The holiday season has officially arrived! Millions of children around the world anticipate new toys and gifts. However, buying toys for kids with cerebral palsy can sometimes prove difficult.
Gift buyers must consider how accessible some gifts are, accounting for a child’s differences in mobility, motor function, and mental and physical abilities.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly 17% of children have a developmental disability. Chief among these disabilities is cerebral palsy, a type of birth injury and the most common motor-function disability in childhood.
Find out if you qualify for compensation from a birth injury lawsuit, which can help you pay for your child’s medical care and more.
Luckily, there’s a large — and growing — assortment of toys and gifts that have been developed for children with cerebral palsy and other related disabilities.
Companies like Nebraska-based Fat Brain Toys® make dozens of educational toys that cater toward developing sensory, motor function, and tactile skills, which are especially suitable for children with disabilities like cerebral palsy.
If you’re shopping for a child with a disability this year, check with the family or parents of the child to see if they’ve created a wish list for friends and relatives to pick from.
If you’re still stuck, below are some great gift ideas for children with cerebral palsy and developmental delays.
1. Kinetic Sand™
As one of the most popular cerebral palsy toys on the market, Kinetic Sand™ is certainly a crowd-pleaser. Designed to look and feel similar to real wet sand at the beach, Kinetic Sand is an excellent toy for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD).
It’s also great for helping children develop fine motor skills. Kinetic Sand doesn’t stick to fingers or create a mess — it sticks to itself. It stiffens when squeezed and unstiffens when released, allowing it to be molded, stacked, and squashed.
Not only does Kinetic Sand help children develop motor skills, it also encourages sensory exploration and tactile development, making it a particularly popular gift for children with cerebral palsy.
Recommended Age(s): 3+
2. Pop Blocs Farm Animals
Developed by toymaker Melissa & Doug®, Pop Blocs Farm Animals come in a pack of five soft, plastic animals and are intended to be mixed and matched.
These adorable farm animals can be snapped together, pulled apart, mixed up, and combined in unique and exciting ways.
The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF) recommended the toy for:
- Encouraging sensory development
- Promoting tactical strength
- Inspiring creativity
If you have a creative child who would appreciate one of the most innovative sensory toys for cerebral palsy, consider Pop Blocs Farm Animals this holiday season.
Recommended Age(s): 1-3
3. Fat Brain Toys Dimpl™ Duo
From Fat Brain Toys, the Dimpl™ Duo is one of several different Dimpl toys that contain squishy, silicone-based buttons for children to feel as well as pop in and out.
A tactile toy at its core, Dimpl Duo can help:
- Strengthen motor function
- Promote language skills (as children learn to identify different shapes)
- Serve as a calming, anxiety-reducer or form of stress relief
Also in the Dimpl series are Dimpl Duo Stack Bundle and Dimpl Pops. Fat Brain Toys offers many different sensory toys for cerebral palsy.
Recommended Age(s): 1+
4. Books
For children who love stories, several different children’s books — and series — feature main characters with disabilities whose struggles and triumphs offer relatability and shared experience.
Some great illustrated choices for young children include:
- “The Adventures of Bessie Bunny” by Karen Bunney
- “Adventures of the Sensokids” series by Reema Naim
- “To the Top” by Annette Bay Pimentel
- “Little Senses” series by Samantha Cotterill
- “We Move Together” by Kelly Fritsch and Anne McGuire
- “What Happened to You?” by James Catchpole
For older children who have started reading on their own, good representation of disabled characters remains important so they can continue building confidence.
“The Amazing Edie Eckhart,” which is often best for children ages 8-12 years old, is just one example of a book with positive representation of a disabled main character.
If you need more book recommendations, try visiting your local library or asking a bookseller at a bookstore nearby.
Recommended Age(s): Varies
5. Munchkin® Mozart Magic Cube
A widely popular toy — and a favorite among babies and children with disabilities — the Mozart Magic Cube teaches musical combinations, inspires creativity, and encourages tactile and sensory exploration.
The cube produces sounds from five unique instruments:
- Flute
- French horn
- Harp
- Piano
- Violin
Playing with musical instruments and toys that mimic their sounds can be a great way to help children with cerebral palsy develop fine motor skills and improve sensory coordination and concentration.
Recommended Age(s): All ages
6. Boxer
Developed with children of all ability levels in mind, the interactive robot Boxer takes commands and responds to hand movements and gestures.
For children who are developing fine motor skills and learning coordination between certain muscles, Boxer can both provide motivation and laughs while teaching cause and effect.
Boxer is known for its expressive eyes, catchy sounds, and big personality. Children can teach, watch, and guide the robot as it does tricks, wheelies, and other stunts. Using scannable game cards, Boxer can also be taught sports like soccer and bowling.
In addition to responding to movement, Boxer can also be controlled with a hand-held remote.
Recommended Age(s): 6+
7. Elefun
Previously recommended by the CPF, Elefun (by Hasbro Gaming®) is a children’s game featuring a motorized elephant that produces music and other fun sounds.
Armed with a net, each player attempts to catch floating butterflies as they are blown out of the elephant’s 3-foot trunk.
For children with cerebral palsy, the game is excellent for teaching hand-eye coordination and helping children develop fine motor skills as they move about the room (or yard) attempting to collect as many butterflies as they can.
Recommended Age(s): 3+
8. Stan the Weighted Starfish
Created by Form and Function, Stan the Weighted Starfish is a soft, textured, and highly versatile stuffed animal for kids.
From the textured bumps covering the starfish to the smiley face, many aspects of Stan the Weighted Starfish will bring comfort to children, whether it’s used passively or during playtime.
This toy can provide support for children with CP in areas like:
- Mood and attention
- Tactile seeking
- Transition and travel
Since Stan the Weighted Starfish is 3 pounds, children shouldn’t sleep with this toy. During waking hours and with an adult present, the toy is safe for kids with cerebral palsy or other special needs.
Recommended Age(s): Intended for children who weigh over 30 lbs.
9. Montessori Kitchen Toys
A kitchen playset allows your child to practice useful, everyday skills while improving their fine motor abilities.
Montessori kitchen playset may include:
- A cutting board
- Brooms, dustpans, and other cleaning tools
- Plates, bowls, and utensils
- Pots and pans
- Storage spaces
- Wooden or plastic knives
The knives in these sets are designed for toddlers and may even be capable of cutting fruit, so your child can practice a valuable skill while staying completely safe.
With a variety of options available, these playsets let your child explore imaginative cooking while developing coordination and dexterity in a supportive, playful environment.
Recommended Age(s): Varies by playset
10. Therapeutic Balls Kit
The Therapeutic Balls Kit contains a variety of 30 balls and similar toys designed to enhance your child’s motor skills. Recommended by therapists, these balls feature a variety of textures, weights, sizes, and designs to keep kids curious and happy.
This kit is particularly beneficial for kids with CP because it can help:
- Develop fine motor skills
- Strengthen hands and fingers
- Decrease stress and promote comfort
Whether your child tosses the soft, spiked balls in the air or fidgets with the larger smiley face ball that makes noise, they’ll find hours of fun with the Therapeutic Balls Kit this holiday season.
Recommended Age(s): 3+
Making the Holidays Special for Children of All Abilities
Sometimes the best gifts are also the simplest: those that bring joy and happiness or just make life easier for those struggling with any physical or mental challenges.
“Life with a disability can mean doing things a bit differently and finding creative solutions to everyday challenges,” as stated by the CPF.
Whatever — or however — you decide to give this holiday season, it’s always important to remember that there’s no such thing as “the perfect gift.” As always, what matters most is the heart, thought, and intention that goes into the gifts you get for others.
Happy holidays from all of our cerebral palsy lawyers, registered nurses, and staff at Sokolove Law!
Note: All brands are trademarks of their respective companies.
