Sensory toys engage children both cognitively and physically by stimulating their senses.
Touch, smell, sight, sound and taste.
When children play, they learn, and toys are a great aid in this process.
Plus, they distract the little monsters so you can get the dishes done, fold some laundry, or just have a second to yourself.
Not all toys are created equal and I’m sure you’ve noticed this with your own child.
Some toys are played with again and again while others are used for ten minutes, lost and forgotten. Never to be played with again.
No one wants to waste money on something that doesn’t get used. So, “Which toys will my child play with the most?” is a common question that runs through a parents mind when they shop for their child.
I can tell you, of all the toys my daughter plays with her sensory toys keep her attention the longest and are requested almost daily.
Whether it’s their birthday or Christmas, these 30 fun sensory toys will make great gifts for toddlers.
30 Fun Sensory Toys Toddlers Love
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Crayola Touch Light Doodle
The Crayola Touch Light Doodle is a portable doodle pad that lights up and plays music with 12 colors and 6 songs.
The doodle pads size and mess free technology makes it a great sensory toy to keep your toddler entertained in the car.
Busy Board
This sensory board will keep your toddler busy for hours.
With locks, latches, gears and switches there is just so much for your little one to explore.
Pop Tubes
Don’t judge me, but there is just something so utterly satisfying about pushing together and pulling these pop tubes apart.
I didn’t realize until I was looking for sensory toys for this post that I have actually played with one of these before.
I was babysitting for a family once and they had one and I thought it was a broken part to a vacuum or something.
They may be odd but they are definitely entertaining.
They just made their way onto Alexa’s Christmas list. I’ll be sure to let you know who gets more enjoyment out of them. 😂
A small warning though. They do make a a snapping noise that some may find a little annoying.
Quiet Felt Busy Book
These busy books are soft, stimulate the senses, and are super interactive.
They’re a nice quiet activity that will keep your toddler entertained.
Water Beads
Water beads are probably the coolest sensory toys out there right now.
When I heard about them I ordered them almost immediately. Sorry, I’m a sensory toy nut.
Water beads come as tiny hard colorful beads. Then you add water and they grow to the size of a marble.
They’re cool, wet, squishy and bouncy.
Water beads are the ultimate sensory toy for toddlers.
The only downside is they take 12 hours to get to full size so it’s best to make them at night for play in the morning.
Also they’re only good for about two days because of bacteria growth, but they’re cheap and a bag will last you a long time.
Just a few tablespoons of dry beads fills small sensory bins once they’ve grown to full size.
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Stretchy Strings
Stretchy String fidget toys help kids calm anxiety and focus.
They can be made into different shapes, numbers and letters and also help kids learn their colors.
Sensory Box
This sensory box comes with 10 sensory boards for toddlers to explore and develop tactile perception, logical thinking, and fine motor skills.
Button Art
Button art helps develop your child’s hand-eye coordination and cognitive ability, and expands his imagination creating and designing unique patterns.
Rock Blocks
Balancing blocks allows children to build freely and creatively, letting the wonder of imagination run wild.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Latches Board
The Melissa & Doug Wooden Latches Board is an entertaining and educational activity play board that helps kids build dexterity as they navigate latches that hook, snap, click, and slide.
Play Doh
Play Doh is a staple sensory activity for toddlers.
I got Alexa the Buzz and Cut Play Doh Set and we love it. Whenever the Play Doh hair comes out she can’t help but laugh.
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Slime
The first time I got slime for Alexa she played with it at the counter for an hour straight.
The only down side with slime is it can get messy. I cover her chair with a towel, pull her hair up in a pony tail and only let her wear play clothes when she’s using it.
Water Doodle Drawing Mat
This Water Doodle Drawing Mat is huge and it’s mess free with water pens!
Any little artist in your family will love it.
Water Tables
Water tables provide hours of fun sensory play for toddlers.
If your little one loves bath time you can keep the water play fun going all day with a water table.
Teeter Popper
The Teeter Popper is a sensory balance board with suction cups on its bottom.
Kids can rock it, roll it, sit on it, and stand. The suction cups will pop as your child plays.
Kinetic Sand
If your toddler likes Play Doh and Slime, they’re going to love Kinetic Sand.
Kinetic sand feels like sand and molds like Play Doh.
This is another one that keeps Alexa busy for at least an hour.
Skoolzy Peg Board
This toddler stacking set is great for building fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, develop and strengthen visual perception skills, visual motor coordination, making patterns & more!
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Magnetic Building Blocks
Magnetic building blocks are great for toddlers who love to build.
They come and many bright colors and can be made into a house, animals, shapes and more.
Buster Square
The buster square buckle toy is another sensory toy that’s perfect for keeping your toddler occupied in the car.
6 child friendly buckles in a variety of clasp styles helps your toddlers develop fine motor skills, cognitive skills and hand eye coordination.
Wooden Lacing Apple
With this wooden apple toy your toddler can help the string attached caterpillar munch through the delicious red apple while they develop fine motor skills.
Platform Tree Swing
Get your kids playing outside with this Platform Tree Swing.
Swinging stimulates parts of the brain that are pathways for skills like spatial awareness, balance, muscle control, and rhythm.
Ball Pit Tent
If you have the room for it your toddler will find hours of active sensory play in this ball pit tent.
Even if you don’t have the room to leave it out the play tent folds up for easy storage.
Mega Bloks
Old fashion Mega Bloks are another staple sensory toy that will never go out of style.
We’ve had Mega Bloks for a while and Alexa is just finally starting to have interest with them now at two and a half.
She’ll sit for forever building towers and running into the kitchen to show me what’s she’s made.
Sit N’ Spin
Another classic.
Remember when you discovered how to sit, spin, and giggle yourself silly.
Well, now it’s time for YOUR little one to enjoy the winning spinning fun of sit n’ spin.
PlayFoam Alphabet Set
Playfoam is like slime with micro beads inside. With this playfoam alphabet set your toddlers can start learning the alphabet by shaping the foam into letters.
Wikki Sticks
Wikki Sticks are simply colorful strings covered in wax.
They’re bendable moldable sticks that are so fun to play with.
We were given wikki sticks at a restaurant instead of crayon and they kept Alexa occupied while we waited for our food. It was genius.
Wooden Fruit Cutting Set
Toddlers love to practice cutting. With this Wooden Fruit Cutting Set your toddler can do so safely.
We got this set for Alexa last year and she’s still playing with it.
Snap Bracelets
Snap bracelets are great for toddlers that seem to need to keep their hands busy at all time.
These bracelets focus your child on a simple task and can be very calming.
Stringy Sensory Balls
These stringy sensory balls have a fun texture that make them great for sensory play.
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