Gift Guide


Gifts That Give More Gift Guide & Contest

Beautifully wrapped presents, surprises from Santa, stockings overflowing with goodies galore, ‘tis the season for gift giving!

Your little ones have most likely scoured store catalogs and flyers for the newest toys and must-have items to add to their gift wish lists. And, while you’ll want to have some of those special items under the tree, you should also consider gifts that are not only fun but offer developmental benefits as well.

“The best toys to give children are those that promote developmental growth during play,” said Allison Crumpler, a speech-language pathologist and the director of clinical compliance for Raleigh Therapy Services. “There are plenty of popular toys that help support and advance fine and gross motor skills, balance, memorization, imagination, social interactions, speech and much more.”

Our Raleigh Therapy Services’ team of expert pediatric speech-language pathologists and physical and occupational therapists use an assortment of learning toys and games in the therapy services they provide to their young patients. They’ve handpicked their favorite learning toys from Learning Express Toys of Raleigh-North Hills for you to consider as you start to shop.

Gifts That Give More

 

Infants to 12 months

 

Chewbeads & Bobeads

Age:

6 months and up 

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Safe teething option
  • Helps to strengthen jaw muscles needed for chewing

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Safe “chewing” option for oral seeking children who feel the urge to put objects in their mouths

 

Lollacup

Age:

9 months and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Supports straw drinking technique
  • Straw drinking helps contribute to development of lip and mouth muscles needed for speech and sound production

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Holding the handles and cup help with fine motor skill improvement
  • Helps children develop self-feeding skills

 

Take-Along Shape Sorter

Age:

9 months and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Supports shape and color identification and recognition
  • Enables child to follow simple directions
  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes problem-solving strategies

Gross Motor

  • Supports motor coordination development

 

1 to 2 Years

 

Migoga Junior

Age:

18 months to 5 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces new vocabulary
  • Supports color identification and recognition

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination
  • Supports tactile exploration and auditory input
  • Promotes problem-solving strategies

Gross Motor

  • Supports hand-eye coordination

 

SpinAgain Stack

Age:

1 to 3 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Supports shape and color identification and recognition
  • Enables child to follow simple directions
  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes problem-solving strategies

Gross Motor

  • Supports bilateral coordination

 

iPlay Funtime Tractor

Age:

1 to 3 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces animal and environmental sounds
  • Supports animal identification and recognition

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination
  • Supports tactile exploration and auditory input

Gross Motor

  • Encourages mobility
  • Supports bilateral coordination

 

Touch & Feel Books

Age:

1 to 4 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Helps to increase vocabulary
  • Introduces item labeling opportunities

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Page turning engages fine motor movements
  • Touching and feeling support sensory opportunities and introduces new textures

 

Kidoozie Sand ‘N Splash Activity Table

Age:

2 to 8 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Encourages pretend play to promote language development
  • Introduces opportunities for social interaction

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Supports fine motor control development
  • Supports tactile exploration

Gross Motor

  • Encourages mobility
  • Supports hand-eye and bilateral coordination

 

Zoku Quick Pop Maker & Fish Pops

Age:

2 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces opportunities to target and increase tongue range needed for speech
  • Offers exciting way to introduce new food flavors and textures

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Supports oral tactile exploration

 

3 to 5 years

 

Wikki Stix Traveler

Age:

3 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Supports letter, shape and color identification and recognition
  • Encourages pretend play to promote language development

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Supports tactile exploration

Gross Motor

  • Supports hand-eye and bilateral coordination

 

Kidoozie Pop-Up ‘N Play Goal

Age:

3 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities
  • Introduces opportunities for social interaction

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves proprioceptive input
  • Promotes sensory regulation
  • Encourages coordinated movement of the eyes, head, and body

Gross Motor

  • Encourages mobility
  • Supports bilateral coordination
  • Engages both legs and arms

 

Fold & Go Trampoline

Age:

3 to 8 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities
  • Introduces opportunities for social interaction

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves proprioceptive input
  • Promotes sensory regulation
  • Encourages coordinated movement of the eyes, head, and body

Gross Motor

  • Helps to strengthen core muscles and movements
  • Encourages balance and stability
  • Engages both legs and arms

 

Bead Bouquet

Age:

4 to 8 years

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces new shapes, colors, and patterns
  • Enables child to follow simple directions

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes visual spatial awareness

 

Boogie Board Jot & Mermaid Sequin Board

Age:

4 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Supports letter and shape identification and recognition
  • Encourages letter and sound correspondence
  • Enables child to follow simple directions

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and writing/drawing
  • Supports tactile exploration

 

Spooner Freestyle Board

Age:

4 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Promotes sensory regulation
  • Encourages coordinated movement of the eyes, head, and body

Gross Motor

  • Helps to strengthen core muscles and movements
  • Encourages balance and stability
  • Engages both legs and arms

 

Hopscotch Action Game

Age:

5 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities
  • Promotes sequencing
  • Introduces opportunities for social interaction

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Promotes visual spatial awareness
  • Encourages coordinated movement of the eyes, head, and body

Gross Motor

  • Helps to strengthen core muscles and movements
  • Encourages balance and stability
  • Engages both legs and arms

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Logic Game Jr.

Age:

5 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes problem-solving strategies

Gross Motor

  • Supports bilateral coordination

6 years and up

 

Sing-Along Pro Karaoke Microphone

Age:

6 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Promotes sound/word/phrase imitation
  • Encourages melodic intonation and volume control
  • Develops storytelling abilities
  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities
  • Introduces opportunities for social interaction

 

Rubik’s Race

Age:

7 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Introduces turn-taking opportunities

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping and placing pieces
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes problem-solving strategies

Gross Motor

  • Supports bilateral coordination

 

Crazy Aaron’s Mixed by Me Glow in the Dark Thinking Putty Kit

Age:

8 years and up

Developmental benefits:

Speech/Language

  • Enables child to follow simple directions
  • Promotes sequencing

Fine Motor/Sensory

  • Involves fine motor muscles for grasping, mixing, etc.
  • Supports tactile exploration
  • Promotes sensory regulation

Gross Motor

  • Supports bilateral coordination

 

Enter to Win!

Visit our Raleigh Therapy Services Facebook page now through Friday, Dec. 15 to like, comment and share our Gifts that Give More graphic for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Learning Express Toys of Raleigh-North Hills! Only one entry per person. Winner will be drawn at random on Saturday, Dec. 16.

 

  Filed under: Gift Guide, Parenting Tips