These occupational therapy toys and physical therapy toys are all you need to create tons of fun and engaging activities for kids.
There’s something magical about opening up your therapy bag at the start of a session — like a Mary Poppins bag – full of fun, movement, and skill-building opportunities.
Whether you’re a school-based OT, a traveling PT, or an SLP who’s always on the go, having the right tools at your fingertips can make sessions more engaging, productive, and adaptable.
The best therapy bag items are the ones that work across settings, target multiple skill areas, and spark instant smiles. This school year, we’re sharing our favorite tried-and-true tools — the ones that always earn a “Can we do that again?!” from kids.
To make this list, each therapy toy or material had to be:
-Compact enough for an on-the-go therapist to throw them in their therapy bag or the trunk of their car
-Versatile, and able to be used in many ways to create new and exciting activities
-Durable enough to be used over many sessions
This year’s Favorite Therapy Toys and Materials
Rocket Balloons
These colorful balloons shoot through the air with a fun “whoosh,” making them an instant kid favorite. But beyond the giggles, they’re perfect for promoting visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, core strength and bilateral coordination (blowing them up is a workout!).
Use them for turn-taking, counting, practicing gross motor actions as you move to retrieve them or even incorporating movement breaks into academic tasks. Bonus: they pack flat in your therapy bag, so you can bring them anywhere!
Laser Distance Measure
Say goodbye to those clunky measuring wheels you’re always tracking down from the PE teacher’s closet! This pocket-sized gadget is a total game-changer for school-based PTs.
With just the push of a button, you can measure distances for walking, running, jumping obstacle courses, and other fitness activities — no squeaky wheels, no awkward storage, and no wasted time. Small enough to slip into your therapy bag but powerful enough to handle all your measuring needs, it’s one of those “once you have it, you’ll never go back” tools!
Dry Erase Pouches
Don’t miss out on these therapy gems! Skip the endless laminating (and the pile of scrap lamination film) and slide your worksheets right into these reusable dry erase pockets instead.
Perfect for handwriting practice, mazes, tracing, or visual motor activities, they make it easy to switch out papers in seconds and use them over and over again. Plus, kids love the novelty of writing with dry erase markers — which means more engagement and less prep for you!
Magnetic Cube Blocks
One of our absolute best-sellers (and for good reason)! These colorful, click-together cubes are endlessly versatile — perfect for building towers, practicing fine motor skills, sorting by color, or sneaking in some early math concepts.
Therapists and teachers love them because kids stay engaged while working on important developmental skills… and they hold up to tons of use year after year!
Invisible Ink Pens
Ready to make handwriting and drawing practice way more exciting? These invisible ink pens are pure magic for kids and have quickly become one of our favorite therapy toys! Write or draw your secret message, then reveal it with the special light on the pen cap.
They’re perfect for motivating reluctant writers, adding a fun twist to therapy sessions, or creating silly secret notes with friends. Guaranteed giggles and engagement every time!
Pluffle
Another one of our all-time favorite therapy toys! We’ve officially fallen in love with this mesmerizing sensory bin filler! It looks like it’s alive as it flows and shifts in your hands. Kids can squish it, squeeze it, scoop it, and pour it for endless sensory play fun.
The soft, fluffy texture and hypnotic movement make it irresistible—and perfect for calming, engaging activities in therapy or at home!
Alphabet Puzzle
This bright and cheerful puzzle is a total crowd-pleaser—and a top pick from Amazon! Not only does it help kids learn their ABCs, but each letter has a groove that’s perfect for finger tracing or using a dry erase marker.
It’s a fun, hands-on way to build letter recognition, fine motor skills, and pre-writing abilities all in one!
Little Kid Scissors
Our go-to pick for little hands learning how to snip and cut! ✂️ These beginner-friendly scissors are perfectly sized for young kids and designed to help them build confidence while practicing early cutting skills.
Ideal for crafts, fine motor activities, and those first “I can do it myself!” moments!
Easy Squeeze Hole Punch
Say goodbye to those stiff, frustrating metal hole punches! 🙌 This easy-to-squeeze version is a game-changer for both kids and adults, making it perfect for building hand strength while creating fun projects.
Lightweight, comfortable, and satisfying to use—your hands will thank you!
Your therapy bag is more than just a collection of supplies — it’s a mobile toolkit for building skills, confidence, and connection!
Choosing items that are versatile, motivating, and easy to transport means you’ll be ready for anything a session throws your way (and let’s be honest… there’s always a surprise or two). Here’s to a school year full of growth and creativity!
Looking for more fun therapy supplies? Check out our previous years’ therapy bag must-haves!
