By: Brycen Raybon, OTR/L

For children, one of their primary daily occupations is play. The toys and games that children use while participating in play facilitate development and skills used in everyday life. Toys and games can help support and enhance skills targeted in occupational therapy such as fine motor, visual motor, gross motor, balance and coordination, and more. Not only do toys and games help facilitate skill development for play and engaging in daily life, but they can also help prepare the child for the expectations in the classroom. Toys and games can be used to demonstrate social situations, rule following, and turn taking in a variety of ways. Toys and games serve as a fun and unique way to build skills which a child may struggle with. As occupational therapists, we strive to find toys and games for children that either can be adapted for a range of skill levels or can target a variety of skills within the activity.

Therapy/Yoga Ball

To begin with some relatively simple items, let’s discuss a therapy/yoga ball. A yoga ball can be used for an extensive amount of skill building and skill refining activities. Simply sit on the ball and reach for game pieces or lift one foot at a time to work toward increasing core strength and postural control. Yoga balls can be used to bounce or roll back and forth between individuals for mastering skills such as hand-eye coordination and grading the force required to pass the ball. Along with these more motor-based skills, a therapy ball can be used to provide calming deep pressure stimulation for a child. By using the ball as a “steam roller,” the parent or caregiver can roll the ball up/down the child’s body while they are laying down to provide calming, even pressure. A therapy or yoga ball is an item that can be continuously used and adapted as the child grows and continues to work towards many different occupational therapy goals.

Mini Trampoline

Another great item to think about when purchasing a new toy or a game, especially for children with lots of energy, is a mini trampoline. These can easily be slid under the bed for apartments or areas where space may be tight. A trampoline is great for kids to help get the wiggles out on a cold or rainy day when everyone is stuck inside. Trampolines can provide a fun addition to an obstacle course, gross motor balance skills while jumping, as well as provide an easy outlet for a movement break. Trampolines can easily be incorporated into the child’s sensory diet by providing proprioceptive input, or muscle and joint sense.

Board Games and Toys

Finally, below is a list of specific board games and toys which incorporate fine motor, gross motor, visual motor skills, as well as many social skills such as turn taking and sharing:

  • Simon Game: This game functions like Simon Says with colors. It is great for attention to task, short-term memory skills, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor control.
  • Magna-Tiles: Magna-Tiles allow for repeated uses without boredom and letting the creative juices flow. This toy is wonderful for pattern recognition, fine motor coordination, grading pressure while placing the tiles, and sharing with others.
  • Discovery Putty: Just like Theraputty, but with surprises hidden inside! Discovery Putty works to strengthen hands, provide tactile input as part of a sensory diet, and fine motor coordination and control to manipulate the small treasures.
  • Spooner Board: These boards allow for lots of fun movement. Not only are they wonderful for balance and core strength, but the Spooner Balance Board also provides irregular movement and rocking. This can enhance the vestibular system, which provides our bodies with information on spatial orientation, movement, and balance, and can support bilateral coordination.
  • Animal Poppers: Animal poppers are fun on their own, but can also be turned into a game! These poppers work on hand strengthening, hand-eye coordination, and grading of pressure and force needed.
  • Dressing Board: Dressing boards allow for functional skills to be brought to life in just one small board. Snaps, zippers, shoelaces, and more can all be found on these boards and allow for skill development in activities directly related to everyday life.

This list includes a few of our favorite easy-to-use activities to help promote occupational therapy skills at home. Contact us today for a more comprehensive list or if you’d like to learn more about which toys are best for your child’s specific needs. You can also view additional blogs on our site to learn more about games/toys to promote speech-language therapy skills as well as everyday household items that you may already have at home which can be used for enhancing both occupational therapy and speech-language skills HERE and HERE.