December is Safe Toy and Gift Month, making it the perfect time to choose holiday presents that are not only fun but also support your child’s growth, development, and confidence.
To help make shopping easier, our Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), Speech Therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) providers hand-selected their favorite toys. These toys develop important skills through play while maintaining safety and age appropriateness.
Below, you’ll find our curated list along with affiliate links for toys available on Amazon. If you choose to purchase through our links, a small portion of the sale supports our programs at no additional cost to you.
Occupational Therapy (OT) Toy Recommendations
Perfect for building fine motor skills, hand strength, bilateral coordination, sensory exploration, and early pre-writing skills.
1. Kinetic Sand Kit – Great for sensory play and hand strengthening. [Click Here]
2. Therapy Putty – Supports hand strength, finger dexterity, and grip development. [Click Here]
3. Pop Beads – Encourages bilateral coordination and hand-eye precision while creating fun bead chains. [Click Here]
4. Lacing Beads or Lacing Board – Promotes fine motor control, sequencing, and attention. [Click Here]
5. Nuts & Bolts Builder Set – Improves grasp strength and problem-solving skills. [Click Here]
Physical Therapy (PT) Toy Recommendations
These toys help develop balance, coordination, gross motor strength, motor planning, and active play.
1. Stomp Rocket – Jumping + aiming = a great blend of power and coordination. [Click Here]
2. Obstacle Course Cones – Create endless indoor or outdoor movement challenges. [Click Here]
3. Floor Dots / Agility Spots – Perfect for agility drills, balance practice, and direction following.
[Click Here]
4. Ball Toss & Catch Set – Boosts hand-eye coordination and bilateral skills. [Click Here]
5. Ride-On Scooter – Strengthens core muscles, coordination, and balance. [Click Here]
Speech Therapy Toy Recommendations
Great for developing expressive language, vocabulary, pretend play, and early communication skills.
1. Farm Animal Set – Perfect for labeling, sound imitation, and storytelling. [Click Here]
2. Food Play Set – Encourages pretend play, vocabulary development, and social interaction. [Click Here]
3. Magnetic Story Tiles – Supports sequencing, language expansion, and creativity. [Click Here]
4. Mr. Potato Head – A classic for teaching body parts, directions, and turn-taking. [Click Here]
5. First Words Picture Cards – Ideal for early vocabulary and articulation practice. [Click Here]
ABA Toy Recommendations
These toys promote social skills, imitation, cause-and-effect learning, pretend play, and cognitive development through structured, fun activities.
1. Musical Instrument Set – Great for imitation, rhythm, creativity, problem solving, and sensory regulation. [Click Here]
2. Doctor Kit – Supports pretend play, desensitization, and role-playing skills. [Click Here]
3. Marble Run – Instant cause-and-effect fun and a great way to practice following directions.
[Click Here]
4. Two-Piece Matching Puzzles – Builds early matching, visual discrimination, and problem-solving skills. [Click Here]
5. Baby Doll Set – Encourages nurturing play, daily routine imitation, and social-emotional skills. [Click Here]
Safe Toy Tips for the Holidays
When choosing toys this season, keep these tips in mind:
- Select age-appropriate toys with clearly labeled safety information.
- Avoid small pieces for children under age 3.
- Look for toys made from non-toxic materials.
- Make sure ride-on toys are used with supervision and safety gear.
- Check toys regularly for wear or damage.
Happy Holidays from TES!
We hope this guide helps make your holiday shopping easier and supports meaningful play throughout the season. Safe, skill-building toys can spark joy while helping your child grow in ways that last far beyond the holidays.