Here are our top therapy toys and tools for kids, along with tons of ideas for how to play with each of them to build developmental skills!
One of the best things about our job as therapists is finding creative ways to use basic therapy toys and materials to promote developmental skills for the kids in our therapy practice. And then, we get the added perk of being able to share all of our favorite ways to play with these therapy toys with all of you!
We know that many of you work in settings where you may not have access to the latest and greatest pieces of equipment. We also know that school and clinic budgets can be tight and that many of you end up spending out of your own pocket to make sure you have engaging tools and toys in your therapy bag to keep things fresh and exciting for the kiddos on your caseload.
That’s why we’re excited to share this huge list of therapy toys and tools for kids that we’ve compiled over the years. This is a list of our hardest working therapy toys – the ones we find ourselves coming back to time and time again because they can be used in so many different ways. And there are plenty of options on here that won’t break the bank!
And, this time around, we’re doing more than just sharing a list of links to toys. We’re also sharing all of our best tried and true ways of actually putting these therapy toys to use! This way, as soon as you have the toy or tool in your hands, you’re ready to hit the ground running with lots of great play ideas in mind.
Check out the list and click through to find our most creative play ideas using each toy.
Our Top Therapy Toys and Tools for Kids
1 || Body Sock
Check out these fun ideas for how to use a body sock with kids.
2 || Scarves
These scarf activities for kids are great for building all kinds of skills.
3 || Yoga Mat
A yoga mat is good for more than just practicing a set of poses! These simple yoga mat activities will help you get the most bang for your buck with this simple tool.
4 || Foam Roller
These fun ways to use a foam roller with kids will have you thinking outside the box about how to use this piece of therapy equipment!
5 || Scooters
One of our all-time favorites! We use scooters almost every day at The Treehouse and we’re sharing our 10 favorite scooter activities here.
6 || Board Games
Click through to see this great list of board games that can be turned into handwriting games! So many fun new ideas to keep handwriting interesting for kiddos!
7 || BoomWhackers
If you don’t already have a set of these fun musical toys, now’s the time. Not sure how to use them? Check out these 10 fun ways to play with BoomWhackers!
8 || Barnyard Buzzers
The possibilities are endless for how to incorporate these simple little buzzers into gross motor, visual motor, and auditory play! Check out our Barnyard Buzzers activity ideas here!
9 || Wikki Stix
This one is a therapy classic, but with so many fun ways to play with Wikki Stix, we couldn’t leave it off the list!
10 || Lummi Sticks
Lummi Sticks are an effective toy for working on balance, body awareness, strengthening, hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination and more! Here are 10 fun ways to play with Lummi Sticks.
11 || Dot Markers
Another preschool classroom and therapy room staple, these little gems are a must-have for teachers and therapists. You’ll love these 10 fun ways to play with dot markers.
12 || Foam Wedge
Sometimes the very best therapy tools are the most simple. And, often, an entire therapy session can be designed around one single piece of equipment! That’s definitely true with this one. Here are 9 ways to use a foam wedge in therapy.
13 || Tongs
Activities using tongs are great for helping kids develop the strength and coordination they need in the small muscles of the hands – the muscles responsible for cutting with scissors, grasping a pencil, and writing. We love these fun ways to play with tongs.
14 || Bubbles
We challenge you to find a therapy clinic that doesn’t have at least one bottle of bubbles in nearly constant use throughout the day. That’s because they can be used to promote so many developmental skills and because nearly every kiddo loves them. Here are 10 ways to play with bubbles.
15 || Squigz
At The Treehouse, Squigz are one of the very hardest working therapy toys on this list. We have them out during almost every single play group because they’re so fun and versatile. Today, we’re sharing 15 ways to play with Squigz.
16 || Zoom Ball
Kids see it as a football that zooms through the air on two strings – a fun and fast game. As therapists, we see it as a prop for encouraging tons of developmental skills like balance, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, and strength. Here are some fun ways to play with Zoom Ball.
17 || Connect A Band
So many options with this novel play prop! You can use this to work on strengthening, building social skills, proprioception, motor planning, balance and more! Check out these fun ways to play with a Connect A Band!
18 || Hula Hoops
This one might seem like second nature, but we needed to share these 10 creative games with hula hoops because it is one of our most-read posts here at The Inspired Treehouse. We figured some of you must be interested in reading more!
19 || Play Dough
Another standby here. Next to our Squigz and scooters, play dough is probably the most-used “toy” during therapy sessions and during our play groups at The Treehouse! We love these 9 play dough activities for kids!
20 || Balls
And last, but certainly not least…what list of therapy toys would be complete without mentioning balls? Click the link above to see all of our most favorite ball choices to practice kicking, throwing, and catching!
What do you think? Which ones are your favorites? Which are new to you? Leave us a comment below!
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