor, language, and social skills. So take our list with you and Merry Christmas!
Toys for Fine Motor skill development:
Light Brite**
Pick up Sticks
Legos (age appropriate size)
Bead stringing kits/lacing activities**
Craft kits
Pop Beads**
Paint/color by number
Finger puppets
Play-doh with cutters, plastic knives, rolling pin, etc.
Magna Doodle
Puzzles/shape sorters
Pegboards**
Magnetic activities**
Stamp kits with ink pads
Easels for drawing/painting
Operation game**
Hi-Ho Cherry-O**
Perfection game**
Jenga
Wind up toys
Card games
Toys for Speech/Language Development:
Books!
Bubbles
“Little People” toy sets
Farm sets
Blocks
Kitchen/tea sets
Dolls/dollhouses
Cars/racing ramps/tracks
Candyland
Chutes and Ladders
Mr. Potato Head
Headbandz
Boggle
Scrabble Jr./Scrabble
Simon
Memory
Clue
Guess Who
Toys to encourage gross motor development:
Infant “arches” that encourage baby to reach up and grab items
Toy shopping cart
Toy vacuum
Wagons to put toys in and push/pull
Soccer balls
Riding toys
Balance bikes (preferable to training wheels)
Kitchen sets (encourage standing/pulling up)
Sidewalk chalk for hopscotch!
Jump ropes
**These items contain small parts and are for older children only. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommended age minimums when purchasing toys!