Sensory and Fine Motor Gifts

🎄 SENSORY-FRIENDLY GIFT IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Looking for gifts that are fun and support sensory, fine motor, and/or emotional regulation? Here's a bright, cheerful list of tactile and movement-based toys your child or teen might love this season. Not only will these toys delight your child, they're approved by our AspireSpeech team to help with your child's sensory needs and fine motor skill development.

Perfect for hands-on fun, fine-motor strengthening, and calming sensory play.

Tactile (Touch)Tools

1. CanDo Antimicrobial Theraputty (Flaghouse) Available from 2 oz all the way up to 5 lbs and in consistencies from xx-soft to xx-firm! Great for building hand strength while offering a super satisfying tactile squeeze.

   
   

2. Seahorse Textured Fidget (fdmt.ca) Slide the seahorses through the coral for a soothing, stress-relieving activity! The textures help develop fine motor skills and increase attention - plus they're just cute and fun to squish!

   
   

3. Textured Sensory Sticks (Amazon) These bendy, twisty sticks help redirect restless energy—great for kids who chew shirts or bite nails. Repetitive motion = calm minds and improved focus.

   
   

4. Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set (Amazon) A playful way to build the muscles needed for writing! Pinching, scooping, and grabbing tools make fine-motor practice feel like a game.

   
   

5. Critter Clinic Playset (Walmart) Four rooms, four animals, matching keys, and endless pretend-play fun! Great for fine-motor development (unlocking, sorting), visual tracking, and even empathy building.

   
   

6. Fill & Spill Piñata (Amazon) Lift, pinch, pull, and explore! This toy boosts pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination, and other fine-motor skills through irresistible “fill and spill” play.

   

7. Fluid-Filled Medicine Balls (Amazon) Super squishy, heavy, and calming! These durable balls mold to your hands for deep-pressure (proprioceptive) input, making them amazing for focus, hand strengthening, or a relaxing tactile massage. Throw or push these balls back and forth for added proprioceoptive input, which can also increase one's body awareness.

   
   

8. Play-Doh (Walmart) A classic for a reason! Great for creativity and sensory regulation—squeeze, roll, chop, and shape to build hand strength, reduce stress, and support focus.

   
   

9. Kinetic Sand (Walmart) Feels like wet sand but never dries out! Mold it, crumble it, let it flow—perfect for calming tactile play and easy cleanup.

   
   

10. Sensory Bins (Walmart) Scoop, pour, dig, count, sort—endless open-ended play! Add sand, beads, pom poms, figurines, or tongs to encourage fine-motor skills, story-building, and cognitive growth.

    
    

11. Textured Silicone Chime Balls (6m+) (Mindsalive)Three colorful silicone spheres with unique textures and gentle hidden chimes—great for tactile exploration, early fine-motor skills, and cause-and-effect learning.

    
    

12. Battat 3-Car Garage (2+) (Mindsalive)A portable, colorful playset with shape-matching keys, chunky cars, and a fun ramp drop! Builds fine-motor skills, hand strength, and imaginative play anywhere.

VisualTools

For kids who love soothing lights, color changes, and calming visuals.

1. Hand2Mind ColorMix Sensory Tubes (Set of 3) (FlagHouse) Portable visual calmers that help kids regulate emotions and settle their minds on the go.

   
   

2. Kaleidoscope Light Show (FlagHouse) Lights that change colors and fill the room with magic—great for visual stimulation and a cozy sensory corner.

   
   

3. Fiber Optic Light Lamp (Amazon) Soft, color-changing strands create a calming visual glow—perfect for bedrooms or sensory spaces.

   
   

4. Liquid Motion / Sensory Tubes (Amazon) Watch, track, breathe—these tubes offer calming visual input to support self-regulation.

   
   

5. “Express Your Feelings” Sensory Bottles (Mindsalive) Kids can shake, swirl, and explore each bottle to help name feelings, release built-up energy, and find calm in a quiet, self-directed way.

Auditory and Proprioceptive Tools

Great for kids who benefit from sound control or deep pressure input.

1. Noise-Reducing Headphones (Amazon) Reduce overwhelming sounds and create a calmer listening environment at home, school, or in the community.

   
   

2. Sound Machine (Amazon) Provides steady, soothing background noise to support relaxation, focus, and sensory comfort.

   
   

3. Rainmakers (fdmt.ca) Colorful tubes that produce gentle rain sounds—both visually and auditorily calming.

   
   

4. Therapressure Brush (Amazon) A tool designed to provide deep-pressure input to help reduce sensory defensiveness (used under guidance from an OT).

   
   

5. Sensory Body Socks (Amazon) Stretch, push, curl, and hide! Full-body deep pressure that boosts body awareness and offers a calming, secure feeling.

   
   

6. Sensory Swing (Amazon) A cozy fabric “cocoon” that provides deep pressure and movement input—great for calming, emotional regulation, and building coordination.

   
   

7. Weighted Vest (Amazon) Provides deep, grounding pressure to support focus and self-regulation throughout the day.

Vestibular (Movement and Balance) Tools

Equipment that helps your child move and increase strength and balance while having fun!

1. Rocking Bowl (fdmt.ca) Sit inside and spin or rock to build balance and core strength! Flip it over to use as a stretching or standing balance platform.

   
   

2. Bouncing Balance Board (fdmt.ca) Jump, bounce, wiggle—and then focus! Helps with motor development and provides an energy outlet for kids who need movement to concentrate.

   
   

3. Universal Bouncy Band (for chairs) (fdmt.ca) A quiet, school-friendly way to let kids bounce their feet and release energy while staying on task. Easy to attach with Velcro straps and great for homework time.

   
   

4. Seesaw Balance Board (fdmt.ca) A curved, colorful board that invites kids (and adults!) to rock, balance, and move their bodies. It helps build coordination, motor skills, and focus — and can even be used to guide balls through grooves for extra calming, sensory-rich play at home, school, or in therapy.

   

5. Sensory Swivel Chair (Amazon) A kid-friendly chair that spins smoothly in 360° and sometimes gently wobbles or rocks. This provides comforting vestibular input that supports balance, coordination, core strength, and attention — all while giving kids a fun, movement-based way to stay regulated.

   
   

6. Peanut-Shaped Yoga Ball (Amazon) A therapy-ball favourite! This peanut-style ball has a stable “saddle” in the center, offering deep pressure and secure balance work. Kids can sit, rock, or lean to strengthen their core, calm anxiety, improve focus, and enjoy safe, sensory-seeking movement.

   
   

7. Active Movement Seating (Amazon) Special seating designed to allow continuous, subtle movement — perfect for kids who need to wiggle to stay engaged. Encourages better posture, strengthens core muscles, and supports focus for those with sensory needs like ADHD or autism.

   
   

8. Twisting Active Seat (fdmt.ca) This energetic seat twists up to 120° so kids can release extra energy while staying seated. Use it on the floor or on top of a chair — either way, it offers movement input that helps improve attention and regulation.

   
   

Disclaimer: We only recommend products and services that we use and believe will help your child. We do not receive any compensation or benefits from any of the links mentioned in this post.