Open-Ended Play and Sensory Materials Gift Guide

I say this a lot and you will read it throughout this post, but how I wish I knew what I know now about open-ended play when my now 11 year old daughter was younger....I would have done things so differently. While she is a truly creative kid, I think that had I encouraged more sensory and open-ended play to her at a young age, she may not be so hooked to her electronics! 

Open-ended play materials encourage children to be more independent and creative thinkers, help them make choices and really foster creativity and imagination. By definition, open-ended materials do not have a pre-determined use....kids are in charge of deciding what will do with these materials. For example, a block can be a person, car, rocket ship, etc.. Children who engage in more open-ended play tend to develop wonderful problem solving skills. Sensory play is critical for development as well. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, social interaction and so much more.

If you are interested in building up your child's open-ended play experiences, be sure to check out my gift guide below. I have tried to include things that can be played with as toddlers through childhood. 

1. Tegu Baby's First Magnetic Blocks-I've always loved all things Tegu and always include them on my gift guides. They are especially great for children who have motor coordination difficulties because the magnets inside the blocks allows them to be successful with building and putting structures together. Ideal for children 6 months and older but I have a feeling some of my bigger kids would love these two. The brightly colored set of magnetic square blocks come in appealing colors and are easy to wash. Perfect for working on hand-eye coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills, and encouraging fine-motor, grasping and manipulation skills for your little ones. 

2. Magna-Tiles Doodle Tiles-I am always looking for ways to make handwriting and drawing more fun and knew that my magenetic-tile loving kids would most definitely be motivated to practice graphomotor skills with these. My 11 year old daughter and her friend were even motivated enough by these to put their phones down for a while to test them out for me! This Magna-Tile and Crayola collaboration is so great and will encourage creativity and imagination skills while also working on developing fine motor, grasping, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and work on improving hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination. Each set comes with 8 small square tiles, 2 large square tiles and 5 Crayola markers that easily wash off. Compatible with all other Magna-Tiles. 

3. Magna-Tiles Jungle Animals-another awesome new set from Magna-Tiles that again be used with any other Magna-Tiles in your collection. This 25-piece set includes colorful tiles with different jungle patterns on them and 5 of the most adorable magnetic animals that stick to the other pieces. These are great for encouraging creativity, imagination and language skills while also working on developing fine motor, grasping, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and work on improving hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination. 

4. Silicone Pop Fidget Building Blocks-one of my speech therapy colleagues tipped me off on these and I am now obsessed. Think a fidget pop-toy that you get to build yourself! These incredibly well-built and sturdy building blocks come in a variety of colors and can be snapped or slipped together to make shapes, objects or to even practice learning how to make letters. Great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills and works on motor planning and organizational skills. You can also work on sorting, matching and following patterns. A great on-the-go building material that will keep your kids entertained for a long time. 

5. Grapat Lola Building Toys-this beautiful open-ended building set is definitely what I would call an investment piece (a toy with a bigger price tag but that will last forever and has endless play and learning potential. This set comes with 72 pieces....36 colorful Lola dolls in various colors and sizes. Kids work on improving matching, sorting, stacking, problem solving and categorizing skills while also working on improving fine motor, grasping, manipulation and hand-eye coordination skills. Playing with open-ended play materials is also great for working on encouraging creativity, imagination skill and early storytelling skills. 

6. Grimm's Shapes and Colors Block Set-another investment toy that will last you forever. This brightly colored 70-piece set from Grimm's comes in a variety of geometric shapes and sizes. Kids can learn about shapes and colors through open-ended building and exploration. Introducing block building with kids at a young age is so beneficial and helps them develop life-long skills. It helps children develop language and vocabulary skills, encourages creativity, imagination and play skills and helps them learn about things such as early math skills, balance, motor planning, organization and problem solving skills. When building with siblings or peers, block building can teach children about turn taking, accepting other people's ideas and collaboration. 

7. Magic Color Changing Dough Jars-I saw these and thought about how much fun my kids at work would love to see these glittery white balls of play dough magically turn into a mystery color. I actually have ordered a bunch of these to give each of my kids this holiday season. I love how the simple act of manipulating the play dough works on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills. Once they find out what color it is, they can build whatever they want. I always like to have tools such as a rolling pin, scissors, beads or whatever else I might have lying around to spark their creativity and imagination. 

8a. Build A Snowman Sensory Sand Bin-sensory bins are a great way to keep kids occupied as the weather gets colder and it gets dark earlier. I know so many parents are trying to limit the amount of screen time since 2020 and 2021 meant so much screen time for their kids. I am in love with this Snowman Sensory Bin from Young, Wild and Friedman and think it would be a great gift, especially for those little ones who might not get to actually experience snowy weather. This set comes with homemade moldable sensory sand and cloud sand, various snowman figurines, SNOW glitter letters and a bucket and shovel all stored in a sensory bin with a lid. What a fun way to work on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourage hand-eye and bilateral coordination, encourage sensory and tactile exploration and encourage imagination, creativity, language and play skills, right? If snow play might not be your kid's thing, be sure to check out the extensive collection on the Young, Wild and Friedman website. 
**If you are looking for a way to contain your child's sensory play or make it easy to move around your house, I can't encourage the Hope Learning Tray enough. I have one at work and at home and it's been so incredibly handy. I have referenced this amazing sensory tray in my Baby and Toddler Gift Guide so be sure to go and check that out for more information.

9. Bristle Blocks-each year I like to include some of the classic toys in my gift guides. I think that a toy that has been around as long as I have been must be doing something right! Bristle blocks are not only a wonderful building toy, they offer a sensory and tactile experience that no other blocks do. They are also pretty indestructible which is a real bonus for some of our rough and tumble kinda kids. Young children can work on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improve hand-eye, bilateral coordination and motor planning skills while playing with these blocks. As grown-ups, we can teach kids about shapes, colors, size, etc. while they play with these blocks.  

10. Roll and Bounce Tower-I will never not be mesmerized and fascinated by a marble run and have often wondered how to introduce this toy to little ones but was always so nervous about the safety risks because of the marbles. This set comes with 27 chunky track and tower pieces that can be mixed and matched to be a different path each time. Kids place the large ball into the starting point and watch it go through the tunnels while watching panels flip and spin. This toy is great for working on improving hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills, increases grasp strength, fine motor skills and manipulation skills and teaches kids about cause and effect. Since there are an infinite ways to put the tower together, kids won't get bored or feel like they are playing with the same toy over and over again. 

11. Stained Glass Jewel Mandala Loose Parts-while looking through Etsy I stumbled upon these beautiful blocks and thought they would be a beautiful addition to any child's toy room. This 15-block set comes in a variety of colors and are great for open-ended play and can be used with any other blocks. These blocks can be stacked, sorted by color and can be used to work on sequencing and following patterns. 

12. Design and Drill Toolbox-we have had a different version of this toy at my gym for years and it is a big hit amongst the kids. I chose this new drill set from Educational Insights this year because of the storage box which is always a selling point for me. In addition to the power drill, the screws and the board, this set also comes with a handful of other tools including a hammer, measuring tape and much more. Kids can make their own designs or can work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills while copying the designs on the cards included with the set. This toy is also great for working on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination and can be used to encourage creativity, imagination and expand play skills. 

13. Way To Play Road Pieces-I have loved these interchangeable road pieces since I first saw them a couple of years ago and recommend them to any of my families who have a little car lover in their life. This set of 40 interlocking pieces helps your little one create different routes and paths allowing your child to make his/her perfect path. The best part is that because they can design their own paths, they don't get bored and can change it up anytime they want. They are made of a soft, flexible rubber so you can create obstacles over other toys. Playing with these road pieces are great for working on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, improves bilateral and hand-eye coordination and encourages motor planning and organizational skills. Pair with your favorite cars and let your child's imagination take the steering wheel!

14. Rainbow Peg Dolls Sorting Set-I have a set of sorting dolls and with boxes and work and they have been one of the best purchases I have ever made. This set of 12 rainbow colored peg dolls comes with a cotton bag for storage that also doubles as a play with the numbers 1-12 in colors for kids to work on matching skills. Kids not only work on color and number recognition, they can work on developing counting skills. When not used for matching and sorting, they can be used during open-ended play which encourages creativity, imagination, play, organizational and language skills. 

15. Wooden Loose Parts Kit-I am in love with all of Hope Learning Toys products. This set of wooden loose parts comes with 6 3D shapes, 7 forest gnomes and 8 piece peg doll family. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I wish I knew more about open-ended play and the benefits of playing with loose parts when my daughter was younger. Not only is it great for working on grasping and manipulation skills, it encourages creativity and imagination skills, encourages play skills and is a great way to work on improving language and conversational skills. Loose parts can be used on their own, in sensory bins, with doll houses or any building toys you already might have at home. 

Once again, I have tried to link some of my favorite local toy stores whenever I could as I have always found it very important to support our local businesses but even more so now. Many of the items listed above are ones that I have seen in most toy stores I have visited all over the place. And since are all hearing about shipping nightmares and problems with supply chain, why not take out some of the stress and support your local stores where you don't have to worry about toys arriving on time. If you are shopping for family members who are not local, find out their local toy stores and see if you can shop from there. If you are in the NYC area, be sure to check out the following stores: Lulu's Cuts and Toys, Little Things Toy Store, Norman and Jules, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store, West Side Kids, Stationary and Toy World, Mary Arnold Toys, Kidding Around Toys and Boomerang Toys. 

Again, if you are looking for specific open-ended or sensory toys for your kids or kids on your shopping list, please do not hesitate reaching out to me for suggestions. I have so many more thoughts on great gifts for the important kids in your life. I am only an email away at otmeghan@gmail.com and love to hear from and help in any way I can. 

Giggly for Tiggly

Last month, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a quick run through the NY Toy Show at The Javitz Center.  To say I was completely overwhelmed and overexcited is an understatement!  I could have spent hours and hours looking at all the toys and figuring out which one of my kids would benefit from what.  One of the coolest things I saw was an interactive iPad toy called Tiggly.  I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to someone from the company and was so impressed with what they showed me.

A little bit about Tiggly.  They are a team of PhDs, MBAs, parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts who want to help parents introduce their children to the digital world in an easy and educational way.  What they ended up creating was an interactive tablet toy that works with learning apps.  They believe that there learning can be fun and more powerful for some when children are given the opportunity to combine digital and physical play.   With Tiggly, children are given the opportunity to explore geometric shapes (circle, square, triangle and star) and work on spatial relations by manipulating physical shapes while interacting with the creations they make on the iPad.

The Tiggly Shapes and the apps are designed for children between the ages of 18 month and 4 years.  I have used them in my office for some of my older children who may have more language and cognitive delays and they have had great success with them.  The shapes have a soft plastic cover and silicone touch points that allow them to be recognized by the iPad apps.  They are well made and durable objects that can withstand the damage a tough toddler can cause but gentle enough that they won't damage your iPad screens.  I really like the size of them as they can work on improving grasp strength and manipulation skills for younger children in a fun way.

As of right now, there are three apps available in the App Store.  All are free for download and can be used without the shapes but are much more fun and engaging with them.  Below you will find a brief description of each and some of the goals that can be worked on when using them.

Tiggly Safari-while using the 4 Tiggly shapes, this game is designed to help facilitate a child's spatial cognition development.  In the first level, children match shapes with what they see on the screen and create simple animals out of single shapes.  As the children master that level, the challenge increases and they are asked to create more complex animals while combining different shapes.  Sometimes it is combining the same shapes in a single screen but as it gets more complex, they combine shapes to make animals.  For a real challenge, the shapes will begin to move around the screen so you have to track where they go and match the shapes.  Sounds easy, but it can be difficult for some of my kids.  

*great for working on shape recognition, matching and improving eye-hand coordination.  For children who are younger, you can begin to introduce new animals and encourage language skills.  

Tiggly Stamp-this app is all about being creative and encourage open-ended play.  Using the Tiggly shapes, a child can build seasonal scenes on their iPad.   Depending on the background and the shape that you use, different objects and animals are created.  You have the option of moving them all around the screen and changing them up.  It's great for creativity and expanding your play skills.  

For my speech therapist friends, this app is perfect for you because you can use the video/camera recorder to save the stories they tell about the scenes they have made.  For parents who aren't able to come to therapy sessions, you can record the stories and then send them to them so they can have some conversation about what they did during their session that day.

*great for working on shape recognition, language skills and visual motor/perceptual skills.  

 Tiggly Draw-while I love each of the Tiggly apps, I am a particularly fond of this one.  As an occupational therapist, I am constantly looking for ways to work on building body awareness and work on drawing skills in a fun and motivating way.  For some of the kids I work with, learning how to draw a person is an important and crazy difficult skill.  Kids who have decreased body awareness have a much more difficult time drawing a person than a typically developing child.  It can also be very frustrating for that child so you have to come up with fun ways to work on it.  I have used this app so that kids place a couple of shapes on the iPad and then have to add body and face parts.  We talk about what body parts they added, what they help us do and then have them try and draw a picture themselves.
*improve body awareness, improve grasping skills (after using the  Tiggly Draw app, have the child draw a picture using paper and crayons) and improve language skills (talk about the body parts you add and what they do).

In addition to the goals addressed above, Tiggly shapes can be used to work on the following occupational therapy goals:

Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-for some of my kids, I will have them sit on the platform swing while playing the game.  They have to hold the iPad with one hand and use the other hand to grab and hold the shapes.  For some kids, working with two hands can be difficult and tiring.  If motivated enough, they won't tire as easily because they will be so engaged with what they are doing that they don't notice they are working so hard!

Encourage Crossing Midline-I like to place the Tiggly shapes on the opposite side of a child's body so they have to cross midline to find the matching shapes.  Sometimes I have to gently hold one hand down or use verbal prompts to remind them not to switch hands but once they are in a routine, they do it more independently.  If you look at the picture to the right, you will see how you can set up a working environment to encourage crossing midline during this activity.

Improve Upper Extremity Strength-I have used the shapes and apps while my kids lie in the net swing or barrel to work on increasing upper extremity and neck strength.  When they are engaged and focused on the iPad (and these games are super interactive and engaging), they forget that they are in the swing and can get them to remain in that challenging position for longer periods of time.
Improve Social Skills-I am excited to try the Tiggly Draw and Tiggly Stamp apps in a small group setting to work on improving pragmatic language, turn taking and being a flexible friend.  The great thing about these two apps is that children can work in small groups and take turns placing the shapes onto the iPad.  With Tiggly Draw, the kids can take turns putting different body parts on the shapes.  This may require one friend to be flexible and deal with a friend making a choice that they didn't have in mind or expect.  Tiggly Stamp can be an opportunity to work on friends telling a story together.  I think it would be really fun for the kids to come up with a story together and be able to listen to it together and then problem solve on what they might change or do differently.

If you read my blog, you will know that I talk about apps and iPads quite often.  While I feel like it is an awesome motivator for many of my kids, it is not my end all and be all as far as therapy goes.  One of the many things I like about the Tiggly shapes and apps is that they can be used in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities.  For example, I talked about how you can use the Tiggly Draw app to work on expanding drawing skills.  By using the Tiggly Stamp, a child can work visual motor and perceptual skills along with improving language skills.

If you read my blog you will also know that I love to support small companies and businesses.   Tiggly is a new company but I think that it's got some big things happening and think it will be a really big deal soon.  I know for a fact that they have some big things happening that will be launched soon.  Things that will be great for older kids and make our kids be better thinkers and problem solvers.

For my fellow Park Slopers who are interested in buying these, you don't have to go very far to get them yourselves.  Norman and Jules carry them in store and online.  For those of you who are not in my hood, check out this listing to see where the most convenient place to purchase them is.  Try and buy them from a local small business as they count on us for their business!

Have you used the Tiggly shapes and apps yet?  What do you think of them and what are some of the occupational therapy goals that you address when using them?  I am always a click away and would love to hear from you about how you are using Tiggly and what your kids (work or personal) think of them.

Square by Square a Mosaic is Made

For the last several years, I have compiled a holiday toy suggestion list for the families I work work with; this is my 2012 Holiday list.  I am going to try and go through and highlight some of my all time favorite toys that make the list year after year.  The first one will be the Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics.

I discovered the Sticky Mosaics about 4 years ago when I was looking for new toys and ideas for some of the older girls I worked with.  I wanted a long term project that didn't involve coloring.  I stumbled upon the mosaic sets and have probably spent hundreds on them since.  They are brilliant and I still kick myself that I didn't think of it myself.  At this point, there are a variety of collections so you will easily find one that your child will love and be motivated by to work hard to complete.  They are colorful and some even have gem-like stickers to complete the mosaics which the kids love!  I have to admit, I am a big fan of some of their most recent additions to the Orb Factory family such as the room decor collection (jewelry boxes, picture frames, etc.).

What I love most about this toy is how many OT goals can be focused on with these mosaics.  First and foremost, it is a perfect activity to work on with children who have immature grasping skills.  The size of the mosaic tiles are just right to encourage a fine pincer grasp which many children with hand weakness don't have.  For some of my children who lack bilateral coordination, I will stick the stickers on the back of their hands so they have to pull the stickers off with the opposite hand.  For children struggling with learning numbers and colors, you can use this activity to work on those skills as well.  All the squares have a number on it and you have to match the correct color with the numbers.  My favorite thing is that after weeks of working on the mosaic (I typically see children one time per week so this can take several weeks to finish; if you are working on it at home, it most likely will not take as long) and the picture is finally complete, the look of pride and excitement on the child's face is priceless.  This ends up being ideal to work on improving a child's self-esteem and confidence.  Other OT goals are:
*Improving visual motor/eye-hand coordination skills
*Improving sequencing skills-give the child a number or color pattern to work on when putting the stickers on
*Improve upper extremity strength by putting the templates up on a vertical surface (easel or tape to the wall) and have your child have to reach up to put the pieces on; when at my sensory gym, I will have a child lie prone on a net swing and work on the mosaics.
*Improve focus and attention.  For some children, challenging activities lead to a significantly decreased attention span to said activities.  I will sometimes give my children a time challenge and say they have to put as many as they can on the template in a given amount of time.  I increase the amount of time with each visit.
*Improves social skills.  There are a few oversized mosaic collections that I have used at The Meeting House; you can put the larger kits out and tell a group of children to complete it together.  Assign a color/number to each child and make sure they work out any conflicts themselves.  

Over the last few years, Orb Factory has expended their products to include products not only appropriate for boys, but also collections for toddlers or children with more significant fine motor delays.

Instead of matching the little squares to a number, a child is expected to match the colors and shapes.  The tiles are slightly larger so this is perfect for children with smaller and possibly weaker finger muscles.  I have begun to work on one of the toddler sets with my almost 3 year old daughter and she loves it.  While she has no fine motor delays, she does need some help in building her focus and attention to activities that do not involve an iPad or television.  I know she will be very proud to show off her completed project when it is all finished!

I hope that you found this blog helpful and if you are looking for a reasonably priced and battery free gift, you should definitely check these mosaics out.  While you can find plenty of collections online, be sure to check out your local toy and book stores to see if they carry them first.  I know I always feel better about supporting small businesses when I can.  If you have any questions or would like to share any ideas or products with me, I am a click away and would love to hear from you!

EZ as 1, 2, 3

This is mainly a toy blog, but as an occupational therapist, I spend a lot of time helping children in becoming more independent.  Not only in play, but in their self-care skills.  Children who are able to independently get dressed will be more confident and become less reliant on grownups to do things for them.  As a parent, I love that my almost 3 year old daughter insists on dressing and undressing herself. Things may be on backwards and her legs may end up in the wrong holes in her underpants, but she is proud of herself.

A couple of years ago, I read about EZ Sox and began to tell everyone I know who has children about them.  They are not only adorable, but they are brilliantly designed.  They are a pair of cotton socks that have two loops on the top.  A child can easily grab onto them and stretch the sock to get them over their toes.  There are a variety of patterns, but I love the animal prints because it gives children a clear visual as to where the top and the bottom are.  I also think that

The first thing a child has to do when they come to my gym is to take off their shoes and socks.  Since many of them have a goal of being able to independently remove them, this is a great opportunity to work on it every time they come visit me.  In the last couple of years, when I see a child struggling with socks, which is quite often, I share EZ Sox with them and they are always so happy with them.  For many of my children who have decreased grasp strength, just putting socks on can be very challenging and frustrating.  Not only are these socks cute, they are stretchy enough that children with fine motor difficulties can quickly get the hang of them.  And when a child is able to master putting their socks on without help, they are often more eager to start working on the more difficult dressing/undressing skills like buttons, snaps and zippers.

These socks are not just for children who have fine motor difficulties.  They are great for toddlers who are just beginning to learn how to dress and undress themselves.  My 7 year old niece still uses them just because they are so cute!

If you have any questions about this or anything else, remember I am just an email away.