Game On!

Games make a great gift, especially if you are looking for gifts that will be good for the whole family. In a day and age where kids seem to be connected to some kind of electrical device more often than not, it is nice to know that there are lots of game options out there that will keep the whole family entertained.  When picking games, I wanted to be sure that they could help in the development of fine motor, gross motor and/or visual skills.  I also wanted to be sure that they would help in encouraging good social skills, including good sportsmanship.  Many of these games can be adapted based on a child's skill level and his/her needs.

Here are my top picks for the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide:
Happy Salmon-this simple, fast-paced card game that combines visual perceptual and gross-motor skills.  Everyone flips cards over their action card after they flip it over; if two people shout out the same action, they celebrate by doing that action together.  The first person to match all their cards in their deck wins.

Giggle Wiggle-this is an updated version of the Scatterpillar Scramble game.  Kids race to get all the marbles in the hands of the moving caterpillar.  Great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills and focus, attention and regulatory skills.  For younger children, you can decrease the level of difficulty by not turning the game on while they are trying to put the marbles on.


Willy's Wiggly Web-this cooperative game combines teamwork and the development of fine motor and cutting skills, eye-hand coordination, counting skills and recognizing left and right hands.  The purpose of the game is to cut all the bugs free from the web before the spider falls from the top of the web. Once the web and all the bugs are in place, kids pick cards and then follow the instructions to cut the web.

ListMania-this cooperative game for kids 7 and older requires them to take turns to make a list of items in alphabetical order.  This is great for working on imagination skills, organizational skills, focus, attention and regulation skills.  If you want to work on improving handwriting, this could be a fun way to get them motivated to write!  Some of the things you can write about are body parts or things you do at the beach.  There are three different ways to play the game.

Pancake Pileup-this is a favorite for the kids I work with!  In this relay style game,  kids have to pile up pancakes in the correct order based on which card they pick up.   Place the pancakes on one of the room and a plate on the other side and kids have to run back and forth while stacking them up.  Great for working on gross motor skills, balance and coordination, focus and attentional skills, visual motor and visual perceptual skills.  You can encourage social skills by having kids work in teams when playing this game.

Tumbling Monkey Stick Game- this has been a fine motor favorite of mine for a long time.  Much like the game Kerplunk but instead of marbles, there are monkeys that you are trying to get out of the tree.  Great for working on developing fine motor and grasping skills, eye-hand coordination, problem solving, organizational skills, attention and focus.  This game can be adapted to be easier or harder depending on children's skill level.

Yeti In My Spaghetti-another great game to work on the development of fine motor and grasping skills.  Place a bunch of plastic spaghetti pieces on top of a bowl and then put the yeti on top.  The point of the game is to pick out a piece of spaghetti from the pile without letting the yeti fall into the bowl.  This has been a big hit with all my preschool and school age kids!  In addition to working on fine motor skills, kids can work on improving eye-hand coordination, problem solving and organizational skills and improve social skills when playing the game.


Thumbs Up-the goal of this game is to be the first to stack a series of rings on their thumb based on the card they choose. Each card has different pictures with different colored objects and numbers on it.  Great game for learning colors, improving visual attention and eye-hand coordination, focus and attention and processing speed.  Can be adapted for kids of different ages and skill levels.

Sturdy Birdy: The Game of Perfect Balance-this game focuses on improving gross motor, balance and coordination skills.  There are 12 cards with different poses on them and kids have to master each one in order to win the game/make it to the end of the line.  They roll the dice to find out where to place a beanbag and how long to hold the position. Everyone counts while the pose is being held which helps in developing good sportsmanship skills.

How to Make Handwriting Fun....not Work

I've been a mom for almost 6 years now and each and every day has been a learning moment.  This year, as she is a real deal student and kindergarten has probably been the biggest and most challenging parenting experience thus far.  To make things totally clear...I don't like to push my girl academically. I figure, like everything else in her little life, it will just come along when it comes along.  However, this kindergarten and homework thing has been overwhelming and taught me more than I could imagine.

One of the things I focus on at work with all my kids is making "work" fun.  What is the point of all of this therapy if the kids aren't having fun and looking forward to coming to their sessions?  What's funny is that for all those kids I work with, making handwriting and other graphomotor skills fun is kinda easy.  With my daughter, all I tend to feel is stressed which clearly hasn't been helpful for her or me.  One of my New Year's resolutions is that I will do whatever I can to make learning, particularly handwriting and learning how to read, fun for Quinn.

Interestingly enough, I have a kid who happens to have a terrible grip on writing instruments.  I have tried to correct it and encourage her to hold it the "right" way but I have found that that ends up causing a problem and stress before we have even begun working on our actual handwriting.  It's been difficult, but I have had to let go of that and just let her hold it her way.  I have found that this simple practice has made a bigger difference than I could have imagined.

1.  Practice "writing" with different materials-who says that the only way to learn how to write is with pencil and paper?  As a therapist with a lot of years under my belt, I have found that writing with a pencil is actually the last thing you should do, especially for younger kids.  Make it fun, make it hands on and make it an experience that they are excited to literally dig their hands into.  Use shaving cream in the bathtub or on a really big mirror if you have one.  Pour some rice on a cookie sheet or in a tupperware.  Roll playdough into a flat surface, find alphabet cookie cutters and write words with them.  There are so many options here so you can be totally creative.  This kind of activity is also great for working on building up kids' tolerance for playing with different materials if they tend to be resistant and also great for working on improving grasp strength and manipulation skills.

2.  Word Games-I have found that playing "games" with my daughter makes her attention last longer and get less frustrated.  I have a bunch of these awesome vintage letter rocks from Hope Learning Toys on Etsy and Quinn loves them.  One of the things we have done with them is to take her sight words and practice spelling and reading them while using these.  She loves digging through the letters and finding what she needs and is so proud of herself when she finally gets the word.  We will often use a Boogie Board to then practice writing the words afterwords.  Another great word/letter game is Spot It.  I am a huge fan of all things Spot It but was super psyched when I saw they created a whole line of alphabet and word games.  The kids I work with are super in love with the Spot It alphabet and word games that feature some of their favorite characters like Anna and Elsa from Frozen, Princess Sofia, Disney Princesses and their favorite Pixar characters .  Be sure to check out my post from a couple of weeks ago talking all about another wonderful line of Blue Orange games, the Super Genius series.  There are so many other great word games out there too....Boggle Jr., Scrabble Jr. and Zingo Word Builder are just a few of them! The best part of all of these games are that they can be played as a family or with friends.

3.  Magnet Play-I am pretty sure that most of us grew up with those plastic alphabet magnets on their fridge.  Little did I know growing up how awesome those alphabet magnets would be and how I would use them in my actual profession.  If you have a kid who is interested in learning how to write words but is struggling for some reason with the actual handwriting aspect of things (decreased grasp strength, poor grip, decreased handwriting endurance, poor confidence/self-esteem....I could go on), start with magnets.  Not only can you find a variety of alphabet (upper and lowercase) magnets, you can also find lots of great magnet sets for sight words (check out these by Educational Insights).  As your kids get older and are actually reading but need some encouragement for writing, check out this set by Magnetic Poetry for Kids.  Start by having them pick out their word magnets and "write" their story. This could take as long as you need for them to feel awesome about what they have written.  Once the story is complete, you can have them start to copy it (as much as they are comfortable with at a sitting) into written form.  If you want to get real crazy, have them illustrate their story as they are copying it.

4.  iPad Games-using technology isn't for everyone and that is something I totally get.  For me (with my own kid and the kids I work with), the iPad has been a bit of a game changer for me.  Let me get this out of the way....I don't use the iPad exclusively.  I use it as a motivator.  I use it to get my little ones excited about learning.  And it has worked.  The most important thing is picking the right apps to put on your iPad. It's hard to navigate that massive App Store...there are so many intriguing and beautiful looking apps out there that you can easily be convinced to buy those that aren't that great.  Here are my favorite and most recommended alphabet and reading apps:
LetterSchool-easily my most favorite handwriting app out there.  All my kids love it and are so motivated by the awesome graphics to learn how to write their letters and numbers that I use it and recommend it over and over again.
Endless Alphabet-I really can't get enough of all the Originator apps, but their original Endless Alphabet app will always hold a special place in my heart.  Kids not only learn how to identify letters, they learn their sounds and how to put those letters together to make words.  My daughter's understanding of vocabulary has really increased (like the word belch is super funny) from using this app.
Writing Wizard-this app by L'Escapadou is another one of my go-to's in regards to handwriting.  What I like about this one is that you can not only practice letters, but create word lists for your child.  Great for working on sight words!
***one of my favorite iPad tricks is to use a stylus for all appropriate apps.  My new favorite is the Cosmonaut Stylus, the iCreate Crayon Stylus and the Kikkerland Design Mini Retro Pen Stylus.  

5.  Write Books-one of the most motivating activities I have done with handwriting involves stickers.  When my kids have hit a bit of a wall with handwriting but I know that they know how to write the letters, I have parents pick up a bunch of stickers of something their kids are super motivated by.  For example, I had a kid years ago who put up such a fight about practicing his letters.  It was clear that he was bored and we needed to spice things up.  Well, this kid loved sports and I had his mom buy all kinds of stickers and he had to write the team names for each sticker.  It was so fun to watch him learn to love how to write.  For the first time, he began to understand that if you put a bunch of letters together you could write words and the most exciting thing for him was that he could write the names of sport's teams.  I have done this with the Disney Princesses, Shopkins, superheroes and a bunch of other things.  In the end, the kids get to take home this booklet (I also will print out coloring pages with pictures of similar themed things as to the book they are writing) and show off their weeks of hard work.

6.  Find a Penpal-one of the reasons I am really excited for my daughter to learn how to really write is because once she does, she will begin writing a Circle Journal with her aunt who lives in California.  Basically, they will write letters to each other in a journal that will go back and forth between Brooklyn and Los Angeles.  This is something my sister already does with my older nieces and I know that it is something that will not only help with Quinn learning how to write better, but something that will help her keep in touch with someone she loves who she doesn't get to see all the time.  While we are fortunate enough to have Facetime and email, I love the idea of my daughter being able to write letters and look forward to getting actual mail.  For your kids, you can pick out a bunch of fun postcards or have them help decorate their own stationery and choose one person per week to write to.  Designate a night to write the letter so it becomes something to look forward to each week.  Make sure that you choose people to write to who will write back so they can have the excitement of not only sending mail, but recieving it.

So these are some of the ways I am making handwriting fun not only for the kids I work with but my own kid.  Not to repeat myself, but it's so important that in a day and age where learning has become such work at such a young age, I want to stress how important it is to make it fun when at home. Sometimes just finding the best writing instruments (we are a big fan of the Yummy Yummy Scented Glitter Gel Pens in my house) for your kid will make handwriting fun.  Maybe it is finding the coolest journal or making fun stationery that will make your kid excited to write.  Whatever it is that motivates and excites your kid, make sure you maximize on that opportunity.

Now that I have shared some of my ideas, I would love to hear from any and all of you....parents, teachers and/or therapists....please let me know what your favorite writing activities are.  I am always so excited and grateful to hear from you all and your ideas help so many people.  I am only a click away and truly love hearing from you all!

Genius...Super Genius!

My daughter is in the process of learning how to read.  She's on the verge but for whatever reason, is resisting and has hit a bit of a wall which can get frustrating for this mom!  Part of me thinks that she is afraid that once she learns how to read that we will stop reading to her.  Even though we have promised her that we will always have our nighttime reading routine, she doesn't seem to want to take the final leap and read herself.
In the process of her learning, I have also tried to find fun word games that will help us work together to get her over this hump.  As you all know, there are a ton of options out there and many of them are just too educational which is just not going to be what works with my daughter.

The other day, I spent some time at one of my local Park Slope toy stores at their game choices.  My eyes quickly spotted the Blue Orange logo on a learning game and I was sold.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Blue Orange, they are the masterminds behind some of my favorite games:  Thumbs Up, Doodle Quest and all of the Spot It games.  Not only are their products fun, they are educational.  But they are more fun than educational making kids want to play them over and over again.

I picked up Super Genius First Words and Super Genius Reading 1 to use with my daughter who is still focusing on learning simple sight words (at this point, we are trying to master 3 letter words) and so far, so good.  There are other versions of the game for those who are already reading and can handle the challenge of larger words.  There is also a math version of the game that works on addition and multiplication.  I've used this a bit with my daughter and can't wait to bring it to work to test out with some of my other kids there.

If you are familiar with and love the the Spot It games, you will be a big fan of the Super Genius games.  The concept of the game is pretty similar:  you have to find the matches between two cards.  The biggest difference is that instead of finding the matching pictures, you are trying to match the word to the corresponding picture or in the case of the math ones, you are looking for the matching number and math problem.  There are many ways to play the game which keeps it fresh and exciting for you and your kids:
Face Off-Score the most cards at the end of the game by being the first to find the match between the two faceup cards
Flip Flap-get rid of your cards as fast as possible
Sardines-have the most cards at the end of the game
Click Clack-find the pair between two cards
Cooperative-remove all the cards from the table by matching them to their neighboring cards

Super Genius works on the following skills:
Visual Perceptual Skills-great way to work on improving eye-hand coordination, visual tracking and visual attention.  As you scan your cards for matching pictures and words, you are building crucial visual skills necessary for reading and writing.
Executive Functioning Skills-fun game to work on improving focus, attention and organizational skills.  These are critical skills for school aged children as the academic expectations increase and they are required to focus for longer periods of time.
Speech/Language and Reading Skills-clearly this game was meant for working on improving reading skills.  But it is also great for improving speech and language skills.  This can be used by parents and speech therapists to also work on building a child's language and conversational skills.
Graphomotor Skills-If you are working on a 1:1 basis with a child and they are also working on handwriting skills, you can adapt this game so that they have to write the words as they find the match.  Encourage them to work on spacing, sizing and/or upper and lowercase letters.  If you have a child who needs to develop drawing skills, you can have them draw a picture for every word they write as well.  When possible and appropriate, encourage kids to work on holding their writing instrument with an appropriate grasp.
Social Skills-what I love about almost every single one of the Blue Orange games is that they all have a social focus.  Whether it be working as a team to find the matches or encouraging kids to be a good sport when they win or lose, Super Genius can be used to work on many social skills that are vital for kids growing up to work well with others.

For any of you who are dealing with a kindergartener (or any student) and all the unrealistic learning expectations, I completely sympathize and understand how important it is to try and keep learning fun. Due to the nature of my job, my own kid ends up not getting as much of my focus and attention at the end of the day when it comes to her school work.  Because of that, I have made it a point to find fun games that will motivate both of us at the end of our busy work and school days.  I was so happy that my daughter was excited to play Super Genius.  I was even more excited that she didn't feel stressed out and ended up feeling proud of herself as she sounded out the words and then found the matches between the two cards.  Keeping learning fun is my goal with not only my daughter but every single child I work with.

What are your favorite educational games?  Specifically, what educational games focused on reading and literacy are your favorites?  I'm more personally interested these days...I know the power of reading and how magical it is and can't wait for that for my daughter.  Please feel free to share your ideas with me.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Life Is An Open Book

This is a new addition to the gift guide.  My daughter is now 5 years old and in kindergarten so this is something that has been a major focus at home with her.  Finding fun and motivating ways to teach her how to spell, read and tell stories has been tricky.  However, there are so many great books and writing activities out there that have made such a big difference for

Over the course of the year, I've discovered some pretty great books that would make the perfect gift for those little bookworms in your life.  There is nothing like a good book, especially a good book that teaches important  life lessons to our little ones.  I could list a million books (not even exaggerating) but I am going to stick to ones that have teachable moments built in.  Ones that you can use to help children learn to be more creative are my favorite.

Just as important as the books, are the tools you can use to teach children how to learn the letters of the alphabet and numbers, learn how to read, spell and write.  Over the course of my career, I have tested out more toys than I can remember.  There are a lot to choose from and as parents, it can be very confusing to figure out which ones are the best for your child.

Below, you will find a handful of books that I think should be part of everyone's library.  You will also find different toys, games and activities that have been proven to be successful with the kids that I have worked with.  All of the activities I have mentioned are ones that can be used at home in a fun way.  They aren't workbooks, but real toys and activities that can be fun for children of all abilities.

I Am Books-I was introduced to these amazing children's books by one of the families I work with.  Brad Meltzer has written a series of books about real life heroes.  They are each written from the perspective of these heroes as children and talks about the struggles they had growing up.  He highlights what made them different and how they took those differences and made the world better.  For example, did you know that Albert Einstein was a later talker?  Or that Lucille Ball was encouraged to not be so funny?  My daughter who is 5 1/2 adores these books and I have been so impressed with what she has learned from each of them.  The questions she has asked and what she has taken from each book has been so fun to watch.
I Am Amelia Earhardt
I Am Rosa Parks
I Am Lucille Ball
I Am Helen Keller
I Am Martin Luther King
I Am Albert Einstein
I Am Jackie Robinson
I Am Abraham Lincoln
Disney Pixar Inside Out Box of Mixed Emotions-the success of the movie Inside Out was no surprise to me once I saw it the first time.  The kids I work with loved it and I loved how this movie helped kids feel okay about expressing their feelings and gain a better sense of understanding about their emotions.  When I saw these books, I had to pick them up to bring to work.  I run a social skills group at  The Meeting House for children with a variety of social difficulties.  We have put these books out for the kids during our snack and hangout time and they love them.  This set of 5 books features each emotion.  They are easy to read and even if you have a kid who can't read, they can look at the pictures instead.
In My Heart:  A Book of Feelings-this book by Jo Witeck is a brilliant and beautiful book about feelings.  For many of the kids I work with, understanding your feelings can be quite challenging.  In addition to being an occupational therapist, I work for The Meeting House, a recreational based after school program for awesome kids who have social difficulties.  This book is great for
Little Book of Big Fears-this book is written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo and talks about all different kinds of things that people may be afraid of.  It introduces you to 16 children (in alphabetical order) who are each afraid of something different.  Drew is scared of raccoons and Quinn is horrified by needles.  Not all letters of the alphabet are in the book, but that is on purpose.  The letters that are missing spell out Gutsy and Brave....two things that will help a child get over their fears. This is a cute little book that helps children understand that it's okay to be scared of things and that there are ways to deal with those fears.

Hope Learning Toys-this brand of nature based learning toys have been created by a mother, teacher and toy lover.  Using a variety of objects found in the beautiful state of Maine, Heather has gathered rocks, shells, branches and wood to come up with an amazing set of learning toys.  My daughter has the Vintage Letter Alphabet Stones and adores them.  As soon as she received them, she started exploring them.  I loved that she wanted to put all the stones in alphabetical order while making their sounds.  We have been using them with her to practice her sight words during homework time and it has made it more interesting and exciting for her.  There are so many products to choose from beyond just the alphabet products.  I, for one, can't wait for the phonics matching game using wood from my favorite tree, the lilac tree.  You need to really spend some time exploring the Hope Learning Toys Etsy shop to find what products are best for your child.
Kids Story Maker-created by Magnetic Poetry, this kid friendly magnet sets encourages kids to build their own crazy stories using over 150 different word magnets.  I love how they have color coded all the words by different parts of language to reinforce nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, etc..  For so many of the kids I work with, writing a story can be really challenging for them (decreased writing endurance) but they have lots of ideas.  For those kids who need some creative ways to practice telling stories, this is a great solution.  You can make a long-term project out of it by having them write a few sentences at a time...first they create their story by putting the magnets up and then they can copy them into a book.

Tell Tale-another great storytelling game by Blue Orange.  Tell Tale has three different versions to choose from (original, Fairy Tale and Disney Pixar).  Using the 60 different cards and illustrated rules, kids and families work together to make a story.  It's hard to bore of this game because it's different every time you play.  The best part is that kids are learning the whole entire time but having tons of fun.  If you want to work on handwriting, you can have the kids write their stories out as they are telling it.  It might take more than one session in order to complete it, but I am always happy to find activities that we can do over the course of a few sessions.  Great for working on improving processing speed, verbal abilities, attention and problem solving and reasoning skills.

Alphabet Magnetibook-another great magnet book by Janod.  This is the perfect on the go toy to work on learning how to spell.  The set comes with 26 pictures and over 100 letter tiles. Each picture has the name spelt out so kids can dig through the letters and put them in the correct order.  I love how the magnet board is in a grid (reminds me of graph paper), requiring them to focus on putting the letters in the blocks and staying in order.  For older kids, you could find magnets of pictures without the words written on them in order to practice spelling.  This toy is not only great for working on learning the alphabet and learning how to spell, but great for working on developing fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills.

BabyLit Playsets-I am a HUGE fan of the BabyLit series of board books.  They make such great  presents for all kids, especially kids of parents who love the classics.  When I saw these playsets, I got so excited.  There are four to choose from:   Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, Moby Dick and The Jungle Book.  Each set comes with the original board book and different punch-out cards featuring the different characters from the story. The box it comes in doubles as the scenery/background for the story.  These are great for working on improving focus and attention, language skills and creative skills.  You can also work on improving fine motor skills and visual motor/perceptual by pushing the pieces out of the board and putting them together to play with them.  I can't wait to get a couple of these sets not only for gifts, but to use in my social skills groups to put on little plays with the kids.

When kids learn how to read and write, the world opens up to them in the most exciting of ways.  The tricky part is actually finding ways to encourage kids.  The books and activities I talked about in this post have been proven to teach kids.  The most important thing about each of them is that they are fun and that it ends up giving them confidence.  My rule is to always start out simple and increase the challenges as the kids master them.  Kids are way more likely to keep trying when they are given the time to move at their own pace.

Do you have any great books that you have read that you want to share with my readers?  How about alphabet and handwriting games or activities that your kids love?  I would love to hear from any and all of with your suggestions.  I am always a click away and so appreciate all the suggestions that have been given to me from you all.

Screen Free Summer Fun

Last week, I blogged about a bunch of apps that would be good for kids to use during the summer.  I know, and totally respect, that technology and screen time aren't for everyone (you can see that post here).  There are too many kids who get sucked into the games and have a hard time pulling themselves away from an iPad so sometimes it's just easier for those kids to not use it at all.  I know that there are some kids who just do better with more hands on activities for learning.  This post will focus on activities, games and toys that can be used this summer to help kids work on maintaining what they worked on during the school year in therapy and school.

Many of the things I will suggest below are ones that I have written about before but are ones that I think would be great for the summer.  I have tried to find things that don't take up a lot of room for those of you who will be traveling and don't want to bring things that are heavy or take up a lot of room.  The most important thing is that everything I suggest has been kid tested and approved.

Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics-one of my absolute favorite activities to do with my kids at work.  These are also one of the first things I recommend to parents who are looking for an easy but therapeutic art activity to do with their children at home.  When I first discovered Sticky Mosaics, there were only a few sets to choose from.  Now you can find dozens and dozens to choose from which means there is a set that will be right for whatever your child is interested in.  I stumbled upon this awesome Dragon set which was a HUGE hit amongst my older boys more interested in scary and more "boy" like things.  The goal of each mosaic is to match the different colored square and gem stickers to the the number associated with it.  There are different kinds of sets for younger/toddler kids which require the kids to match larger stickers that are varying colors and shapes.  No matter what set your child chooses, this is great for working on developing fine-motor skills, increasing grasp strength, improving bilateral coordination, focus/attention and eye-hand coordination.  Each set typically comes with 4 or 5 different pictures to complete and plenty of stickers to complete them.  For those of you who will be traveling, take all the pieces and throw them in a ziploc bag.  The box it comes in takes up a lot of space and could be annoying to travel with.  Take that away and you have a very lightweight activity that won't take up space in a travel bag and will occupy your kids for hours!

Boogie Board-the Boogie Board has been around for a while but it's only been in the last year or so

that it has become a staple not only at my office but in my work and personal bag.  This lightweight writing tablet is perfect for keeping kids busy while in the car, plane or at the beach/pool.  They can practice writing letters, draw pictures or play games against their friends (Hangman, Tic-Tac-Toe or the Dot game). Like I have already mentioned, the Boogie Board is lightweight and takes up very little room in a bag making it a perfect thing to pack.  I encourage parents to use the Boogie Board in conjunction with an iPad if they are working on handwriting apps; first they can practice the letter on the iPad and then practice using the Boogie Board.  If you are concerned about how much paper your kids waste when playing games, this is perfect because no paper is required!  Some people have mentioned that the stylus that comes with the board is a bit too thin for their kids.  If this is the case for your kids, there are a lot of pencil grips that can fit right onto the stylus which will make using it easier for those little hands.

Uno Dare-I just found this new version of the classic game Uno the other day.  I have loved Uno forever and always have a full set in my bag of tricks for work.  Uno is great for working on so many things:  color and number recognition, eye-hand coordination, focus, attention, social skills, executive functioning and several other things.  One of the things I like most about Uno is that it can easily be adapted to suite the level of different children.  For example, when I am just teaching a child how to play, I remove all of the extra cards and focus on mastering the concept of matching the numbers or colors.  As kids become more comfortable, I slowly introduce the extra cards.  I find that kids, especially those who may have some learning difficulties, end up being more successful when you play it this way.  So, back to Uno Dare.  The game is essentially the same but they have added a more physical/gross motor aspect to the game.  On the wild and choose 2 cards are put down, opponents have the option of taking the number of cards or doing a dare.  They get kids up and moving around which I have found really helps with focus and attention.  Some of the dares are jumping like a bunny rabbit until your next turn, holding a card against the wall with your nose until your next turn or having to try and blow just one card off the top of the deck.  It's fun to watch the kids get into the dares that are provided.  I am excited to try this with one of my social skills groups and have them come up with their own dares for their friends!

Thumbs Up-I'm always excited to see new games by Blue Orange Games.  I was in an Upper East Fantastic Kids Toys,  and one of the employees there suggested I try out Thumbs Up.  It's become a fast favorite of mine and every kid that I have used it with at work.  Like all the other games/activities I have written about, I have included this on a summer list because of how light and easy it is to travel with. Take it out of the box, throw it in a ziploc bag and you can throw it in a travel bag...it could be a great game for a plane ride or family game nights when on vacation.   Thumbs Up is a fast-paced game that works on improving visual skills such as visual motor, visual perceptual, visual tracking and visual attention.  It can also work on improving color and number recognition.  The game consists of 4 different colored rings and a stack of cards; the cards all have fun pictures with numbers and colors.  The point of the game is simple:  each player is given 8 rings (2 of each color), the cards are placed in the middle of the group and each player takes a card.  The first person to correctly put their rings on their thumb in the order wins that round.  The first person to get 5 cards is the winner of the game.  For a game to be a true winner for me, it's important that it be easily adaptable for kids of different ages and cognitive levels.  Thumbs Up is great because you can sift through the cards and finds one that will be appropriate for younger children.

Discovery Putty-Fun and Function now has 4 different putty sets for you to choose from.  I happen to have all four at the gym I work at which makes it fun for the kids as they get to do something new and different every session.  Their job is to find all the animals, sweet treats, vehicles or school supplies hidden in the putty.  While doing this, they are working on building up their fine motor skills, especially grasping skills and hand strength.  Once they have found all of the objects, they can hide them for the next person to try and find them.  Unlike regular theraputty, kids are more motivated by the kid-friendly colors and objects hidden inside.  I love how much conversation can be had while finding the objects.  For children who are also working on language skills, be sure to ask them about each found object, what it does, how it is used, how it tastes, etc..  Like many of the other things already written about, the containers of putty are lightweight and won't take up much room in a bag.

Usborne Activity Books-while I find it is important to rest and relax over the summer, I also think it Lots of Things to Find and Color and it is still my favorite.  Each page is filled with a new adventure...it might be a page filled with fairies or an ocean filled with fish.  On each page, there are several rules for the kids to follow.  For example, on that page of fairies, you have to spot all the fairies with a wand and color them a certain color.  Another great one is the Usborne Big Color by Numbers Book.  This is better suited for older kids and requires that kids recognize their numbers.  There is a lot of coloring to do on each page so it requires attention, focus and coloring endurance.  The completed pictures are really fun and the kids truly feel like they have accomplished something once they have completed it.  For kids who are struggling to learn how to draw, I have found that the Usborne Big Drawing Book to be really motivating and successful.  A child is taught how to draw animals, objects and people step-by-step in a visual and easy to follow way.  I will have the kids practice the steps first on a Boogie Board and once they feel confident, have them draw in the book.  They are encouraged to add their own details, color them in the way they want to and really make the picture their own.
These are just 3 of the dozens and dozens of activity books by Usborne.  Next time you are in Barnes and Noble, or any bookstore for that matter, look through their selection and find the book that's right for your kid.  Any of their books are perfect for keeping your kids entertained and learning on long car/plane rides.  They will keep meals out from being a dreaded experience for you all!  Most import
is important for the kids I work with to spend some time focusing on the skills that we worked on so hard all year long.  I don't want kids to be drilled with flash cards or asked to spend time every day doing boring workbooks...that's not what summer should be about.  What I would like is for kids to spend some time working on fine motor, handwriting and drawing skills in a fun way.  There are so many great activity books out there....spend some time at a local bookstore or a Barnes and Noble and you will easily get lost in all of your options.  I discovered the magic of Usborne books a couple of years ago when on the hunt for something new and different to get my kids motivated to color.  The first book I discovered was the

Magnetic-Go Hangman-when traveling with older kids, it's important to have lots to entertain them.  From my personal experience, no matter how complicated or mature those kids are, it doesn't take a crazy amount of energy to entertain them.  Hangman is one of those classic games that can keep even the most high maintenance of kids entertained.  I was killing time the other day between clients and found this fantastic magnetic hangman game.  I've already played it with a few of my kids and it's great.  The kid I happened to play this Hangman game with is someone who has a difficult time with coming up with an idea....she needed a lot of support to come up with words and organize her work in order for us to play this game.  If playing this game with a typically developing child, the sky is the limit....you can explain the rules of Hangman and run with it.  What I have found to be helpful for the kids I work with is that you (the therapist/grownup) start the game off by being the person to choose the word that the kid has to guess.  Give them a clue about what your word is....for example, you say something like "This is something I like to eat" or "this is something you play on in the playground". I have actually used a Boogie Board and have the kids write their word on that so they can refer to it as their opponent is guessing letters so they can easily figure out if a letter is in the word and where it goes.  This game is recommended for kids ages 5 and older but really should be for kids who are reading and writing.  I have a pretty smart 5 year old but she wouldn't be able to play this game successfully.  The best thing about this game is that it's compact, lightweight and won't take up space.  It doesn't need to be turned off during takeoff and landing.  It's great for problem solving, improving social skills, visual motor/perceptual skills and literacy skills.

Spot It Games-I've been a fan of the Spot It games by Blue Orange Games forever.  Truth be told, I love any game that can be played quickly, with few rules and guarantees a lot of fun.  Added bonus with all of the Spot It games are that they come in a cute little tin and take up almost no room at all in your bag.  You can't go wrong with any of the Spot It games.  My princess loving 5 year old really loves the Frozen and Princess Sofia editions that came out earlier this year but if have a sports loving kinda kid, there are lots to choose from as well.  There are several ways to play Spot It but whatever way you choose to play, you will work on improving visual motor/perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination, focus and attentional skills and social/pragmatic skills.  There are several ways to play the game and I tend to encourage the kids I work with to decide on the rules they want to play by before starting play.  Great to play in a group of two or as a whole family which makes it perfect to take on summer vacations.

OgoDisc -I include the OgoDisc on my Holiday Gift Guide each year.  It's a great outdoor game (and indoor if you have the right space).  We use it at The Meeting House and at Head's Up (the therapeutic gym I work at in New York City) with some of our older kids to work on gross motor, sensory motor and executive functioning skills.  Additionally, it's great for working on improving social skills, especially being a good sport, playing by the rules and sometimes, being part of a team.  OgoSport describes the OgoDisc is a hand trampoline that can be used to throw, catch and bounce balls back and forth.  They have several sizes and versions (with or without handles) but the point of the game is very simple:  see how many times you can catch and bounce the ball back to one or more people before it hits the ground.  One of my favorite things about this set is that it is lightweight and has a great grip for even the littlest of hands to easily grab onto it.  I have found that when I introduce this game to some of my kids, it's best to have them practice by themselves and see how many times they can (gently) hit the ball up and down without it falling to the ground; this gives them a sense of what is expected, how hard they need to hit it, the importance of keeping their eyes on the ball, etc.. As they get better and more comfortable, you can have them play with other kids.  This is a great family game.....perfect for taking on camping trips and vacations.  My daughter loves playing with us and I love watching her confidence grow as she gets better at catching and hitting the ball.

There is a lot here to keep you and your kiddos busy this summer that gets them away from an iPad, video games or any other screen.  Everything here has been kid-tested and therapist approved and can be perfect for taking on vacations.  I love that they will not only work on improving a ton of occupational therapy skills, but can help with improving social skills and encourage families to play together.  While I don't want kids to lose any of the skills that they worked so hard on all year, I also want to make sure that they get a chance to have fun, rest and have fun with their friends and family.  I have tried to suggest things that I thought could accomplish all of those things!

Do you have any games/toys that you love using at work or with your family?  I would love to hear from you about your family favorites, especially those that are great for traveling and taking on a long car/plane tripe.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Happy Summer to you all!  May it be filled with tons of opportunities to create some amazing memories.

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, shopping for kids can be quite overwhelming.  There are so many kids' products out there now and if your kid is like mine, they want absolutely everything. Each year, the parents of the children I work with come to me and ask me about what they should get their children for the holidays. One of their biggest concerns is that their kids have so much stuff already and they want to make sure that the gifts that they receive will not only be fun, but help support their development. I love helping parents realize how toys can be adapted for their children and their difficulties.

When I put together this list each year, it is very important that I gather a variety of toys, games and craft kits that parents can find in local toy stores.  Parents don't want to buy holiday gifts for their children out of therapeutic catalogs...they want to be able to go into stores and find fun stuff for them. Almost all of the ideas you will find on this list are toys developed for all children that can work on developing a variety of fine motor, visual motor/perceptual and other developmental skills.

I hope that this list proves to be helpful for you all. I had a ton of fun putting it together! At the end of the list, you will find an extensive list of toy stores from around the country. Please remember to support your local toy stores this holiday season. While the convenience of online shopping is tempting, small businesses count on our business.

May your holiday season be happy, healthy and most memorable!

Games
Games and playing games with family and friends can be a seriously beneficial tool.  Not only does it help to develop socialization skills, it encourages executive function skills such as organization, sequencing, focus/attentional and time management. Additionally, game playing can help in developing fine motor, grasping and visual motor/perceptual skills.  I love games that can be adapted up and down to different skill sets and especially love games that are fun and can be played at home to work on various occupational therapy goals.  

Wok and Roll- this is one of my all time favorite games to play with the kids at work.  It can be played individually or with up to 4 kids and can easily be adapted to meet the needs of each child.  For younger children, I let them play without turning it on and having it shake all around.  The older kids love when it shakes, making it much more challenging for them.  The game comes with a bunch of different colored pieces of food in 4 different colors. Using a pair of chopsticks, kids have to find their color food in the wok and place it in the same color bowl.  Great for working on developing fine motor skills such as improving grasp strength and manipulation skills.  Also great for working on eye-hand coordination, visual motor, perceptual and scanning skills.  For the younger kids, you can work on identifying and matching colors.

Whac-A-Mole- who doesn't love the arcade game Whac-A-Mole?? I've been using this game for several years and while there have been a lot of changes (I personally love this version that is no longer made but still sold on some websites), the game is still super motivating for so many kids! This game is great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, visual motor/visual perceptual and focus and attentional skills. The most current version is made for 1 or 2 players and when the moles light up or make sounds, you have to hit them.

Scatterpillar Scramble- I love this game for a million reasons.  First of all, I love games that can be adapted to work for different skill levels for the children I work with. While I don't love battery-operated games, they tend to be better for adapting to different skill sets.  Scatterpillar Scramble is one of those games that you can use while turned on or off and the kids have fun either way.  Each player gets a set of marbles and a pair of tongs. Using the tongs, they have to pick up their marble and put it on the caterpillar's hands.  For beginners, I keep the game turned off so they don't get frustrated and give up. As they get used to the game, I turn it on and they have to try and put the marbles in while the caterpillar is dancing.  I can't tell you how funny the kids think this is and how proud they are when they finally get all those marbles on those moving arms! Great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, focus and attention, visual motor and fine motor skills. Play individually or with up to 4 kids.

Obstacles- I have used Obstacles in both small groups and in my 1:1 sessions. There are a bunch of cards that have barriers/hazards and a bunch of cards that have tools that can be used to overcome those barriers in order to get yourself home. When used individually, I may have my kids who need to work on handwriting write out their thoughts and ideas. When used in a group setting, you can pair kids up to work as a team to come up with the best way to overcome the obstacle with the tool they have. I love games that can be adapted to meet the needs of a particular child and his/her goals and this is definitely one of them. This game will provide hours of entertainment to your child and encourage creativity and problem solving at the same time. Also great for working on collaborative play and compromising with a friend.

Doodle Quest- another great game by Blue Orange Games. There are 36 different cards/challenges to complete.  Each player gets a dry erase marker and a transparent sheet to draw on. A quest card is picked and put in the middle of the table so everyone can see it and each player must complete the drawing challenge making smart visual guesses. After everyone has drawn their picture, they take their transparent sheet and place it on top of the challenge card to see how well they did.  This game is great for older children and works on improving visual spatial skills, problem solving and Doodle Quest is also great for working on fine motor and graphomotor skills. If you are working in a small group, you could pair kids up with each other and have them work together in completing the quest.

Tenzi- this quick moving dice game is one of my favorite games. The object is very simple: each player gets 10 dice and keeps rolling until they have 10 matching dice. If you check out the this part of the Tenzi website, you will see that there are a bunch of other ways to play this game. Great for working on developing fine motor and strengthening skills, improves eye hand coordination and visual motor, perceptual and tracking skills.  It can be played with 2-4 players (or more if you buy more than one set).  

Coloring, Activity and Craft Books

Arts and Crafts
Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics- these craft kits have been on my list for years and each year, they come up with even more sets. They now have sets for girls and boys, little kids and big kids.  There are bracelets, prince and princess crowns, treasure and jewelry boxes and SO much more. Each set comes with different colored square stickers and a guide for what color goes on what number on the empty mosaic grid. These are great for working on improving fine motor and grasping skills, executive functioning skills such as organization, focus and attention and visual motor, perceptual and tracking skills. Kids love that after a long time of hard work, they get a really cool piece of art to take with them.  This is a highly motivating craft kit that won't break the bank.

Boogie Board- my daughter was given this a couple of years ago and used it off and on. Now that she is really into practicing writing letters and drawing pictures, this has come out again. The Boogie Board is a thin and light weight LCD writing tablet...think Etch-A-Sketch...that kids can use for school or play. With the push of a button, the screen clears and you can draw something new. It comes with a stylus that attaches to the board so you don't lose it (It also works with your fingernail if you happen to lose it.) Perfect for long car rides, while waiting between appointments, etc. Great for working on improving graphomotor skills, creative thinking, grasping skills, bilateral coordination and visual motor/perceptual skills.

Foil Art Sets- Peaceable Kingdom has a ton of wonderful products but the Foil Art sets are probably one of my favorites of theirs. They are inexpensive and can be used with kids of all ages. There are sets where you can make your own stickers (great for younger children or kids with decreased attention span) and sets with larger pictures. Each set comes with shiny colored foil that you use to decorate the stickers or pictures. Peel off the top layer of the picture, choose a color and then use your finger to press the foil onto the sticky paper. Great for working on bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills such as improving grasping skills and finger strength.

Loopdeloom Weaving Loom- so many of the kids I work with talk about wanting to learn how to knit but have a difficult time learning and get frustrated. While the Loopdeloom is not a knitting kit, you can use it to make a lot of the same things that you would if you were knitting. This weaving kit is made for older kids and great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, focus and attentional skills, executive functioning skills such as following directions, organization and sequencing and fine motor skills.

Project Kid- this craft book from Park Slope mother of two Amanda Kingloff has a ton of great

projects for your little ones. It shows you how you can build fun and creative things from everyday products you might have in your home. Take spaghetti boxes and turn them into skyscrapers, paper straws and cupcake liners and make a vase full of flowers or turn toilet paper tubes into a train. You can teach your children about recycling while making some really cool crafts that you will all enjoy putting together.

Make Your Own Superhero Cape- who doesn't love to pretend they are a superhero? This amazing kit comes with all of the necessary supplies, including tips to help you choose your design, to help your child's inner-superhero come to life!  I have seen this awesome kit at Hiho Batik in Park Slope and other local toy stores.  Great for encouraging creative skills.  Also great for improving fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, organizational skills and focus and attention.

Goose Grease DIY Peg Dolls- Goose Great dolls are made right here in Brooklyn and you can easily buy a set of these adorable wooden peg dolls or have a set custom made of your family! My favorite thing is that you can also buy a pack of 4 dolls to make your own dolls the way you want to! These DIY kits come complete with wooden dolls, paint, paintbrushes and all the other necessary tools to make your very own dolls.  Great for working on fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, focus and attentional skills and eye-hand coordination.  Also great for improving creative thinking.

Make Your Own Monster- this adorable kit comes with all the necessary supplies to make your own monster. Each kit is unique and comes with a pre-stitched monster, stuffing and felt pieces. No sewing skills required! Great for working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, organizational skills and improving focus and attention.

Usborne Big Colour By Numbers Book- all of the books by Usborne are wonderfully creative and motivate the kids I work with. This color-by-number book has beautiful pictures and patterns for kids to color in. I like that there are also pages with no numbers and just colored dots for a child to use as a guide. Great for improving visual motor, visual perceptual and visual scanning skills, grasping skills, eye-hand coordination, focus/attentional skills and organizational skills.

Usborne The Big Book of Things to Find and Colour- another great activity book by Usborne. This one is packed with tons of fun pictures.  Each page has directions for things to find and color in. For example, there is a page filled with fairies and you have to find all the ones holding wands and color them in a certain color, find the one with wings and color them in, etc. This highly motivating activity book works on improving visual motor and visual scanning skills, focus and attention, grasping skills and planning and organizational skills.
Lazoo- I adore all the coloring and activity books by Lazoo. So many great ones to choose from that will motivate even the most unwilling kid to pick up a crayon and color. Incredible Stickers, Holes, Squiggles, Let's Color and Imagine That! stock my shelves at work and at home. Each of the books has a unique quality to them but each work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, helps to encourage imagination and creative thinking, improves grasping and graphomotor skills as well as focus, attentional and organizational skills.

NPW Build your Own Kaleidoscope- this is a simple yet very fun craft kit you can pick up for your little one. My 4 1/2 year old had one this summer and loved it and still plays with it. This kaleidoscope kit comes with all the pieces necessary and takes just a short amount of time to assemble. It comes with beads that you can put in but you can also collect buttons, leaves or flowers to put in as well. The tube can be decorated with stickers or markers which allows a child to be as creative as they want. Kaleidoscopes are great for bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination and sparking a child's imagination.

Klutz String Art Kit- looking for something fun for an older kid on your list this year?  This string art kit is perfect for those crafty kids. They can create intricate designs and be super creative. They choose a pattern, pin the design and start looping the string around the pegs. It comes with a custom pin-pushing tool that makes sure that pins are in correctly as well as lots of colored string, patterns and a book with detailed instructions. Great for working on fine motor skills, improving eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and working on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, following directions and organizational skills.

Building Blocks/Manipulatives

Blocks and manipulative toys are great for so many reasons.  First of all, they stimulate creative and imaginative play.  They also encourage social interaction and cooperative play when used in group settings. As far as occupational therapy skills, they can be used to work on a million things including bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills, focus and attention and fine motor skills such as hand strength and increasing in-hand manipulation skills. I love that these toys can be used in a therapeutic setting and then brought into the home so families can have fun with their kids while working on the skills that we are focusing on during our sessions.  Check out my list below and have fun building and creating!

Tegu Blocks- these blocks are one of my absolute favorite gifts to give kids. I have had these in my own home since my daughter could sit up and play with toys. These wooden blocks have a magnet inside so they can stick to each other. They come in a variety of shapes and colors and now there are sets available where you can build cars and robots. I love that any age child can be successful when using the blocks. Great for working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, problem solving and imaginative play.  Can be played with independently or in a group. If you are in Park Slope, check out the toy store Norman & Jules who has the best selection of Tegu Blocks in NYC! During the summer, they have an outdoor space with a giant board to allow kids to make some of the coolest Tegu Block designs! (See picture below.)

MagnaTiles- these have been on my list year after year. These plastic tiles have magnets build into them so they can stick together to build 2-D and 3-D creations. They are great for working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills. They come in a variety of shapes and colors so you can work on color and shape recognition when using them. Additionally, Magna-Tiles help promote imaginative play and creativity. Children can play with them independently or in small groups to work on encouraging teamwork and compromise. Magna-Tiles are pricey but they will last you forever since they are so durable and well made. I have had the same set of Magna-Tiles in my office for at least 6 years and they look as new as they did when I first bought them and they have literally been used by hundreds of kids.

Ogobild Bits- I discovered this Brooklyn-based company last holiday season when I saw them at one of the many amazing holiday markets all over the city. If you have kids who love building, but you have enough Lego sets, this is a great gift for them! There are small and large sets and each comes with a bunch of suggested items to build. Great for working on building a child's imagination skills while building the muscles of the hands! I have used them in my social-skills group both with preschoolers and school-age kids and they had an absolute blast. Ogobild with Animate Studio kits are great for your older kids who may be interested in learning more about stop motion animation moviemaking.
They boost strength and manipulation skills, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills. These are super durable building toys that you will have for years and years to come. OgoSports keeps expanding this line and have a bunch of new ones this year.

LaQ- I discovered this awesome manipulative building set this summer after a trip to The Bronx Zoo. For the Lego lovers, this is another great toy. These are actually flat shapes that snap together to make a ton of different shapes. For tons of different patterns to make cars, animals, people, etc., using these different shaped blocks, clink here. My kids love them and I don't see them getting too frustrated when it gets difficult to follow the directions. Better suited for the older kids I work with (often too difficult for the preschoolers, especially those with fine motor difficulties).

Lego Duplo Read and Build- Legos seem to be another one of those toys that never get old. When I discovered the Lego Duplo Read and Build Sets, I was so excited. These sets are perfect for those smaller hands that have difficulty with the small size Legos. The accompanying instructions are great because they give very clear visuals on how to build the different objects (jungle and farm animals, bugs/caterpillar, a fairy tale and a car set) in the book. This requires a child to organize their work, plan what they are doing and follow visual directions. Great for working on improving grasp strength and bilateral coordination skills, visual motor and visual perceptual skills. I love that kids have to follow along with the story while building the different objects which works on focus and attentional skills.

Pencil Grip Popbeads- I love these small popbeads! They are great for working on increasing grasp strength and bilateral coordination skills. These popbeads are bright in color and the kids love them. For younger kids working on identifying colors, you can use these to work on that. Also great for working on visual perceptual skills such as matching and sequencing.

Hugs Links- these well made linking toys are great for kids as young as 3 months and as old as 3 years. What you work on while playing with them at different ages is different, but they are versatile and well made. B.Toys created a set of 24 colorful links that click together to build a rattle for the younger ones or a chain for the older ones. Great for developing bilateral coordination, fine motor skills and upper extremity strength.






Squigz/Squigz Benders/pipSquigz- these manipulative toys by Fat Brain Toys will bring hours of fun to your little ones! Actually, you will love playing with them as much as your kids do! These suction cup connecting toys will stick to each other and to almost any surface. Use them in the bathtub or on your child's highchair. You can push them together and pull them apart to make wonderful creations to stimulate your children's imagination skills. The kids get a real kick out of the sound that they make when they pop apart! They are also great for working on hand strengthening, bilateral coordination and eye hand coordination. Check out the different sets available to see which is best for your little one.

Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Skills
In order for children to have success in many school-related activities (reading, writing, math, etc.), they must have adequate visual skills. They must be able to coordinate their eyes and their hands at the same time, be able to visually track from their paper to the board and be able to look and interpret what they see. The toys in this section are fun games and toys that will help children work on improving their visual skills. They can be played independently, with a friend or as a family.  

MindWare Imaginets- this magnetic tangram set comes with brightly colored magnetic blocks in a variety of shapes and colors and 50 different designs to copy. The level of difficulty increases the higher the number on the card is. Everything can be easily and neatly stored in a case with a magnetic/dry erase board. I love the dry erase board feature because after the kids copy the design successfully, you can have them draw a scene or even practice writing what they drew. Great for working on improving fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, problem solving, visual motor, visual perceptual and visual tracking skills.

Monkey Magnets- last year, I took a group of kids to the Museum of Mathematics in Manhattan. There were a lot of great things about this experience but what I loved the most was the wall of magnetic monkeys, rabbits and dinosaurs that you could spend hours playing with. I was thrilled that you were able to buy the set of 6 monkeys in their gift shop, and bought several for work and for home. These have since had a permanent home on my fridge and are used at work all the time. These super well made and durable magnetic monkeys can be connected to make a circle or a bunch of other images. They're great for improving problems solving as well as visual motor, visual motor and visual spatial skills. I like to have kids work together to put them together so work on improving teamwork and social skills.

Spot It!- I've been using the original Spot It! and Spot It Jr! for several years and am thrilled at how this game has evolved the last couple of years.  Blue Orange Games continues to find ways to make this game new and fresh for children of all ages. In short, all Spot It! games have a stack of round cards with several pictures on them. There is always one matching letter, picture, shape, word, etc. between two cards. Even when you think there is no chance that there is a match, there is! This game is great for working with kids 1:1 or in a small group. You can now choose between some of your favorite Disney characters or sports. Great for working on focus and attention, visual motor, visual perceptual and visual tracking skills and social skills. The alphabet and number sets are great for working on letter and number recognition and when I am playing this game during my sessions, I will have the kids write out the letters or numbers that they match.

Eeboo Felt Mosaics- this tangram like game is one of my favorites for the older kids on my caseload. It comes with a bunch of bright-colored felt triangles and a series of cards with pictures to make using those triangles. It sounds easy, but for children with visual motor/perceptual difficulties, this can be quite the challenge. I find that the kids like the bright colors and the fun pictures. In addition to having the kids make the designs shown on the cards, you can have kids work on improving their creativity by making their own designs using the triangles. Great for working on improving visual skills, eye-hand coordination, focus and attention, fine motor skills and bilateral coordination.

Tiggly Shapes and Tiggly Counts- Tiggly is a New-York based company that has created interactive toys and apps for preschoolers and school-age children.   There are a series of motivating and hands on apps that help to develop spatial reasoning, motor skills, language and creativity. Also great for working on shape recognition, eye-hand coordination and focus and attentional skills.  The kids I work with love to play these games, especially Tiggly Safari and Tiggly Chef.

Eeboo Puzzles- you'd be surprised how hard it is to find durable puzzles that will withstand the abuse of kids, so when I discovered the amazing collection of puzzles by Eeboo, I was thrilled. There are a variety to choose from, but my favorite is this set of 6, 9-piece interlocking puzzles which are perfect for young kids who have graduated from inset puzzles and are ready for the challenge of interlocking puzzles. Puzzles are great for working on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills as well as improving bilateral coordination, focus and attentional skills. Eeboo has puzzles as few as 2 and as large as 100-pieces so there is a perfect puzzle for everyone on your list this year!

Osmo Play- Osmo is a unique gaming accessory made for the iPad. Using a mirror that you snap over the iPad camera, children can interact with the apps in a very tactile manner. Each Osmo set comes with a base, reflective mirror and 3 different interactive and educational games. I love the Tangram app and the kids I work with have loved this one as well. It's been awesome to watch kids who struggle with visual skills be successful with this particular game. The Words game has varying levels and can really motivate kids who are having a difficult time with reading and spelling. One of my favorite things about this is that it helps my older children work on problem solving and organizational skills. When the creators of Osmo came out with this product, they intended for it to not only be an activity that could be done 1:1 but in small groups and classrooms to work on improving social skills.

Sensory Play/Tactile Toys
Sensory play is important for all children. Tactile toys are ones that children touch, manipulate and explore by stretching them, pulling/pinching and squishing/squeezing them. These actions help to stimulate sensors deep within the muscle joints that encourages an increased sense of body awareness. Good body awareness allows a child to not only have a better sense of their bodies and emotions but of those around them.  

Kinetic Sand- I am always on the lookout for fun materials to bring to work to play with with my kids. While visiting my local toy store several months ago, I saw they had a tray of sand sitting out on the shelves. I put my hands in this magical stuff and have been obsessed ever since with Kinetic Sand by WABA Fun. Simply put, Kinetic Sand is an easy to shape sand that kids can use to mold into objects, flatten out and use cookie cutters to make different shapes or hide treasures inside for kids to search for. It sounds like it would be a messy activity, but the way it is made allows for the sand to stick together and allow for easy cleanup. Great for decreasing tactile sensitivity, working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination and eye-hand coordination.  

Bubber- another great product by WABA Fun. Bubber is a lightweight colorful molding compound that children can use to mold into shapes and objects. Several colors to choose from that can be mixed and matched. Since it is so soft, you can use stamps and different tools (forks, playdough toys, etc.) as well to come up with some pretty cool designs.
  

WikkiStix- I've had these in my work closet for years and kids still love them. WikkiStix are wax-covered pieces of yarn that can be manipulated to make just about anything your imagination can come up with. They can be twisted or pinched together and then easily pulled apart so they can be used over and over again. I love using them to practice making shapes, letters and numbers. Sometimes kids are more motivated to learn these things when it's more tactile and more of a hands-on experience. In addition to being able to buy packs of just WikkiStix, you can buy kits with different cards that the kids can put the WikkiStix on. Great for improving tactile sensitivity, grasping skills, bilateral coordination and encouraging imaginative play.

Bristle Blocks- B.Toys has this amazing tub of brightly colored blocks that will encourage your kid to play and build for hours. This 68-piece set comes with a booklet of building ideas for your little ones. The chunky pieces are easy to connect and can work on so many developmental skills. Great for improving bilateral coordination, grasping, grasp strengthening, problem solving and creative skills.

Jelly BeadZ Water Beads- when I put together my list last year, one of my former clients gave me a challenge to find these beads that expand when put in water. I found them and now they are one of my favorite things to play with at home and at work. Water beads come in a variety of colors (my favorite is the rainbow pack) and start off as super small beads. Take a tablespoon or so of them and put them in a bowl of water and watch them expand to the size of marbles. Don't put more than a tablespoon of these in a bowl or they will spill out of it! These are great for sensory exploration and decreasing tactile sensitivity. If you are working with younger children, you can put measuring cups and spoons in the bowl and have them work on bilateral coordination skills while playing with the beads.

eco-dough and eco-finger paint-eco-kids, a small company based out of Portland, Maine, has a wonderful selection of art supplies for children. The best part: they use all-natural ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging.  eco-dough  (there is also a gluten free option!) comes in beautiful colors and is great for working on increasing grasp strength, manipulation skills and decreasing tactile defensive behaviors. Each package contains 5 colors and the top of each container can be used as a stamp!  eco-finger paint is powder based paint. Each package comes with enough powder to make 60 oz. of finger paint and comes in 5 beautiful colors. Whether your child uses their fingers or a paintbrush, this is a great way to get the creative juices flowing! Also great for working on visual motor skills and decreasing tactile defensiveness in kids.
**you can shop for this online but I have seen a lot of the eco-kids products in many of the local toy stores in Brooklyn, including Norman and Jules and Hiho Batik.

Gross Motor/Outdoor Play
Gross motor play is play that makes children use the bigger muscles in their body and encourages them to walk, run or jump around their environment. I've chosen a handful of toys that will work on building trunk control/strength, upper body strength, motor coordination and endurance.  

Balance Board- there are a lot of different balance boards out there but I find that many of them are too challenging for my younger kids. This one is great because it can be flipped over and can be made more or less challenging for children. I find this is a great therapy tool that parents can use at home to carry over some of the things I work on at the gym such as balance, coordination and focus/attention. I love to pair it with a fine motor activity such as a puzzle or a gross motor activity such as playing catch.  Kids love it and it is small enough to slip under a bed and not take up a lot of space.

OgoSport Super Sports Disk- there are several different sized disks to choose from so they can be used with children (and grownups too) of all ages. Each set comes with two hand-trampoline disks and a koosh-like ball to bounce back and forth to your partner. If you have more than one set, you can add more people! The disks are super lightweight because they are made of foam which makes it easy for kids to hold onto. Can be played with indoors and outdoors. Great for working on eye-hand coordination, social interaction, focus and attention and regulation skills.

Kick Scooter- many of my NYC families use a stroller for their older children to get to and from places faster but are wondering what they can get that will get their kids more physical. One of the first things I recommend for them to get is the Mini Kick (for children 2-5 years of age) or the Maxi Kick scooter (5 years and older). This lightweight scooter is easy for kids to use because of the two wheels in front and the one in back. By leaning to one side or another, a child is able to easily steer (mostly to avoid hitting other human beings!).  Great for working on motor planning and coordination, bilateral coordination, body strength and focus and attentional skills. For those kids who have a hard time warming up in the morning and are close enough to school, I suggest having them scoot to school to wake up the body to make the morning transitions easier.  

Zoom Ball- I remember using a Zoom Ball as a kid and loving it. As a therapist, I love it even more because there is a tremendous amount of therapeutic value. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, let me describe: there is a lightweight ball attached to two ropes with hands. Each person grabs one side/two handles and let the play begin. By opening and closing your arms, the ball can slide back and forth. Go as fast or as slow as you want but see how long you can keep it going without having to take a break. Great for working on building upper body strength, motor planning/
coordination, modulation and regulation and cooperative play.  

Stomp Rocket-kids LOVE playing with stomp rockets. After the kids place the foam rocket on a tube they jump on the launch pad and it shoots off.  This is a great toy for working on jumping, balancing on one foot and building body strength. I love this toy because it is non-battery operated and doesn't make a ton of noise.  

Hop & Squeak Pogo Jumper- this kid-friendly pogo jumper is made out of durable foam and has a built in squeaker that squeaks every time a child jumps up and down. The bungee cord handle has a comfortable grip for the kids to hold onto. Great for working on improving trunk control/strength and motor planning. Also great for providing proprioceptive input to kids which helps with improving focus and attentional skills. Can be used indoors and outdoors and ideal for kids 3 and older.  

Babies and Toddlers
I know that when I had my own child, finding toys that were meaningful and developmentally appropriate could be quite difficult. I wanted to be sure that I found toys that would encourage her to interact with her environment and other people, but would also help develop critical fine motor, sensory and visual motor/perceptual skills. While toys have changed a lot in the last 4 years, I still look for the same characteristics in toys when buying for friends' kids or when making suggestions to the families I work with. Since I know that these toys end up being used for a short period of time, I have attempted to make suggestions that don't cost much and will withstand the wear and tear of the most wild toddlers!

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Skip*Hop Hedgehog Accordion- looking for something fun for a toddler in your life? Skip*Hop continues to make wonderful toys for kids and I love this accordion for your 12-month-old (or older) child. Its easy-to-grab handles are perfect for little hands and encourages them to use two hands at the same time. One of my favorite features is that the movable beads are not only great for exploring but for relieving some discomfort your little one might be experiencing because of teething. 

Skip*Hop Roll Around Rattles- just voted Toy of the Year by Parents Magazine, these roll around rattles encourage a baby to interact and play with a toy. The rattle is made of flexible materials with easy-to-grasp openings that help little hands build dexterity. Like many of the Skip*Hop developmental toys, there are beads to manipulate (great for fine motor skills) that are good for teething.  Great for encouraging little ones to crawl or walk when across a room! (See picture below.)

  
Press'n Play Zoom Zoom Buggy-this adorable little caterpillar toy is perfect for encouraging early crawlers and walkers. It's great for developing an understanding of cause and effect and building eye-hand coordination skills.

Snap 'n Style Dolls- these adorable dolls (there are 4 to choose from) have snap-on clothes that can be mixed and matched between all of the dolls. Great for working on fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.  Each doll comes with a brush so you can comb their hair which is great for working on bilateral coordination!

Snap-Lock Caterpillar- pop beads are pretty much the best toy that I know of for most toddlers. Not only are they great for working on grasping and bilateral coordination, they are great for working on developing early problem-solving skills. I love this particular set because each bead has a different texture, color and sound so it stimulates a baby/toddler's sensory system.

Parum Pum Pum Instrument Set- there is nothing like music and instruments to get kids moving and shaking. There are so many benefits of introducing and encouraging your kids to use musical instruments at an early age. First of all, they help to develop an understanding of cause and effect. A well made instrument will work with little effort put forth by a child. Secondly, when used with young children, they will help develop fine motor and bilateral coordination skills. Lastly, playing with musical instruments help to stimulate the sensory system and works on building upper body strength. This set by B. Toys is spectacular (as are all of their products) and one that I can see the whole family playing with together.

H2-Whoa!- another amazing toy by B. Toys. This drawing board is a perfect gift for your budding artist. The two-sided drawing board comes with 4 pens that are stored in the board. It doesn't require a lot of strength or pressure for your littlest one to be able to use this toy. Works on developing pre-writing/drawing skills for babies and toddlers. The best part about this drawing board is that you can use it over and over again!  Great for working on developing eye-hand coordination and grasping skills.

Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon- lots of the walker toys out there come with so many bells and whistles that they end up distracting the kids I work with from using them properly. The physical therapists in the gym that I work in highly recommend the Radio Flyer Walker/Wagon and in turn, so have I. They like that it is sturdy and has the wagon in front so you can weigh it down for those kids who may need to be slowed down a bit.

Small Stuff/Stocking Stuffers
Some of the hardest gifts to find are those small ones that you need to fill the stocking, advent calendar or to cover the 8 nights of Hanukkah. These are actually some of my most favorite gifts to look for and share with people. These gifts are the ones that kids tend to use the most because they can be thrown in a backpack when traveling, used while sitting in a doctor's office or between therapy sessions.  

Discovery Putty- it's rare for me to suggest a toy from a therapeutic catalogue, so you have to understand the aweseomeness of this product for it to make the cut. Discovery Putty is the best....THE BEST! Kids at my gym LOVE it and don't even understand that they are working on SO many occupational therapy goals when playing with it. I've spent my career hiding things in theraputty to work on increasing grasp strength. Kids got bored pretty quickly with the coins I would stick in the putty. When I found Discovery Putty things changed. Kids love looking through the putty to find the different treats or animals hidden inside. Rumor has it that there are two new putties coming out soon and I can't wait! In addition to working on increasing grasp strength and fine motor skills, Discovery Putty works on improving bilateral coordination skills,
focus and attention and language skills (identifying what they have discovered in the putty).

Crayon Stylus- this stylus is great for your little ones. My preschool age children love using this stylus when using the iPad. Even with my littlest kids, I try and use a stylus whenever we use the iPad in order to practice using a proper grip on writing instruments. Kids seem to be much less resistant when it is a fun-looking stylus like this red crayon.

Retro Pen Stylus- I use the iPad a lot during my therapy sessions, especially for working on handwriting with my older kids. I was psyched to find these mini stylus pens a few weeks ago at a local bookstore. These pens are a perfect size for encouraging a proper grasp. I really love that I can easily transition from working on writing letters with my kids on the iPad to paper when using this pen!

Magiclip Princess Dolls- looking for something small and magical that will be sure to make your princess-loving kids happy? Magiclip dolls are one of the most popular toys in my office. Each doll comes with a dress that comes on and off by pinching the bottom of the dress. There are several princesses and to choose from and all the dresses fit on all the other dolls. Great for working on fine motor skills such as improving grasp strength, bilateral coordination and manipulation skills.

PopToobs- PopToobs or rapper snappers, whatever you call them, they are awesome! I have been using these since I started my career as an occupational therapist. They are great for working on improving grasp strength, bilateral coordination and motor planning skills.  Kids love them for their bright colors and the fun sounds they make as you pull them apart and push them together.

ZooSticks- I have been using these kid-friendly chopsticks for years. Not only are they great for motivating picky eaters to eat (they love using them to pick up their food), they are great for increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills. I like to have kids pick up small items using the chopsticks. They especially love when I have little squishy animals for them to "rescue". These come in a variety of animals, including sea creatures and farm animals.

Sticker Puzzles- one of my favorite finds this year, Lee Publications has a ton of different sticker puzzle books featuring your children's favorite characters. Each book comes with 8 different puzzles and your child has to place the numbered stickers on a numbered grid to complete the picture. Some of the puzzles have as few as 9 stickers and as many as 48 stickers, so you can find one that is best for your child. Great for learning, identifying and matching numbers as well as improving fine motor skills such as grasping and manipulation skills. Also great for improving bilateral coordination, visual tracking/perceptual skills and focus and attention.

Eeboo Pipe Cleaners- I was on the hunt for different colored and textured pipe cleaners for a Halloween project and found these pipe cleaners by Eeboo. Each set comes with 36 pipe cleaners in 3 different colors and 4 different sizes. They come in a ton of colors and my favorite thing is that each set also comes with a simple project on the back that your child can do. Pipe cleaners are also great for teaching children how to string beads when they are struggling with using a flimsy string.

Slingshot- not for the faint of heart and definitely targeted towards the older and more responsible of kids you are giving gifts to, this slingshot by Hella Slingshots are an awesome gift! It's important to note that this is not a toy and something to be played with responsibly. I highly recommend the felt slingshot ammo when using this beautifully made tool. This is great for working on fine motor skills, improving eye hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and motor planning. It should be used while supervised for younger kids and never used as a weapon ;)! My daughter and husband loved setting up targets and knocking them down together; I loved how they talked before doing it and making a plan to knock their targets down. If you are in the area (Park Slope), be sure to stop at Norman & Jules and pick up your very own!
  

Crayons/Pencils-good crayons make a big difference when coloring. Some of my favorites are the ones made by P'kolino. These Triangle Crayons are the perfect size and shape for encouraging a proper grasp.  The shape is also great for keeping them from rolling off the table. This Hexagon Colored Pencil set is unique because unlike other pencils they are made of 100% color so the whole thing can be used; I especially love that you don't have to worry about finding a pencil sharpener when the tip breaks!  Eco-Crayons are designed to look like sea rock from the coast of Maine. They are made out of natural wax and mineral pigments. The shape of these crayons helps encourage a more appropriate grasp.

Made in New York
This section is a shoutout to some of my favorite Brooklyn-based companies.  They are unique and have a great story.  They may not be therapeutic, but they are special to me and wanted to give them a little love! 

Marbelous Jewelry- this company holds a big place in my heart. Started in 2013 by two of my the most special now-10-year-olds, Marblelous necklaces are one-of-a-kind handmade pieces. My favorite part: a portion of each necklace sold goes to charities such as Heeling Autism (a nonprofit that places guide dogs with children with autism) and Every Mother Counts (a charity devoted to global maternal health and welfare).

Snuggly Ugly- these adorable monster and rag dolls are created by Brooklyn mom and artist, Indira Villalobos-Starr. Each doll and monster are made by recycling cashmere sweaters! There are adorable outfits that you can purchase to dress and undress your rag doll. My daughter especially loves the beautiful tutu outfit for her doll.

Loopy Mango- I am a huge knitter and know so many of the kids I work with would love to be able to knit. However, due to fine motor, organizational or sensory processing difficulties, this ends up being a difficult thing to teach them. Loopy Mango, a New York City based company, has created this easy-to-knit Finger Tassel kit and you can pick up your very own at Norman & Jules in Park Slope. The set comes complete with all you need and the easy to follow online tutorial will help your child make a beautiful scarf in just about 15 minutes that will make them burst with pride after completing!

iPad Apps

I love using the iPad during my therapy sessions.  I don't use it alone, but find it to be a truly motivating tool, especially for things like handwriting, learning letters and drawing pictures.  I don't want to say that using the iPad is the end-all-be-all of therapy, but my kids work harder and when used in conjunction with more hands-on experiences, like paper and pencils, I find that progress is seen faster. Lately, I have found more apps that focus on improving fine motor skills such as pinching, grasping, etc. Here are just a few of my- I mean the kids'- favorites!

  

Pepi Tree- I find myself playing this app every once in a while without any kids around. The animals are so cute and I love that you can work on improving fine motor, visual motor and sensory-processing skills while also working on building language skills.

Bugs and Buttons/Bugs and Buttons 2- Little Bit Studio offers some of the finest apps out there. The best part is that each of their apps contains 18 fun and motivating games that work on a variety of educational games. My kids don't tire of these apps and since there are so many games available, you can go weeks without repeating a game!

Bugs and Bubbles- Another amazing app by Little Bit Studio. Honestly, I can't get enough of this app and can't believe how many occupational therapy goals can be addressed when using it.

Face iMake ABC- This app provides users with a great way to learn the ABCs and work on improving visual motor, visual perceptual and matching skills. iMagineMachine outdid themselves with this app. Be sure to check out their link here because there are plenty of other amazing apps to choose from that will not only entertain but educate your children.

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App- Not only great for working on OT skills, but my speech therapy friends love using this entertaining app to work on language skills with the kids on their caseload. Totally worth the more expensive price tag than I normally pay for a single app.

Lazoo Apps- There are five apps by this brilliant company. Many of them are free and the ones that cost anything are well worth the small price tag!

Pinch Peeps- A great, free app. It's perfect for older children who need to work on finger strength and grasping skills. The more peeps you pinch, the more challenges you face so it keeps a child on their toes and maintaining their attention.

Dexteria Jr.- A great app that works on improving fine motor skills in preschool-age children (although many of the older children I work with love it as well). This app is so much fun that the kids don't even realize they are working!

Doodlecast-Sago Mini- Offers an amazingly creative and fun line of apps for toddlers and preschoolers. I am a tremendous fan of Doodlecast, but my 4 1/2 year old daughter just loves all of their apps that we have on our iPad.

Toca Boca- I really love their line of apps. In fact, it's hard to have any self-control when looking through their amazing selection. They're highly motivating and educational apps that will provide entertainment for all family members. My favorites (and it is really difficult to choose) are Paint My Wings, Toca House and Toca Cars.

NYC Area Toy Stores

I say this on each and every blog post, but it is more important to me this time of the year: shop small business when possible. Support those local toy and book stores near you. These people work so hard and provide so much to your neighborhoods. Here are a few of the local small businesses that I support throughout the year in NYC:

Norman and Jules- Park Slope, Brooklyn. This is a beautiful toy store located in the heart of Park Slope with the most amazing selection of wooden toys and games. One of my favorite things about this store is that there is almost nothing in the store that requires batteries. Owners Courtney and Avi do a tremendous amount of research to get the best of the best in there and are always willing to help a customer find the perfect gift.

Hiho Batik- in addition to being a great place to take your kids to visit their batik studio (make shirts, dresses, sweatshirts, etc.), Hiho Batik located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has a great selection of gifts in their store. I love their selection of DIY craft kits.

Little Things- Park Slope, Brooklyn. Two locations: one dedicated to Lego, arts and crafts and seasonal items, while other has dolls, games, baby toys, etc.  A true go-to store for all your holiday shopping!

Acorn- This small toy store has a beautiful selection of wooden toys, doll houses and dolls.  If you are looking for a special toy for a special person in your life, this is a perfect place to check out.

Mary Arnold Toys- Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This store has a friendly staff who are more than happy to help you find the right toy for your child. Great selection of toys.  I really like their section that features seasonal toys.

Stationery Toy World- I have worked on the Upper West Side for 10 years now and have been shopping in this store for just as long. The owner, Donna, is incredibly helpful and dedicated to keeping the most popular items in stock. If you need suggestions on what to buy for a particular child, she will help you out. You may pay more here than on Amazon, but the customer service is unbeatable.

Kidding Around- A great toy store with locations in both Chelsea and Grand Central Station. There is a wonderful selection of games, puzzles, arts and crafts supplies and all other play essentials. I have always found the staff to be friendly and helpful when looking for gifts.

Greenlight Bookstore- Fort Greene, Brooklyn. An awesome selection of kid's books. I never leave this store without something wonderful!

A Time for Children- Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, A Time for Children is owned and operated by a NYC-based philanthropy and donates 100% of its profits to The Children's Aid Society. Here you will find a special selection of toys, clothes and gifts.

Toy Stores Outside of NYC Suggested by Others
Magic Beans- Four locations in the Boston area.  Independently owned and operated by parents. They have a wide selection of baby, toddler, kid and educational toys.

Little Village Toy & Book Shop- Littleton, NH is one of my favorite towns and one of my favorite stores was the book store that closed last year. I was thrilled to find out that a few months after the bookstore closed, someone decided to open up a new kids book and toy store.  I'll be heading north in a few weeks and can't wait to check out this awesome store in person!

Animal Instinct- Ogunquit, Maine. I hit this toy store up every summer on vacation. There is a great selection of toys, games, puzzles and books. I am a bit of a sucker for their Maine/Moose section when you first walk into the store!

Mom and Pop Place- Neenah, Wisconsin. This is a natural-parenting store and baby store featuring wooden toys, cloth diapers and other baby essentials.

Go Bananas- There are two locations in Loudon County, Virginia, about 30 miles west of Washington DC. It's an award-winning family-owned and operated specialty toy and gift store for children.

Fun Stuff Toys- Seaford, New York. Specializing in kids' toys, here you can shop for creative, educational, developmental games, puzzles and specialty toys.

Whirlygigs- Exeter, NH. A classic shop from the past packed with toys of every kind. From the latest craze to the classic toys you grew up with, they can help you find what you are looking for.

Matty's Toy Stop- Nassau County, Long Island, New York. With multiple locations, this store offers a great selection of kids toys, educational items, learning and fun toys for all ages.

The Acorn Store-Santa Monica, California. There is a beautiful selection of wooden and imaginative toys for children from birth to school age.

Wonderland- Brentwood, California. A magical placed filled with quality treasures and gifts that will satisfy the fun inside of you all! They scour the planet for unique, specialty toys that will be fun and educational for all kids.

JennyBec's-Brentwood, California.  From books, toys, games, furniture, wall art and fine linens, you will find all you want from newborn through tween.  They pride themselves on being able to provide practically any gift, toy or furnishing!

Growing Tree Toys- State College, PA.  They offer a quality selection of educational toys to aid child creativity and intellectual growth.

Oliver's Trains & Toys- Evanston, Illinois.  A small, family operated toy store in the suburbs of Chicago. This store offers a wonderful selection of trains and educational toys.

Becky & Me Toys- Evanston, Illinois.  Becky was a teacher with 15 years of early childhood experience.  Here they try out the toys, play the games and read the books before they put them out on the shelves of their store.  They are constantly looking for new companies and products that have value to all the children who walk in their door.

Creative Kidstuff- Twin Cities, MN.  This store specialized in creative, innovative and educational toys.  They have a staff full of knowledgeable and kind-hearted people who truly love kids.

A2Z Science & Learning Store- located in downtown Northampton, MA, this toy store is filled with educational toys, skill toys, construction toys, flying toys, books, games, minerals and fossils.

The Toy Box- Amherst, MA. This store has a dynamic environment where kids and adults are encouraged to play! They pride themselves on their high level of service and hand-picked products.

***I would love to add to this list, so if you have any other suggestions of great toy stores in your neck of the woods, please let me know.  I am a click away and would love nothing more than to generate a list of small, independent and specialty toy stores that we can all support***

I hope that you find this list helpful and that there is something special for the little (or not so little) people in your lives.  If you have anything you would like me to add to the list, please let me know. I am always looking for new toys and products to motivate the kids I work with to learn and gain new skills. Email me and I will add to this list. I know there are a million other great things out there and I look forward to hearing about them from you.

Each year, I try and add new things to my list but many make the list year after year. However, there are so many other great toys and activities out there for you to know about. Please check out my previous years' lists if you need or want additional ideas:

2013 Holiday Gift Guide
2012 Holiday Gift Guide
2011 Holiday Gift Guide