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This construction set  is one of my latest discoveries and I am so excited about it. The idea is simple but the experience is anything but. This construction set comes with many tiny colored puzzle pieces, which all connect to one another from all sides. The game comes with a few pictures for ideas but  what you build is really up to you. Get creative and have fun!

Why I love this?: This construction set is great for children who have ADHD or just attention difficulties.  The game has a calming affect, keeping children focused and engaged. The pieces are also small, which is great for kids who can benefit from improving their fine motor coordination and bilateral integration (using two hands together to complete a task).

FYI: The pieces are pretty SMALL so please don't let children under 3 play with them. I would also recommend to supervise children as old as 5.

Think Fun- HOTSPOT

Another one of my all time favorites, but let me tell you, this game is HARD! The box says 8 years and up, and its not an exaggeration. This one player game consists of a plastic game board with space holders for BOTS, which are what the color faced robots are called and a stack of game cards (varying in levels of difficulty) to instruct you on how to set up the game (solutions are on the back of the cards). The object of the game is to get the red BOT in to its designated red space holder. Here is the catch, the BOTS only move by jumping over one or two other BOTS and you cannot jump over empty spaces or jump diagonally.

Why I love this?:  This game is really challenging and also a lot of fun. Great way to keep your older child entertained, busy and problem solving. The use of strategy and logic are required to play this game. Take it on a road trip or let your kid play while you're cooking dinner.

FYI: As I mentioned before, this game is HARD, which means that as the cards increase in levels of difficulty, your children will likely need your help. Be prepared to help and even get stomped yourself occasionally. Its okay, you'll be too entertained to mind.

Hungry Monkey Motor Skills Game!

 The object of this game is for children to "feed" the hungry monkey by using plastic tweezers to pick up bananas and place them inside the monkey's mouth. .

Why I love it? Pinching tweezers helps develop intrinsic muscles in the hands and promotes fine motor skills. The game also works on eye hand coordination and requires effort, precision and concentration in order to place the bananas inside the monkey's mouth successfully. Great game for preschoolers.

Important to remember: Encourage your child to hold the tweezers with thumb, index and middle fingers (same as you would), in preparation for pencil use.

Djeco Animal Magnetics

These 2-3 piece puzzles are magnetic and are a great way to introduce young kids (2 years and up) to jigsaw puzzles. You can attach the pieces to your fridge and have your child figure out how to connect them together to create animal pictures. Your kids will have fun all while keeping busy and learning.

Why I love it?: As I had already mentioned in my previous post, working on a vertical surface like the fridge is great for increasing shoulder strength and stability which is an important prerequisite for good fine motor control later on.

 FYI:  Also great for building problem solving skills, visual perceptual skills (processing of visual information), and even fine motor skills (small muscles in the hands).

E Q U I L I B R I O

 E Q U I L I B R I O comes with a thick spiral book consisting of structures which gradually increase in difficulty. The focus of the game is to copy the structures vertically out of the blocks provided within a five minute time frame without the structures falling. The game comes in 6 levels of difficulty. The levels vary from being appropriate for kids as young as 5 to the most challenging structures which might have adults struggling. I've played this game with kindergartners and 7th graders and couldn't say who enjoyed it more. Really great toy! Also good for improving coordination and attention.

Why I love it?: I can not stress enough how much I love this construction game. It is incredibly motivating, fun and great for promoting and improving visual perceptual skills in children. Visual perception is the ability to interpret and make meaning of what we see around us. This is very different from visual acuity. A person with perfect vision may still have difficulty recognizing and understanding visual information.

FYI: Also great for improving bilateral coordination (using two sides of the body together) and attention.

Squigz!!! Yes really!

Chances are if you saw a container of Squigz in a toy store you would likely walk right past it. After all, they are weird looking, don’t light up, don’t play music, don’t talk or sing. Why should you pay attention? Well, besides being a lot of fun, they can be used to work on important developmental skills necessary for school and play.

Why I love this: Playing with Squigz by pushing the suction cups together and pulling them apart helps children develop intrinsic muscles in the hands and as a result promotes good fine motor skills.  Fine motor skills are necessary in order to write, cut, open and close buttons and zippers and much more. You can also stick these to vertical surfaces to help children strengthen and stabilize their shoulder, which is a prerequisite for a stable wrist and ultimately good fine motor control. Get as creative as you want, make up games, have competitions and enjoy. Oh and I guarantee you will love these as much as the kids. I know I do.

FYI: One thing to keep in mind is that Squigz come in different sizes. The ones I listed are recommended for ages 3 and up but they also come in large for toddlers, and tiny for kids over 5.

About

Through my experience as an occupational therapist, I’ve learned that toys, when chosen properly, can enhance a child’s cognitive, motor and sensory development. The right toys can promote mastery of important developmental skills in fun and exciting ways. Here I'll be sharing some of my favorite toys.

Cheers to playing !

Disclosure:
This blog should NOT be used as a replacement for any medical advice or therapy. If you need medical advice or suspect a problem please contact your physician. The toys I blog about here are MY favorite in MY opinion.  Not every toy will be appropriate or beneficial for every child.  Please use your judgment to decide if the toys are appropriate for an individual child. Adult supervision is always recommended. This website uses affiliate links. I only link to products that I like and find interesting and useful.