Toys For The Holidays

Fat Brain Toys shares with EP’s readers their recommendations for toys for the Holidays, based on feedback received from customers regarding how their site’s toys are being used by children with special needs.

PHYSICAL SKILLS

TEETER POPPER
A NEW instrument for play… how it’s used is up to the kids! Whether they rock it, roll it, sit in it or stand… kids want to move with Teeter Popper! How wildly fun it is! “POP-POP-POP… POP-POP-POP!” Senses go for a ride every time they play. A cinch to maneuver – stand, sit, rock, tilt, wobble, wiggle, spin. How children play is however they choose. Hand kids a Teeter Popper and walk away… but don’t look away. Seeing the curiosity, the surprise, the concentration on their faces as they attempt new movements is something you don’t want to miss. Teeter-popping excitement is catching, (so are their giggles). Kids find themselves teetering on the brink of perfect physical play. No special skills needed. In playful exploration, Teeter Popper improves core strength, stability, leg strength, balance, coordination and gross-motor skills. Curiosity wakes up, senses come alive, imagination engages, and creativity gets moving! www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/teeter_popper.cfm

BRAIN FOOD
The most tantalizing, mesmerizing mass of gelatinous dough you’ll ever see or pleasure in handling. Our Brains are Healthy. The Putty is Responsible. Get ready to nurture your neurons with a big dose of Brain Food! Open up the fun tin and eyes are immediately dazzled by  intriguing hues of sparkling metallics and vibrant colors. Reach in, start grabbing, and – WOW! – Synapses light up with wonder! Super-smooth, ever-moving putty feels weirdly amazing in your hands as you mold, bend, stretch, and explore. Squish it as flat as possible. Stretch it as wide as your arms can go. Squeeze it and watch as it oozes between your fingers. Sculpt it into all kinds of wild, mind-bending shapes.It’s endless brain-molding excitement! The oh-so-soothing kneading of elastic, vibrant putty channels fidget energy so you can focus mentally. Ideal for networking your right and left brain, Brain Food is just the prescription for “stretching” the imagination, promoting the free flow of ideas, and enhancing relaxation. Plus, since it’s chemically inert, non-toxic, and contains no latex or wheat compounds, it’s perfectly safe for nearly everyone on the planet! (That is, just so long as you don’t eat it.)
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toys/brain_food.cfm

PERPLEXUS ROOKIE
Welcome to Perplexus Rookie! Rookie Perplexus offers newcomers a three dimensional puzzle challenge like no other. Over 70 barriers to your success draw you into the action as Perplexus twists, turns, takes you in and out, down dips, and around winding spirals. Guide the metal ball toward the maze finish. Maneuver surprising routes of challenge that test your hand-eye coordination, focus, and perseverance. The biggest reward of Perplexus Rookie? Is it found in the fun along the way?.. Or, is it the moment when the metal ball finally reaches its destination? A sheltered finish keeps the ball in place at the end to secure your success. After this remarkable achievement you’re going to want to show the whole family! 6.5 inches in diameter, Perplexus Rookie is filled with layers of detailed maze structures and facets you’ll find both fascinating and mind-bending. And once you’ve mastered the Rookie Perplexus, the fun doesn’t stop here! Try the Original Perplexus version or the Epic Perplexus for even more of a challenge!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/patch_products/perplexus_rookie.cfm

ROLLIGO
Push it, pull it, roll it, GO! Have you ever tried playing pool with a child and all they wanted to do was push the pool balls around inside the rack? Well, we’ve taken that concept, stacked it up tall, and completely redesigned it with a modern style and brilliant colors kids will love. Grab the ten multi-colored spheres and easily stack them inside the special Rolligo rack. Give it a little push, and – VROOOM! Little minds light up with delight as the vibrant colors spin in all directions! Push it forward, back, sideways, and all around any which way you want. The stunning display of twisting, turning colors keeps little ones enthralled for hours! Meanwhile, gross motor, fine motor, and imaginative play skills all grow and accelerate continuously. Surprisingly simple yet endlessly entertaining, Rolligo is a sensory adventure kids won’t want to miss. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/rolligo.cfm

LEARNING SHOE
Learning Shoe brings early learning that’s a step in the right direction! First, explore the sensory aspects. Touch the soft, soft plush. Give the toe a squeak! Jingle the shoe and a bell rings. Peek at a smiling face in the child-safe mirror on the sole. Then, learn real-life dressing skills! Push the over-sized button through the loop, zip up the back of the shoe, stick the velcro-like tab, tie the laces in a knot or bow.  Learning Shoe is a great fit for little children! Tying shoes, buttoning, zipping… little children practice and learn basic life tasks one step at a time. Learning Shoe entertains and teaches skills that eventually take kids places!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/melissa_doug/learning_shoe.cfm

BUILD A BOUQUET
Slide together flower petals, centers, leaves, stems and build a bouquet! Beautifully-designed pieces fit together with ease – 24 flower parts, 16 stems and leaf sections, 4 green bases. Pick and choose to form fabulous flowers. No need to mention the fact that this is building and construction! Creativity takes root and early logic and reasoning flourishes, along with countless colorful flowers. Build-a-Bouquet is made of durable recycled milk cartons. Grow a garden of earth-friendly fun with the Build-a-Bouquet building set.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/green_toys/build_a_bouquet.cfm

SQUIGZ
Squigz are fun little suckers! Apply pressure to two Squigz. Air rushes out and the fun rushes in! Connecting to each other and to any solid, non-porous surface, Squigz are a species all their own. They flex. They stick. They suck people into creativity. Once they take hold, it takes some pull to separate them. When Squigz POP! in protest, you’ll have to admit… your hands and ears are shamelessly delighted! They are flexible fellows and committed joiners. Squigz and fellow Squigz have one chief enterprise – creating things. Willingly, they assemble to become rockets, vehicles, a cushion for the cat, jewelry… they thrill in uniting as a ginormous octopus or squid. Squigz are scientific sorts – always up for playful experimentation and defying gravity – sticking to bathtubs, windows, school lockers, tabletops, and office desktops. (And they are mannerly guests too – never leaving a trace of their presence.) Playful curiosity. It’s a whole new gig!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/squigz.cfm

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

MINI CAGE BELL
Sweet and safe music maker for the smallest of musicians! Bright, candy-color cage hold a single rolling jingle bell. The sound the Mini Cage Bell makes is bright and soft – not annoying in the least. Sensory awareness in sight and sound improves with every play. Shown above are 2 of the colors the bell is available, very gender neutral. Please note this is a single item. Little hands will happily grasp the sturdy plastic ring and be all smiles at hearing wonderful bell sounds.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/hohner/mini_cage_bell.cfm

SKWISH STIX
Bring Skwish Stix to the tabletop for baby to play! Bright, colorful wooden rods and stretchy cords hold beautiful sliding beads. Baby can pull, squish, bend, grab, play, even chew. Sensory exploration is right at home, while baby learns cause and effect and develops strong grasping and reaching skills. The sturdy suction cup base adheres to nearly any flat, smooth surface. Just about any tabletop or high chair tray becomes a playground for sensory learning! Give the sensory fun of classic Skwish, made for the tabletop!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/manhattan_toy/skwish_stix.cfm

KINETIC SAND
The breeze feels good in your hair. Flowing water soothes your feet. And Kinetic Sand glides wonderfully between your fingers.  Remarkably, Kinetic Sand moves by itself as you work with it. It continually rearranges itself. Squeeze it, shape it, build something small. Build something big. Visibly it quick-melts, and the movement is fascinating! It looks like real sand, because it is 98% pure sand. It moves like dense fluid without making a mess. That’s the 2% of nontoxic polymer. It sticks to itself, so cleanup is a breeze. Kinetic Sand soothes and engages both kids and adults, in schools, at work, in therapy sessions, and at home.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/waba_fun_llc/kinetic_sand_22_lb.cfm

PLAYABLE ART BALL
We dare you to hold the Playable Art Ball in your hands and put it down. We know. Your mind is still reeling over the thought of  relinquishing the Playable Art Ball. We can’t say we blame you. Specially designed connectors enable you to twist, bend, expand, contract, and manipulate every-which-way, the beautiful, vibrant wooden beads. 20 fragments unite for polished perfection. It’s the child’s toy, desk toy, coffee table toy that seldom is ever left alone.
https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/beyond123/playable_art_ball.cfm

GIANT PLAYING CARDS
Piatnik luxury playing cards are characterized by the highest quality. Piatnik luxury playing cards make excellent gifts for many different occasions. The Giant Playing Cards are 7 x 4.5 inches and have 54 cards in the deck. The Piatnik name is the best known playing card manufacturer in Europe. The Piatnik family has remained faithful to the original principles of their founder, never compromising the quality of their product nor service. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/piatnik_of_america/giant_playing_cards.cfm

TOBBLES
Sleek, modern-looking Tobbles was designed for your kids, though you’ll admire Tobbles too! Looking gorgeous is one thing. Gratifying to hold in your hands is another. The dual-textured surface of each sphere, the pleasant heft to each weighted piece… It gets better. Just wait until you see Tobbles in motion. Physics interplays with design perfection. Creativity, experimentation, and innovative play take on a new spin. And do they ever spin! Six uniquely weighted Tobbles pieces to carefully balance, suitably nest, recklessly spin and tower far above your expectations. For encouraging sensory exploration, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and visual spatial awareness, Tobbles is a dynamic toy with truly endless possibilities. Stack, topple, spin, balance, wobble, tilt, and wiggle. Little hands delight in the never-ending discovery of Tobbles. Tobbles accelerates aptitudes for exploration with hours of abstract fun!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/tobbles.cfm

PAT BELLS
Musical bells design at its finest! Pat. Intuitively Easy. No striking with a mallet, no handle to hold on, simply tap on the wooden knobs for enchanting tones. Ideal for young children or entire family. Patented design eliminates double-ring effect that might frustrate young learners when playing with standard handbells. Simple tapping motion enables pleasing auditory experience for children with low muscle one or delayed motor skill development. “Colorful” Sounds. Children play by following the color-coded songs or create their own music. It promotes eye-hand coordination and self-esteem. Made of quality Beech wood and iron. There are 8 songs included: Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, My Little Donkey, Butterfly, Spring Song, Busy Bees, Cuckoo and Song of Lotus.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/beyond123/pat_bells.cfm

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

MAKE A FACE MAGNET SET
Fun with Faces provides hours of open-ended fun with over 47 magnet face pieces plus overlay sheets on a 9 x 12″ double-sided magnetic playboard. It’s packed in a handy vinyl carrying bag and includes a booklet with suggested activities and design ideas. Ages 3 & up.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/dowling_magnets/make_a_face_magnet_set.cfm

LIGHTSHOW STICK
Can you imagine a magical light show in your hand? Can you imagine 32 built-in light show patterns from super bright LED’s? Can you imagine all this and batteries included too? Enjoy the Light Show Stick anywhere! Looks great in the daytime and hypnotic at night! It’s so easy to use. Just switch it on and enjoy the show! It is so portable that you can take it anywhere: parties, concerts, amusement parks – anywhere you want to dazzle your friends! Even the batteries are included so you can enjoy your Light Show Stick right now!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/wild_planet_entertainment_inc_by_toysmith/light_show_stick.cfm

3D FEEL AND FIND
Contains 20 matching wooden shapes and printed tiles in a reusable, durable cloth bag. Deal out the tiles and have children reach into the bag to Feel & Find™ the corresponding wooden shape. Play alone or in larger groups. A great visual and tactile exercise. Materials: Cloth Bag, Hardboard, Hardwood. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/guidecraft/3d_feel_find.cfm

TODDLER WAVE DRUM
A wave drum for little hands to tap, tap, tap…and they will! Toddlers just can’t resist the fishy wave drum. Give it a few wallops and beads scatter. They rattle and spin about, and curiosity gets rolling too! Tip it side-to-side to hear the rush of ocean waves. The specially textured rim encourages tactile exploration and the ocean animals make a splash with children. Toddler Wave Drum brings endless fascination and fun! https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/hohner/toddler_wave_drum.cfm

FLASHBEAT DRUM
Give your toddler the drum with colorful lights, cool music, drum beats and funny sounds! The Flash Beat Drum plays as it is rolled on the floor, touched on the drum pad or any of the four sound buttons. It is a great toy for pre-walkers. Requires 3 AA batteries, included. Ages 12+. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/international_playthings/flashbeat_drum.cfm

POKE-A-DOT! 10 LITTLE MONKEYS
These fun, tactile books help kids learn to count without losing count! Raised buttons pop in on every page so kids can press them as they count. With 10 spreads and 30 poke-able poppin’ dots, this book is hands-on, minds-on fun! What’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys? How about a house full of ’em? Kids will love poking the dots and hearing them pop as they learn to count down from 10 in the favorite childhood rhyme “Ten Little Monkeys.” www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/innovative_kids/poke_a_dot_10_little_monkeys.cfm

AUTISM SPECTRUM

MAGNETIC MIGHTY MIND
Give your child a big boost of educational brilliance! The ingenuity of Mighty Mind makes it a stand-out favorite with teachers & child development experts everywhere. It’s an activity toy that develops the essential skills every child needs! Great for developing creativity, Mighty Mind helps children understand visual/spatial relationships. It’s a great confidence builder in a fun, purposeful format. Children learn to solve puzzles entirely on their own! Starting with the simple concept of manipulating two half circles, the child creates a full circle. Then, by following a logical numerically programmed sequence of patterns, the child learns how to manipulate 32 geometric shapes to build pictures of increasing complexity. Whether your child uses the enclosed pattern cards or designs his or her own figures, animals, people, buildings, and imaginative pictures, increased skills will always result!This version of Mighty Mind has magnetic tiles. It contains 32 design tiles in 6 basic geometric shapes (4 colors, large & small sizes). These tiles are neatly stored in the convenient cotton storage pouch. Also included is a deck of 30 sturdy puzzle board cards which are organized and programmed in numerical sequence to show children how to build and solve puzzles. All items are enclosed in a handy storage tin – this Mightymind set is ideal for travel!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/leisure_learning_products_inc/magnetic_mightymind.cfm

SQUIGZ
Squigz are fun little suckers! Apply pressure to two Squigz. Air rushes out and the fun rushes in! Connecting to each other and to any solid, non-porous surface, Squigz are a species all their own. They flex. They stick. They suck people into creativity. Once they take hold, it takes some pull to separate them. When Squigz POP! in protest, you’ll have to admit… your hands and ears are shamelessly delighted! They are flexible fellows and committed joiners. Squigz and fellow Squigz have one chief enterprise – creating things. Willingly, they assemble to become rockets, vehicles, a cushion for the cat, jewelry… they thrill in uniting as a ginormous octopus or squid. Squigz are scientific sorts – always up for playful experimentation and defying gravity – sticking to bathtubs, windows, school lockers, tabletops, and office desktops.  (And they are mannerly guests too – never leaving a trace of their presence.) Playful curiosity. It’s a whole new gig!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/squigz.cfm

TEETER POPPER
A NEW instrument for play… how it’s used is up to the kids! Whether they rock it, roll it, sit in it or stand… kids want to move with Teeter Popper! How wildly fun it is! “POP-POP-POP… POP-POP-POP!” Senses go for a ride every time they play. A cinch to maneuver – stand, sit, rock, tilt, wobble, wiggle, spin. How children play is however they choose. Hand kids a Teeter Popper and walk away… but don’t look away. Seeing the curiosity, the surprise, the concentration on their faces as they attempt new movements is something you don’t want to miss. Teeter-popping excitement is catching, (so are their giggles). Kids find themselves teetering on the brink of perfect physical play. No special skills needed. In playful exploration, Teeter Popper improves core strength, stability, leg strength, balance, coordination and gross-motor skills. Curiosity wakes up, senses come alive, imagination engages, and creativity gets moving!
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/teeter_popper.cfm

TANGLE THERAPY
Relax and twist by using the powers of the mind. Use Tangle Therapy for hand and mind wellness. This Tangle is covered with soft, flexible texturized plastic. It is comprised of a system of rotating interconnecting links that can be twisted, turned, bent, coiled and shaped into an endless amount of shapes. Tangle Therapy relieves minor stress, improves range of hand motion, restores motion of joints, strengthens finger muscles, and rehabilitates hand muscles and joints. Complete instructions are included. Tangle Therapy fits in your hand for single handed manipulation. Ages 3 and up. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/tangle/tangle_therapy.cfm

BILIBO
Children have an amazing talent for finding unusual uses for their toys or, more inconveniently, finding interesting new uses for your property – mostly at the exact same time that you need it. If you have given a present and found that the kids play more with the box or, have despaired at spending Christmas Day watching the children use the tubes from the tinfoil and the wrapping paper as swords, whilst ignoring all their carefully selected, non-violent toys, the perfect present has arrived. Say hello to Bilibo. Tortoise shell and sand toy, swing and spinner, cradle for dolls and a shell to build with in the snow – Bilibo is all this and much more. So what exactly is a Bilibo? Well one clue is the fact that it does not come with an instruction manual. Kids can do what they like with it! This shell is made of high density olyethylene which is shock-resistant, weather-proof, food safe, completely recyclable, and comes in eight bright colors. Bilibo is big enough that kids of different ages can sit in it comfortably. Bilibo has two holes at the side which look like eyes and give the appearance of a smiling face on the shell. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/kid_o/bilibo.cfm

PLUI
A rain ball for bath or pool, Plui is one unique little creature. Immerse Plui in water to fill him up and then plug your finger over the top hole as you raise it up high. Lift your finger from the nozzle and water falls like rain. The only difference… you get to control the downpour! Plui stimulates the senses and discovery of basic physical principles. So sleek, round, and rare – kids everywhere (even big kids) love to get  heir hands on Plui. www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/kid_o/plui.cfm

SWINGY THING
Get your synapses firing fast with SwingyThing! Colorful spinning flippers and dippers send you into crazy chaos as 52 exciting challenges get your hands and brain working together. Start out easy with the “Earth Blastoff” where you spin just one of the dippers. Try out the “Venisian Sunrise” where you spin one of the dippers plus the big outer flipper. Explode into the “Super Nova” as you spin all but two of the dippers and then sink into the “Black Hole” as you spin all but one. Finally, once you make it through all 52 challenges, try to do them all again, but this time with a “Slam!” That’s where you get them flipping but in OPPOSITE directions! Hypnotic, addictive, and challenging for kids and adults alike, you won’t be able to stop yourself from spinning into brain-busting excitement with SwingyThing.
www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/swingy_thing.cfm

FAT BRAIN TOY COMPANY
Husband and wife-owned and operated, Fat Brain Toys aims to offer only the best in quality toys, games, books and puzzles. As one of the largest specialty toy retailers in the world, Fat Brain Toys has proudly served OVER 1,000,000 satisfied customers! Fat Brain Toys is “A Smarter Way to Play!” For over three years, Fat Brain Toys has been collecting valuable feedback from their customers on how their toys are being used by children with special needs. Their mission is to provide a comprehensive resource, where caregivers of individuals with special needs can go to find information on developmentally appropriate toys, games and tools. Learn more at: www.fatbraintoys.com/special_needs/index.cfm

EDITOR’S NOTE: Some of the toys from this selection may need to be used with adult supervision.

 

 

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