Favorite no mess sensory toys to help children focus and deal with stress. Simple toys you can carry anywhere plus a couple to keep at home.
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No Mess Sensory Toys for Anxious and Fidgety Children
These sensory fidget toys can work wonders for anxious children as well as children who struggle to pay attention or sit still. Today I’m featuring some of our favorites. As you’ll see, most of them are portable, but some of them (like the seat cushion) will probably stay home.
How to sensory toys work?
Sensory toys “work” because they engage our senses. And, as they engage our senses, they engage our thinking brains. This calms emotions and helps us to focus.
How do I Choose a Sensory Toy?
First of all, pay attention to your child’s preferences. Do they prefer soft textures? Stretchy textures? Prickly textures? Factoring in favorite colors also helps!
My own children have some sensory toys that are available to them all the time, and others that I keep for special occasions when I need that little bit of extra pull that novelty offers to keep their attention or help them calm down.
Are Sensory Toys Just for Kids?
Anybody can benefit from a sensory toy, especially a no-mess sensory toy! Start paying attention when you walk into offices, and I bet you’ll find a few lying around.
You’re never too old to calm down a little, and we all need a moment to destress from time to time.
More Sensory Resources
Here are a few extra sensory resources that might help you:
- Sensory integration books for educators and families. These are books that I find especially helpful.
- 8 sensory play activities kids love. These are the sensory play activities that my children come back to over and over.
- Sewing tutorial to make a weighted sensory blanket. These days you can buy weighted blankets on Amazon. There are also several sellers on Etsy, and weighted blankets have become so popular that you can even buy them at Target. But if you want to make one, I have a tutorial I created years ago, when they were hard to find.
- Sensory friendly shoes. My kids will only wear shoes that they feel comfortable in, but there is also evidence that sensory friendly shoes help kids’ brains!
- Sensory friendly Halloween costumes for kids. Halloween is so much more fun when children feel comfortable in their costumes!
What are your favorite no-mess sensory toys for children?
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