Dawn Carson's List of Toys and Activities
Toys, Games, Activities, and Primary Reinforcers
- Peek-a-Boo Zoo is a fun one for the very young
- Disney toy that played the Mickey Mouse Club song. When you pushed the different characters it would play that instrument that the character had ie. saxophone, drum. It had a round light that lit up when the drum played.
- Texas Instrument toy that played the "Animal Fair" song. You had to manipulate the knobs (push, turn, dial) & a hand on top would pop up exposing an animal. Part of the song would then play. After all the hands were up,the whole song would play.
- Roll him in a thick blanket & then press down on him to give him that sensory input
- Shape sorter
- Swing
- A big (3 feet in diameter) sturdy ball from Toy Works that he can bounce on
- A little tramp that has a handle at one end that he can jump on independently
- Bubbles the kind where you can make a bunch of bubbles at once
- A small wading pool filled with colorfulballs like the ones at
- Sit&Spin
- Duplos
- Colors- There is a letter-tray with blank paper and an empty one for him to place finished masterpieces in....I think having these supplies accessible to him helps him to feel independent. A good school habit, I think.
- Brio train set
- Different toys that made noises, had flashing lights, flew around, etc
- My son *loved* to blow out candles. At one point, he'd almost do anything for the chance to blow out a candle.
- What about pinwheels, bubbles, small balloons? I'm trying to think of floaty things. If he likes the Elephun game he might like to play with juggling scarves-- they're square, very lightweight and you can blow them up in the air, throw them, hide things under them. You can probably find them at a magic shop or a children's supply catalog. How about a wind-up bird or a glider bird...though not sure if those are inside toys.
- Electronic toys that light up and play music. Some favorites I've seen are a farm box with different animals (plays Old MacDonald), a toy piano, an alphabet box with several different options-- you can make it play music, say the letters of the alphabet.
- A sensory box? We usually have a small box filled with rice or beans or macaroni set out on the table, with small toys and surprises hidden in it.
- Gross motor games? I mean like a ring toss, toss bean bags into a hula hoop, or some kind of a bowling game where you knock things over with a ball?
- We have tons of 'sound' books; they are the ones that have pictures on the side that make a sound when pushed. He also has lots of other electronic alphabet toys, etc. keyboards and electronic stuffed animals, such as ABC
- Elmo, Talking Barney, Woody & Buzz.
- Photographs. Let him look at photo albums, photo books from clearance shelves at bookstores, and any dollar store books for kids that have real photos in them. Advertising companies also have lots of illustrators books--filled with artwork and photography of illustrators 'for hire' I think these are annual books--nicely bound and heavy. If you know anyone who works for an advertising company--ask if they have any of these. Also catalogs of children's toys and educational toys.
- Flip books (little books that are like a cartoon when you flip the pages really fast),
- Books that make noises
- Cassette player and tapes
- Wind up music box that looks like a radio
- A big tub of rice with scoops and cars in it (a sensory thing
- Playdough
- Elmo's preschool CD for the computer
- Elmo Puppet -talk in a high pitch voice and ask him questions and praise him too
- Cars/trucks/planes with a road rug -- its a city on a big rug that shows an airport, firestation, highways etc...we use that in imaginative play drills too.
- Read/pretend to read books.
- Chalk board, crayons with paper and brio train set.
- Ball ramp - four balls fit on top, a small hammer is used to "pound the ball" and a clear front enables the child to see the balls zig zag to the bottom.
- Hour glass
- Slinky
- Ballons with water inside - you can buy balloons with decorations on the outside.
- Viewmaster with spotlight - though the room would have to be quite dim
- Mini - flashlights/keychain w/lights - the tiny keychains - they have a button you push and a small light comes on ... also, the energizer bunny rabbit flashlight. When the child presses the button, the light comes on.
- Lighted swords - a small sword that makes flashing lights when a button is pushed.
- TOYS R US has many neat items in their "party favor" section. Small eggs of Silly Putty, stickers, whistles, etc.
- I have found many great items from KAPLAN in NC. They are a school supply company and will send a catalog on request. Some of their items are expensive, but I've found many neat toys for younger kids. They also have a special needs catalog with toys that focus on cognitive skills.
- My tutors find the neatest trinkets (and cheap, too!) at discount stores like BIG LOTS, the dollar store, etc.
- Baby doll that says "Daddy's Boy" on it
- Work for tickles or hugs, or even "Blast off" where you lift them in the air like a rocket
- I bought the "Winnie the Pooh" pieces all separate and there are many scene's to choose from... Tiger at the lemon-aide stand, piglet on a picnic, Eeyore in the bath tub, Owl teaching school, and many others. If you go to the Disney store, they have one for all four seasons with Pooh in his raincoat and umbrella for Spring, Rabbit with his wheel barrel for summer Vegetable picking, and Tiger raking leaves for the Fall. I bought a plastic carry case from our Cost Cutters store and I keep all the pieces in there so they don't get lost
- Sony Discman and some Barney (or whatever CD's) to listen to
- Any size of play animals (real small or pretty large work best) especially dinosaurs or sea animals would be great.
- Sidewalk chalk
- Water paints
- Computer games
- Phonics desk by leapfrog
- Puzzles
- Toy cash registers that open up
- Discovery Toy's Hammer and Ball set, or any hammer and ball set where the ball rolls down different chutes and shafts.
- Marble Maze (in the copycat mail order catalogs, there are clear ones!)
- Falling Acrobats (or something like that . . . found it on clearance at Toys R Us)
- Coin Registers (a newer one I have from Toys R Us you put real coins in it and they sort into clear holders and then other buttons send them different places)
- Bubbles
- Balloons that you inflate and let go
- 100 board with clear circle poker chips to cover the numbers
- Old fashioned record player by fisher price
- Giant bead maze
- Boppin Beads Game (from Toys R Us)
- Flying Pirates Game (from Toys R Us)
- Hungry, Hungry Hipp (from Toys R Us)
- Connect 4 (from Toys R Us)
- Jack in the Box
- Crocodile Dentist - Travel Size (Walmart or Toys R Us)
- Bumble Ball
- School Bus w/people
- Vacuums (there are many to choose from, some look like dustbusters & have little balls, others have pieces of paper you actually vacuum up)
- Clocks (my son has always been fascinated w/these, there's a wonderful one that I will email you a link to shortly--my son learned how to tell time before he was 4)
- Dolls (help feed the baby, etc)
- Tool set
- Colorforms (kids can ride bikes, play ball, etc, etc)
- Puzzles
- Pegboards
- Dizzy Dryer (I found this game at Kay Bee toys for $5--haven't played it yet,but if he likes Elefun or whatever, then he'd probably like this too)
- Basketball games (the game ball is in a case so it doesn't get lost, lots of diff ones)
- Nervous hamster (you pull it's tail and it vibrates)
- Jack in the box
- Barney Bubble blower/music wand
- Banks (especially ones that are clear)
- Tops that spin, light up or play music
- A pen that makes a tornado when you push the button.
- Pop-up toys which shoot into the air unexpectedly
- Echo microphone
- Party noisemakers
- Party poppers (confetti shoots out when string is pulled)
- "Exploding" ice cream cone which shoots the foam ice cream
- Motorized Pez dispenser
- Silly string
- Wind-up toys
- Sound strips from Golden Sound Storybooks
- Self-inking rubber-stamps
- Stickers
- Removable tattoos
- Jumping frogs which "hop" when you squeeze air from an attached bulb
- Plastic snow globes
- Vibrating "bumble" balls
- Dizzy Doodlers
- Punching balls
- Pom poms
- Kaleidoscopes
- Clappers
- Expandable light-up "swords"
- Hats
- Mirrors so he can look at himself
- Music
- Books on Tape
- Animal/Character Figurines
- Horns
- Toy Cars
- Bells
- Aquarium
- Books
- Chalkboard
- Coloring
- Finger Painting
- Music Box
- Play-doh
- Sandbox
- Shaving cream
- TV
- Tinker Toys
- Water Play
- Outings (park, mall, zoo, etc.)
- Water and Oil toys
- A trip to see mommy, daddy, etc.-anyone who is not in the room
- Outside play
- Letter cards
- Number cards
- Legos
- Gak
- Floam
- Lite Bright
- Musical Toys
- Games (Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Go Fish)
- Bubbles (you blowing or the child)
- Computer Games
- Glitter wands
- Battery operated toys (animals that jump, cars the light up)
- Buckets of beans or rice
- Bubble packing foam
- Comic books
- Flashlights
- Rain Stick
Physical Reinforcers
- Blowing or saying silly things into a cup to hear the echo
- Tickles
- Tipping his chair back
- Kisses
- Holding his ankles and gently stomping his feet on the floor
- Raspberries on his palm
- Shaking his chair like an earthquake
- Anything that makes him anticipate: crawling a "spider" up his arm indicate
- "I'm coming to get you...."
- Funny faces
- Swinging
- Turning his chair into a "rocket" which lifts off after a countdown tipping his chair backwards quickly and then catching him
- Singing songs using his name
- Having stuffed animals jump and cheer for him
- Whispering something silly in her ear
- Playing chase games.
- Elevator rides: pick him up - "First floor!" - higher - "Second floor" "oh no, the elevator is going sideways!"
- Chair rides (I didn't invent this, but boy does it work!). "Fasten your seatbelt! Hold on to the chair!" Begin to lift chair off ground slowly
- Piggyback rides.
- Spiders with your hand - let him SPLAT!
- (Pretend) removing body parts - "I got your nose - I'll put it in my pocket..want it back?
- Stuffing stuffed animals down the back of his shirt, up his pants leg, in his sleeves.
- Pick up by the armpits for a big spin
- Borrow magic tricks - pull candy out of his ear.
- Musical chairs, or silly dancing then FREEZE! when the music stops.
- Electroshock (simulated please!) - use your fists as 'shock pads' anywhere on his body - or have him do it to you and get very silly.
- Instructor head into child stomach, tickly burrowing of head--real laughter zone.
- Wear a hooded sweatshirt with a draw string and make your head disappear as you tighten string. Ask child to help to get you out.
- Smell feet w/ dramatic P.U. and pass out on floor. Most children will proceed to put their feet in the proximity of your nose real soon.
- Put child on table for some break dancing. Lay child's stomach on table w/head toward you and feet away. Put left hand by feet and right by head to generate a pretty good right moving spin.
- Make child fly on your feet.
- Say "raise arms" then tickle-(don't do for child with little receptive understanding or you lose the command)
- Make Barney, Buzz or Woody doll do trials
- Disco
- "I hope I don't drop you..." with child in arms then pretty low to floor with whew! thank goodness
- The table is a tent when you put a blanket over it, crawl underneath in chase mode or hiding
- Put child on lap "mr. froggy's sitting on a rock, along comes (child's name)and the froggy goes kerplop!" throw child on couch or bean bag chair.
- Line your chairs up next to each other and go for a car ride. Seatbelts on. Check left and right for traffic, beep the horn, etc.
- Hit child's chest (gently please) with alternating palms so they can hear the funny difference between making a sound with reverberation