The 25 Best Sensory Toys for Kids With Special Needs

“[M]y son loved them just the same. He hates to touch anything wet or slimy feeling but he LOVED these beads. He put his hands, his feet and wanted to pour them on top of his head! I can't believe he enjoys the cold and squishy feeling. great product! I'm sure this is helping his SPD (sensory processing disorder).”

“Our son has ADHD and autism. He’s constantly moving and nothing calms him during a meltdown quite like swinging... so we put this swing up in his bedroom and he absolutely LOVES it. He has told us several times how amazing it is. He’s already spent hours in it. He was on the verge of a meltdown last night, caught himself before it started and told us he needed to go use his new swing to calm down. We couldn’t be happier!! The fabric is so soft and stretchy, and the hardware is very sturdy.”

“These entertain kids like nothing else. They are great for the four and up crowd. I find that for ADD it seems to help focus and center. All the kids play with them, from 4 - 44.”

“A Very Calming and Mesmerizing Toy- It’s Worth the Money For Me!I bought this for my 4 year old grandson who’s on the autism spectrum. It popped up when I was researching on what toys to get him!”

“I bought this for my 7 year old daughter who experiences anxiety every day. We first introduced the blanket to her at bedtime because that’s when her worry brain races. I explained that this blanket would be for the moments she needed a hug. This made it easier for me to transition out of her bed (while she is still awake!) after I tuck her in. She now calls it her “hug blanket” and claims it really makes her feel like I am giving her a hug when she needs it. It’s been perfect for our remote learning too! She is able to calm her anxiety with this blanket on her lap. She especially loves how soft the one side is.”

“This is a great toy! My 4.5yr old, 18 mo old, and 11 mo old grandchildren all played with it in different ways. The oldest made color patterns, the middle did the expected fitting in and pulling out of the holes, and the youngest was able to pull them out and grab the 'quills.' When done the pieces fit inside making it easy to store. I love Learning Resources toys they are well made and thoughtfully designed.”

“Excellent sensory toy! On the loud side so wouldn't get if its going to be used in a quiet place but definitely grabbed the attention of my autistic 10yr old son! One of his go to toys! Also appreciate the safety of this toy.. there are some toys I feel I have to watch my son closely has he plays with them just in case it bakes or he decides to miss use it.. this is NOT one of those toys!”

“I am a child psychologist with highly motivated parents on my caseload. One of my moms brought in your book with her 4 year old, who loved it. I have since bought one myself and sent one for my grandchild.. and notice other parents are using this with their kids.”

“If I could give this thing 10 stars, I would. We bought it initially for a road trip when my daughter was about 14 months old. She was interested and it kept her busy for 10-15 minutes at a time (if you're the caregiver of a young toddler you know that's like 15 years in toddler time). Now, a couple of months later, she loves it even more. She is 16 months and can buckle both buckles, zip the zippers, and do the velcro. I imagine we will get a LOT more life out of this because she has a while before she can do the snap, button, hook, and lacing parts. We keep this pillow in the diaper bag to take out to dinner with us, and it is the only thing that keeps her at the table at restaurants! LOVE IT!!”

“My two year old loves playing with this (and mommy may as well!) The shape cutouts and small stamps are great for little ones. The pens are easy to fill with water and don’t seem to leak if you close them correctly. Lots of mess free fun!”

“My son is autistic, he has days where he is so overwhelmed and extremely anxious. This seriously has helped him in so many ways. He has stopped hurting himself as much since we started using this and his chewing aid. I looked for this since his Occupational Therapist used something similar but this is 100 times better!! He can stay using this up to an hour each time he grabs it. It really relaxes him and gives him that deep pressure he needs. I’d definitely buy it again!”

“I bought these from my teenage autistic nephews. They both love them and each one keeps one in his room. They like the texture of this and enjoy putting their hand against it. It’s a good toy for anyone prone to sensory overload.”

“I bought these for my 9 year old with autism and sensory processing disorder. He is an extreme chewer, and we’ve gone through quite a bit of chewelry over the years. That being said, I was really happy with these chew necklaces! They are very durable... he wasn’t able to make a dent in one for almost 2 months! We still have 2 of them, and he uses them all the time.”

“Delightful - this was a hit. My niece just turned 3 about a month ago, but I feel like this would be good for older kids, too. I liked how the tent pops right up (and then you have to put the rods in of course). It was easy to put together and very quick. The flap door is easy to put up and take down from the outside. You can't tell from the picture, but there are two mesh windows on either side, so it is easy to peek in from the outside without having to lift the flap if it is down.”

“A favorite manipulative. Have used magna-tiles in my classroom for years. A favorite of the children. Allow for creative play and provide preschool children insight into how magnets work.”

“I am a trained Montessori teacher, and this would be completely appropriate to use in a Montessori classroom. It is a very simple concept, but very appealing to my kids, neither of whom have autism or speech therapy needs. We played together and then my 21-month-old spent a good bit of time on her own playing with the Velcro and talking about the different animals. My 4 year old son enjoyed taking turns with his sister, with me guiding the turn-taking.”

“I bought this ball for a student who has severe hyperactivity and sensory issues to help him focus in class. It seems to help him release excess energy and he likes the feel of it in his hand. I bought the StringyBall over other balls because of the string. I know from experience how easily fidget toys can be "accidentally" dropped or thrown. So far, the string has prevented this, and has provided him with another way to interact with the ball.”

“Not often when I open a box from Amazon my eyes well up with tears. I bought these Fidget Toys for my granddaughter who has a rare genetic disorder. She is 2 1/2 and doesn't "play" with toys like other kids do but she loves to feel things and hold things in her hands so I bought these and they are wonderful! But what really impressed me is that this company put into the box a beautiful bag to keep the fidgets in and THE cutest little note cards too. There was one that said "Be unique...It's ok to be different" with darling unicorns. How KIND is the company? Honestly IT IS the little things that make THE BIGGEST difference. 100% would order from this company again! Thank you for making my day!”

“I have two ADHD kids. During school they utilize fidget things provided there. Virtual learning was hard for them in the spring and our school announced they'd be starting this year virtually too, so we needed more fidget things at home. This has at least two of everything, which is exactly what I needed so they don't fight over stuff.”

“My 9 year old son likes hearing the noises of sand in his hands… My kids are 9 and 6-they’ve outgrown play doh and the kinetic sand seems like a good sensorial replacement!”

“Best thing that I have bought for my ASD child. He loves it along with the other three kids. Wish I had room for three more so they could all have their own. Works great for calming them down and getting the wiggles out.”

“Beautiful spinner. This spinner has a great feel and is quiet and smooth spinning.”

“I originally bought this for my 6 year old son who has ADHD. His teacher recommended getting putty and since this had everything from firm to very soft I went with this one. Well... I also have ADHD and I once I tried it out I didn’t put it down. I pulled off a small ball and carried it with me everywhere. It’s very therapeutic.”

“I bought this as a fidget for my 10 year old with autism. He loves it!! He plays with it all the time. Anyone who picks it up loves it. It’s interesting and relaxing!! Has held up to his very rigorous play for a few months now-which is impressive.”

“I am a karate instructor, and I use these in my preschool and youth classes for balance and kicking exercises. They have proven to be an excellent proprioceptive progression from the balance buckets and balance beam the kids have become accustomed to . On top of that, they are colorful and interesting. My students were excited to see them and give them a try. Their open-ended nature makes them easy to get creative with. I put them on a blue mat with a couple of alligator stuffed animals and challenged the kids to use their balancing skills to cross “alligator river.” The fact that they are light and portable is also great.”