Thoughtful Gifts for Kids with Autism

The classic pin art game set by ArtCreativity comes with two boards: One large creative pin board measuring 5” x 7” and a smaller 3.5” x 5” pin art board. You receive 2 incredibly fun games for adults and kids to makes for hours of sheer bliss. This classic time-honored game is one of the best creative thinking toys out there, requiring you to create 3D designs by manipulating the metal pins. The kids will hone their creativity and focus by coming up with as many designs as they can think up.

The classic pin art game set by ArtCreativity comes with two boards: One large creative pin board measuring 5” x 7” and a smaller 3.5” x 5” pin art board. You receive 2 incredibly fun games for adults and kids to makes for hours of sheer bliss. This classic time-honored game is one of the best creative thinking toys out there, requiring you to create 3D designs by manipulating the metal pins. The kids will hone their creativity and focus by coming up with as many designs as they can think up.

Play-Doh is a childhood staple that is ideal for autistic kids. Its tried-and-true formula allows children to bend, mold, squish, and cut it into whatever they’d like, encouraging them to explore and create freely with their hands. Plus, its soft texture, bold colors, and distinct scent make for a pleasant sensory experience, according to behavioral interventionist Susan Kim. This Play-Doh Fun Factory Deluxe Set has everything a child needs for playtime. It comes with six cans of Play-Doh and loads of accessories, all of which help strengthen fine motor skills. Although it’s made of non-toxic ingredients, Play-Doh does contain wheat, which may make it unsafe for autistic kids who follow a gluten-free diet.

A sensory swing may be helpful for an autistic child in a variety of ways. First, it may cater to their desire to sway their body as a form of stimming to help reduce anxiety. It may also stimulate the structures in the inner ear, which can be regulating for a child who has a hypo-reactive vestibular system.3 The Harkla Sensory Swing can also be used as an acrobatic toy of sorts, helping a child learn to balance and build their strength. This swing also has a unique ability to provide a sense of calm. When sitting inside, it can be folded around the child to create a cocoon-like structure, which can be an incredibly soothing sensory experience. To install the swing, you’ll need a high-quality stud finder and some basic tools. As a bonus, every purchase of this swing provides funding for the University of Washington Autism Center on Human Development & Disability, which offers therapy for autistic kids, conducts research, and trains parents and caregivers.

We like the Bmag Counting Bears sorting activity for a number of reasons. First, it can appeal to autistic kids’ natural interests as they often prefer to line up their toys or sort them by color and shape.4 Second, sorting activities like these Counting Bears promote categorizing, which is not only educational, but can also be soothing for some kids with autism.5. We also like that this game comes with two large tweezers so it can be played independently or alongside a parent, sibling, or friend. Plus, all of the pieces fit in a carrying case with handles, which makes this activity easy to put away. Our only complaint is that the little bears can be a choking hazard, so parents and caregivers will need to monitor their child and younger siblings when it’s in use.

According to Dr. Abelowitz, having a weighted stuffed animal that autistic kids can hold, cuddle, or squeeze may help redirect stimming behaviors and provide a calming effect. While there are lots of weighted stuffed animals available today, we like Pillowfort’s Character Weighted Plush Throw Pillow the best for several reasons. First, we like that it’s made with sensory-friendly fabric that won’t itch or irritate skin, which is especially important for autistic kids. We also like that its fabric is STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX certified, which means it’s been tested against more than 350 harmful chemicals. However, the blend of polyester and spandex tends to show stains easily. If your plush gets dirty, you can either spot-treat it with a gentle detergent or a stain removal pen.

This wooden train set has everything your child needs to expand their imagination. The trains and accessories connect together by magnets, which is great for autistic children who enjoy lining things up. In doing so, they learn cause and effect while also working on their fine motor skills. This set comes with 100 wooden tracks and supports, as well as 30 train pieces and accessories, including trees, traffic signs, and people. It even comes with a magnetic crane that can be used to pick up cargo from the various trains. However, to keep the tracks intact, parents and caregivers may want to consider purchasing a Melissa & Doug Multi-Activity Table, which is sold separately at Amazon for $195.

This KidKraft Wooden Farm-to-Table Kitchen offers a variety of opportunities for sensory and imaginative play. In addition to a pretend herb garden stocked with colorful vegetables, we love that it has a chalkboard on which kids can write their menu for the day. However, our favorite part about this kitchen is the realistic features, like the faucet that makes running water sounds and the ice machine that dispenses pretend ice cubes. While using one of the 18 accessories that come with this kitchen (including pots and pans for cooking a favorite meal), children can engage in pretend play, which is directly linked to higher social-cognitive and social-emotional skills.

This KidKraft Wooden Farm-to-Table Kitchen offers a variety of opportunities for sensory and imaginative play. In addition to a pretend herb garden stocked with colorful vegetables, we love that it has a chalkboard on which kids can write their menu for the day. However, our favorite part about this kitchen is the realistic features, like the faucet that makes running water sounds and the ice machine that dispenses pretend ice cubes. While using one of the 18 accessories that come with this kitchen (including pots and pans for cooking a favorite meal), children can engage in pretend play, which is directly linked to higher social-cognitive and social-emotional skills.

If your autistic child chews on objects as a form of stimming, these necklaces are an easy and convenient way to redirect their behavior. Made from 100% food-grade silicone, these necklaces are safe for kids to put in their mouths, but only if they’re at least 5 years old. Parents and caregivers can also rest assured knowing they’re giving their child a product that’s free of BPA, latex, phthalates, lead, and metals. It’s important to remember that children should always be supervised by an adult when chewing on a foreign object—even if it’s meant to be chewed on, like this necklace. To prevent accidental choking, each necklace has a safety clasp that can easily be pulled in the case of an emergency. This set comes with three necklaces, each in its own pastel shade.

Young autistic children are often drawn to objects and toys that spin.7 The ArtCreativity Light Up Magic Ball is a toy that caters to this interest and is small enough to be taken anywhere. It’s about the size of a small flashlight, making it the perfect companion for car rides or doctor’s appointments. Its spinning motion and colorful lights draw children in with a mesmerizing effect. The Light Up Magic Ball uses light-emitting diodes (LED) to create its kaleidoscope-like display, which may have a calming effect on an autistic child.8 The Light Up Magic Ball comes with three AAA batteries and is ready to be used right out of the box.

Since loud and sudden noises can be overstimulating for autistic children, the Edushape Twirly Whirly is a great alternative to traditional musical instruments. When turned upside down, a collection of tiny, multi-color balls make their way through the tube, creating a gentle, rainstick-like sound. This soothing sensory experience can help calm an autistic child in overwhelming or stressful situations. As each ball makes its way down the tube, it goes through various obstacles before collecting at the bottom. This is not only entertaining to watch, but it can also cater to an autistic child’s desire to focus on items that fall or spin.

This spelling puzzle provides a fun and engaging way to work on verbal and communication skills. It comes with eight two-sided boards that display three-to-four-letter words and an accompanying picture. This combination can help children in a variety of ways, including letter and object identification as well as spelling. “I like that this puzzle involves placing the individual letters because you can work on fine motor skills as well as verbal sequencing,” says Hughes. This entire puzzle is made from wood and comes enclosed in a sturdy wooden case.

Water play is a fun outdoor activity for autistic kids of all ages. It provides a cool, soothing sensory experience and allows them to be creative and play with others. Rather than inflating a pool, parents and caregivers can simply fill up the Step2 Water Table with water, and it’s ready to go. This water table is a great backyard addition because it doesn’t take up much room and is easy to set up.

This toy can be used by autistic children as young as 18 months old and is educational in a variety of ways. As they learn to place the pegs into the hedgehog’s back, kids can strengthen their fine motor skills while identifying the number listed on each hole. This toy also helps with counting and color recognition. Since the pegs vary in color, kids can identify and name the color when placing the peg. And as children learn to count, they can identify the number of pegs or sort them by color. When it’s time to clean up, the pegs stack neatly inside the hedgehog’s removable shell.