Ten Toys for Children With Special Needs

Like any child, a child born with special needs needs toys to help them develop. Toys designed for them are built to improve concentration, since concentrating is one of the harder things for them.

The right toy also heads off frustration and tantrums before they start. So which ones are worth having?

Here are ten, along with what each one actually works on.

1. Wooden Stacking Blocks

Blocks help a child concentrate and hold focus. Their range of shapes and strong colours stretch the imagination and support cognitive development.

Stacking also trains hand-eye coordination, which is good for fine motor control. Done alongside someone else it builds social skills and confidence too.

2. Puzzles

Puzzles support development across several areas at once, covering thinking, fine motor control, dexterity and problem-solving. All it needs from you is the patience to sit through each stage with them.

Being there while they play matters for a child emotionally as much as practically.

3. A Soft Toy

One of the harder parts of supporting a child's development is settling them when they're uncomfortable, since that's when a tantrum is most likely. A soft-textured toy can keep them company and help them manage it.

That works because children with special needs often have a very sensitive sense of touch. A cushion or something similar does the same job, as long as the texture is soft.

4. Modelling Clay

A soft texture and a range of colours hold a child's attention and focus. Shaping the clay also trains their motor movement.

One caution: make sure the clay you buy is made from something safe for a child.

5. Bubbles

Bubbles give a child stimulation and something visually appealing to follow. They watch how a bubble forms and floats, and a range of colours makes it more engaging still.

You can combine bubbles with physical activity that works gross motor skills, whether that's running, jumping or dancing.

6. Drawing and Colouring

Drawing and colouring work well as an activity here. They're also an effective way to introduce a child to different colours, and they give a child somewhere to express how they're feeling.

7. A Gym Ball

A gym ball helps a child strengthen their muscles and improve their balance and coordination. That covers physical, sensory and emotional development at once, and it demands full concentration while they use it.

8. Flashcards

Flashcards are the next one worth having. They're often used in picture exchange communication system therapy, which is generally used with children who find communicating difficult.

9. Origami

Start with the simplest shapes. The trial and error involved trains problem-solving and patience, and folding the paper works their hand-eye coordination.

Use origami paper in a range of colours, which makes a child considerably more interested in trying it.

10. A Musical Instrument

Finally, a child with special needs can be introduced to an instrument such as a piano or keyboard. The sound gives them genuine pleasure, and playing trains the coordination between eyes, ears and hands.

If it suits, you can enrol your child in music lessons that run classes for children with special needs. Happy Kamper lists music classes with locations and current prices shown.

The right toy is only one part of supporting a child's development. Beyond that it's worth monitoring their progress and continuing whatever therapy helps them develop.

That work is generally done with professionals at a development clinic or a childcare setting. Happy Kamper lists clinics and childcare that work with children with special needs.