What are the best developmental toys for kids?
It’s December, and that means one thing to many parents – the holidays are quickly approaching. With countless store ads, commercials and online articles about the ‘top toys of 2017,’ it’s hard to really understand what toys are both fun to play with and good for child development.
To help with this very question, the team in the pediatric rehabilitation department at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children worked together to create a list. These toys are known to facilitate the development of skills in all areas. They are both engaging and motivating and help to evolve anything from gross motor skills to language
Gross Motor Development:
Activities to develop strength and coordination in the big muscles that help us to sit up, walk, run, jump and climb
Yogarilla cards
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Large plastic stepping stones such as Gonge Hilltops
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Zoomball
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Push Toys
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Ball launchers- load in the ball, step on the pad and watch it fly. Great game to interact with pets.
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Ziggle bike
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Toys with parts to retrieve such as shape sorter, pop beads, simple puzzles, barn with animals, cars on tracks
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Sit and Spin
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Jumping rope
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Balance bike
Language Development:
Facilitates learning both to speak and to understand language and build social skills.
Barn and barn animals
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Simple puzzles that make sounds. The Melissa and Doug brand is great.
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Books with simple pictures and words such as: Brown Bear Brown Bear, and books by Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle, Mo Willems
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Mr. Potato Head
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Little People play sets by Fisher Price
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Headbands game
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Singing simple songs, especially those with gestures such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
Fine and Visual Motor Development:
Activities that develop strength and coordination for the eyes and hands for writing, cutting, coloring, table top play and self-feeding.
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Poppers. Load a small ball into the snout of a pig (or other animals), squeeze and watch them fly
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Giant chopsticks such as Zoo Sticks
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Crayon rocks, gems or any other large short crayons
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Filo lacing game with stylus and rubber board
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Large plastic piggy bank made just for toddlers
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Craft Kits-knitting, knitting loom, sock puppets, pottery
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Old school board games-Candy Land, Trouble, Connect Four, Battleship, Monopoly, Pick up Sticks
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Cards
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Discovery putty
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Feed the Woozle game
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Hi Ho Cherry Oh! game
Princess Cupcake game
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Design and Drill
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Art easel
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Magna Tiles
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Tobbles
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Legos-All sizes
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Tegu Magnet blocks
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Play Doh
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Stacking Rings
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Wooden Train Set
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Wooden blocks
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Aquadoodle
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Velcro cutting food (Melissa and Doug)
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Lite Brite
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Velcro darts
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Lacing activities
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FantaColor Jr. Mosaic pegboard
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Crayola Glow Station
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Tactile books
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Pull and see books
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Etch a Sketch
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Large simple plastic pop beads
Questions regarding the toy list can be directed to Jennifer Smith, Occupational Specialist at Orlando Health at [email protected]. For more information about pediatric rehabilitation at Arnold Palmer Hospital, visit the Pediatric Rehabilitation Program page on our website.
