There are hundreds of chew toys out there for all ages. Chew toys can be used by both people on the autism spectrum and those who are not.
These items are geared towards those who are sensory seeking, teething, anxious, and more. Below, you will find some chew toys for various age groups.
Chew toys for babies
Chew toys for children
Chew toys for adults
There are many types of oral stimulation tools that you can buy and so many companies to choose from. The most popular company my clients get their tool from is Ark therapeutic. Now, you can choose you go elsewhere, it’s up to you. If there are other products that you would like to see, let me know.
Product Review: rated by 712 people with the average of 4 stars
If you read the about me page, you would know that I have worked with both children and adults on the autism spectrum. However, no matter how fun the Playskool Sit n’ Spin is, an adult can never enjoy it as much as a little child can. Believe me, I have tried and failed miserably. I am 4″11′ and I demonstrated to a two year old how to use it once. Now, that was a sight to be seen and I am glad only his eyes saw that! Right after I demonstrated how to utilize the product, he climbed on top and away he went. He just got it!
No sharp edges so one really can’t get hurt using the item
One can use their body to control the speed in which he/she is spinning on it
Serves several functions
Simple to use
What are the short comings?
It is light so it can be flipped over
Child may get bored with the product quickly
Child may play with the items inappropriately (Example: using their hand to spin the product and observing it spin only while refusing to sit on it)
There really aren’t that many negative things I can say about this product. I actually really love using it with my kiddos in many ways. FYI, my kiddos are the children I work with. I don’t have children as of yet.
What will your child or children gain by using this product?
They will gain:
The ability to see the color of the product and test out the product
A sense of their actual body when using the item
The understanding of control over ones actions as he/she is spinning
Fine motor skills, if they have difficulty with gripping items, as they have to utilize the handle to spin themselves around
Observational skills, as they can see everything that was once still, appear to be in motion
Is it worth it?
YEEEEEEEES!!!! It surely is! It is extremely cheap! There are other products out there much more expensive than this product. It is durable yet very light. It can be used for a child 18 months and older. My kiddo is three now and is still using the one I got for him.
Senses Test
Now, you know… Everything on my page has to be able to be used to stimulate the senses and the exploration of them. Does the Playskool Sit ‘N Spin Toy fit the bill? Yes it does!
Let’s create a scenario…. Let’s say I have a son named James and he is 2 years old and I just got him the gift for his birthday. Let’s say, he is unable to talk and so I have to break everything down for him. I would also have to incorporate how to explore his senses. How would I do that?
The toy is gift wrapped. He would have to remove the wrapping. This would test his strength, all the while giving him the sense of how the paper feels in his hands as he rips it apart.
He would then reveal the Sit ‘N Spin that was underneath it all. Since he is unable to talk, I would describe the item to him while pointing and prompting him to say the color. “Look, James. The bottom is blue and the top is red.”
I would then point at the blue part of the Sit ‘N Spin and say: “Feel it. It’s bumpy”. I would first show him the action and then place his hand on the section that is bumpy if he was unable to understand my instruction.
Then I would have him spin the bottom to find out if it makes a sound.
Lastly, I would have him sit on it while holding on the handle and assist him in spinning if he needed it.
You’ll notice, that I did not add smell in this section as he would not be asked to smell anything.
I hope you enjoyed reading my review. If you have a child out there who loves spinning, why not have them engaged in a controlled form of spinning? Let me know if you bought the item. Leave your comments below or share your stories.
Oh my goodness! You’re trapped indoors? The world is over!!! Ugh!
How dramatic… Sometimes we may find ourselves at home with children or adults for that matter on a rainy day. I am here to tell you not to fret because I believe I have the solution. Now first and foremost, I have said in my other posts- everyone is different. One person may like hide and seek and the other may want to be a drummer on the pots and pans.
Now, you may be wondering: why is Orama talking about playing but is not incorporating sensory toys? Well, for this indoor games post, all you need are: your family, friends, neighbors, and yourselves- oh and you also need to be indoors.
Beware The Tickle Monster
Hmmm… Tickle monster? Yes, you read correctly. This game is like tag meets the “Walking Dead”. Whoever is the tickle monster must tag an individual by chasing and tickling the person. Once that person has been tickled, they too become a tickle monster. The game ends once everyone has been tickled, and you start again.
Pros of the game:
If you enjoy being tickled it will be fun
Accelerates decision making processes
Promotes extreme movement
Encourages interaction
Cons of the game:
Will not be fun if you don’t like to be tickled
It is loud
Children may run into each other or other things if they do not yet understand the concept of distance between themselves and others
Hide And Seek Game
Hide and seek is a fun game that people can play indoor and outdoors. The way it works is, you close your eyes and count to 10 to allow the person to hide. Once you are done counting, you say: “Ready or not- here I come!” Then you go find that person. This is a turn taking kind of game and is not one-sided. Be sure to set rules for where one can not hide.
This is my personal favorite game. Since I am on the shorter side, I enjoy hiding in small places and once someone finds me, I don’t just surrender. When I’m found, I transform my face by: scrunching it up, widening my eyes, and opening my mouth. Then I let out a ferocious growl, thus frightening the person or people who came to find me. By the end we all end up laughing and then the roles would be reversed. Then it would be my turn to find them.
Pros:
You can take on a character when playing hide and seek
It prompts problem solving
Facilitates learning about cause and effect
Cons:
Depending on the age of the individual or if they are autistic, they may not yet understand the concept of the hiding part of the game. Before playing this game, be sure to model what the individual should be doing by doing it with him, her, or them.
Beware of rooms that can be locked as an individual can be either locked in or out of a room
Person may attempt to hide in an unsafe place
The Senses Game
This game may be called something else but I am unaware of what it may be. That’s just what I call it.
It’s dark and wet outside and you’re stuck in a tent with a person who is terrified of the sound of thunder. You need a distraction but all you have is: a stick of minty gum, a piece of chocolate, a spiky hard ball, and a lighter. The person with you is now frantic with each sound and tells you they are afraid. You comfort them and say, “You know what? Let’s play a game!”
How does the game work? Well, whatever you have in your home or wherever you may be that is indoors, you will be utilizing them to target all five senses. The example can be used with the person above who is afraid in the tent and you are the one who will be starting the game off. So, you already know that the individual is notorious for swallowing gum so you keep that for yourself.
You can start by telling the person that everything is going to be alright and then explain the rules of the game. The rules are to try everything and be open minded. Step one would be to ask the person to look around and tell you what they see. Then, you could ask them to close their eyes and place the spiky ball in their hand. While the ball is in their hand, ask them to squeeze it and sing one line of a song they may know. Ask them to identify the song and describe the characteristics of the ball. Then they could open their eyes and analyze what they see.
You can ask them once more to close their eyes and place a piece of chocolate in their hand (you will not be telling them what it is). Then direct them to insert it into their mouth. Ask them what they can taste and wait for an answer. While they are eating that piece of chocolate, you can place the minty gum in your mouth and lightly blow into their face. You can say: “You can open your eyes. Did you smell anything?” Then you can turn around so your back is facing them and blow a bubble. Lastly you can ask the person if they heard anything. You can even ask them to be specific.
There are so many ways to play this game, with so many items in the house. You can get very creative. I just gave the example above because I wanted to show you what can be done with a few items to test one’s senses.
Pros:
Helps to explore the unknown, as many times one’s eyes will be closed
Assist in trying new foods as a surprise
Increases observational skills
Great for problem solving, as you have to identify various things
Cons:
Can be dangerous to play if one has allergies or choking issues. The person who is the starter of the game should be sure to prepare for any dietary or allergy issues ahead of time.
All of these games should be played with an adult or an adult figure. I hope you enjoyed the post. If you have any: questions, concerns, suggestions, requests, or you want to share your indoor games with me and others, feel free to do so!
Bubbles are extremely fun and mysterious to watch as they always find themselves in a circular state. They look like transparent floating balloons, but when popped get’s your fingers wet. It’s an awesome product to work with when teaching a child or an adult wet or dry items. It also assists in the understanding of something that was once there but has disappeared. First things first, not everyone can make an enormous soap bubble like our clown friend above, so I will show you the basics on a smaller scale. Keep reading to learn more.
3, 2, 1 – PRESTO!
Guess what? It only takes a few steps to make bubbles. Why not make it into an interactive activity? Let’s go!
Here is what you’ll need:
You just need to mix one part soap and four part water together and, there you have it! Soap bubbles!!!! There are many other ways to accomplish this. You can add: corn syrup, glycerin, or sugar to your mix to contribute to the length of time the bubbles can maintain their form.
I always opt for just the water and liquid soap when making soap bubbles because I usually don’t have the other items on hand or in my home.
To store your mixture, you can pour it into an: empty bubble container, a jar, or a water bottle.
I hope you found this post informative. If you’d like to share your soap bubble making experiences with me and others, feel free to comment. If you have any questions for me, I am here and ready to answer. Until next time…
Yes… Babies, toddlers, preteens, teens, and adults can benefit from sensory play all the while having fun. It can assist with the awareness of one’s senses, opening the mind to new ways of learning, organized play, and understanding not everyone enjoys the same product or activities. Read on and I will explain to you the many ways you can use sensory play for learning.
Ready To Explore? Let’s Go!
Rainbow water beads, neon green sand, vanilla scented flour, colorful glue paint, and more!!!! There are so many sensory products that can be used to explore the senses.
What’s so great about sensory products?
Well, you can create your own edible slime! You’ve made slime, so what? It is all about the process. Sometimes it may be a few steps and other times more to create slime. Marshmallow slime for example is a few steps and one would be partaking in two or more step directions when creating the item. It can help understand the basics of science- cause and effect.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Messy
I am not a parent, but I’ve seen parents exhibit some level of concern when their child gets paint all over the place when finger painting. A three-year old will not understand why they should keep their hands confined to a sheet of paper. They see colors and feel the thickness on the paint. Oh yes he did! He surely just dunked his hand into the bowl of yellow paint after using brown, and you know what? He just made a discovery of a new color.
One thing I really enjoy when watching children and even adults engage in organized play, is that when finger painting, you’ll find the artist placing their entire hand in the paint. They may also lick the paint or smell the paint. They may also get a glob of paint and squeeze it in her tiny little hands and consider their face or clothing as a canvas. Just know it’s all part of the process.
During this paint session they just learned if: paint is tasty or not, paint is a solid, different colored paint can transform into another color, as well as what the consequences of missing the actual sheet of paper are. They also get an understanding of how they feel after getting a thick substance like paint on their skin or clothing, all the while getting a whiff of it. Dive in. It’s okay, the paint will wash away.
Work Hard Play Harder
Organized play is the best! The person or persons engaged in organized play are given an activity with specific items to utilize. They are not told to just go into the playground and play with whatever item, however they want. They are in a room where there may be several stations with different products of various textures or scents.
One station may have a bin of cornmeal. Another bin may have a variety of balls: squishy, spiky, hard, soft, or bumpy. There may also be bins with lavender scented water beads. All the stations above can be created with the teacher and the student, which would allow the student to understand the process of creating any given station. Some stations would be faster than the other. My personal favorite is the process of creating the lavender scented water beads, which are very fun and messy while being very calm with the lavender scent.
Now the stations are complete! Let’s find all the buried treasure in the cornmeal.
Something For Everyone
Autistic children and adults may have challenges with some sensory products. Not everyone will enjoy the same activity. One person may love being wet, where another person may be terrified to immerse their hand in a bin of wet action figures. For this reason know what you like and try to explore what works for: you, your child, your friend, or other family members. With time, even items that you may fear, you may come to enjoy. The great thing about sensory play is that it can transfer into the real world. It can lead to one being able to finally not fear taking a bath or touching a food item that is rough.
Here are different senses you can target using sensory play and a few of the product that you can use:
Vestibular- Being aware of motion and one’s balance
You can us one specific product to target all five senses. You can use a light up musical instrument toy set where one can: touch, see the item light up, listen to what you play, experience the hand motion, feel the strength of your grip, and feel their mouth on a flute.
There are so many more products one can purchase or even create on their own to stimulate the behaviors above. There are so many options and tons of possibilities. Using sensory products can help in: problem solving, creating sharing opportunities, being responsible, courage, and being flexible among many other things. I want you to try it out and explore with sensory play. Feel free to share your experience(s)! If you have any questions, concerns, and/or suggestions, please comment.
Welcome to SENSORY TOYS AND MORE. I am ecstatic that you decided to visit. If you’re tired of being lost in the sea of information, I have made it easier for you. I have created a space where you can find all things sensory. Enjoy the adventure! With my experience in Applied Behavioral Analysis and my extensive experience as a Case Manager ( for adults), I had a difficult time looking for activities for my clients both children and adults. I’ve created this platform just for you.
