December 13, 2023
2023 Holiday Gift Guide For Sensory Families
The holidays are a great time to stock up on sensory tools that will help your child stay regulated & available to be their best selves. There are a lot of options out there for sensory tools – so to help narrow things down for you we’ve put together a brief list of strategies that are ‘OT Approved’. Take a look at our 2023 holiday gift guide for sensory families –
Please note: This page includes affiliate links, meaning we can make a commission at no additional cost to you. The opinions & recommendations made here are our own, and we would not include these tools if they weren’t items we would recommend to the families we have the pleasure of working with in our clinic.
Sensory Tools Under $35 –
Palm Board
These boards are very mesmerizing as they provide lots of sensory input – visual, tactile, & auditory. My girls loved playing with these as kids. They can be a great tool to have on hand for grounding & self regulation.
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Sand Art Liquid Bubbler
Bubblers are also incredibly grounding. I like how this one is flat & only uses a few colors.
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Stress Ball Variety Box
Stress balls can help your child get some muscle work in when they are overwhelmed. This pack has quite the variety! It could also be helpful to have more than one stress ball so that if one gets lost or temporarily misplaced your child has other options.
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Sand Playset Box
We have our own container sandbox in the clinic that we use quite frequently to help our clients regulate. We also use the box to spark our kiddos imagination and work on language/communication. And they get lots of finger/hand work while playing in the sand – all around a great tool to have!
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Visual Fidget Tube
As mentioned before liquid bubblers can be really grounding. These offer a nice variety in pattern & color. They also are easy to throw into a bag if you need something for in the car.
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Glo Pals
These can be so much fun & encourage explorative play. Encourage your child’s curiosity while helping them to stay grounded & self regulated.
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Squishy Tube Pack
The squishy feeling paired with the sounds & sparkles in these tubes can provide enough visual interest to calm your child down when they feel overwhelmed, over excited, or disorganized.
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Items To Add To Your Sensory Room –
Wooden Building Blocks
These are a little bit more of a splurge, but what I love most about these building blocks is that they almost act as liquid bubblers. As your child uses the building blocks to explore their imagination they can also enjoy watching the contents inside of the blocks to ground them.
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Modular Foam Play Couch
Modular foam couches are an excellent investment to make for your sensory room. Easily create forts, obstacle courses, and landing pads to create safe spaces for your child to get muscle work in while they play. With covers that are machine washable, and a variety of colors to choose from, I am sure you won’t regret getting this for your child.
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Foam Ball Pit
Our ball pit that we have in the gym is one of the most utilized tools in our clinic! Jumping into & moving around in the ball pit takes a lot of muscle work – and it doesn’t even feel like work. It’s just play!
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Balance Beam
Balance beams are another multi-purpose item that you will not regret investing in. Use them to elevate an obstacle course, help with transitions, build muscle strength & coordination, and more.
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Rock Climbing Wall Grips
This kit can help you bring your rock wall to life! We like to hang bags with fine motor activities inside of them to get muscle work in before our clients work on challenging activities. We will also have our clients climb up the wall, then fall onto crash pads to get even more sensory input.
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Spandex Sensory Swing
We have a similar sensory swing in our clinic that our clients love. The spandex material provides pressure, and can feel like a hug. Pair that with rhythmic movement and you have a wonderful sensory tool!
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Indoor Trampoline
Jumping is very regulating & provides a constructive way for your child to use pent up energy in their nervous system. Jumping on the trampoline can also help wake your child up if their system is sluggish.
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Hopefully this gift guide will spark some ideas and help your sensory family! We also have free sensory based resources for you in our resource library, so make sure you check that out in addition to reading our blog for all things sensory, self regulation, and pediatric occupational therapy! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
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