Choosing holiday gifts for kids can feel overwhelming-you want something fun, engaging, and age-appropriate, but also something that supports your child’s development. As pediatric therapists, we spend all year using play to build skills in the areas of speech and language, fine motor, gross motor, sensory processing, executive functioning, and social-emotional learning.
To help families shop with confidence, we’ve created a therapist-approved Holiday Gift Guide with our top toy recommendations organized by age group. Each section highlights key toy ideas, explains the therapeutic benefits behind them, and offers a curated Amazon list with the items shown and plenty of additional choices!
Infant Toy Ideas (<1 year)
Focus Areas: sensory exploration, early fine motor skills, cause and effect, early language exposure, tummy time engagement
Top Picks + How They Help
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- Soft sensory books: These encourage visual attention, early joint attention, and early language through labeling simple pictures. Crinkly pages and textures support tactile exploration.
- Rattles & grasp toys: Great for developing grasp patterns, hand-to-hand transfer, and auditory attention.
- Simple Shape Sorters: Support visual-motor integration, problem solving, and fine motor development.
- Tummy time mats/mirrors: Mirrors help infants build neck strength, push up on forearms, and develop early social awareness.
- Stacking cups or rings: Though simple, these teach cause-and-effect, promote early problem solving, and encourage bilateral hand use.
- Learning Boxes: Learning boxes that include simple items like textured fabrics, soft rattles, small shakers, high-contrast cards, or early cause-and-effect toys give infants a safe way to explore new sensory experiences. These sets support visual attention, early problem-solving, grasp development, and tactile exploration. Rotating the items in and out keeps babies engaged and helps build curiosity and early cognitive skills.
Amazon List:
Holiday Gift Guide- Infants
Toddler Toy Ideas (1–3 years)
Focus Areas: speech and language development, imitation skills, pretend play, motor planning, sensory exploration
Top Picks + How They Help
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- Pretend play sets (kitchens, food sets, doctor kits, people, animals): Pretend play at this age builds early vocabulary, symbolic play, turn-taking, and social skills.
- Puzzles: Support visual-motor integration, problem solving, and fine motor development.
- Push/pull toys & riding toys: Great for balance, coordination, strengthening, and motor planning.
- Blocks (foam, wooden, or mega blocks): Encourage creativity, stacking, bilateral coordination, and spatial understanding.
- Tunnels: Crawling through play tunnels helps toddlers build core strength, coordination, and motor planning. They also encourage imaginative play and can be used as part of simple obstacle courses to support following directions and body awareness.
- Bubbles: Bubbles are a therapy staple for a reason-they naturally motivate language, eye contact, joint attention, and turn-taking. Toddlers practice imitation (“pop!” “more!”), breath control, and fine motor skills as they reach, pop, or try blowing bubbles themselves.
- Cause-and-Effect Toys: Toys that light up, play music, spin, or respond to a button press help toddlers understand actions and outcomes. These toys support early problem-solving, attention, and imitation skills, and are great for encouraging communication (i.e. “go”, “stop”, “again!”).
Amazon List:
Holiday Gift Guide- Toddler
Preschool Toy Ideas (3–5 years)
Focus Areas: fine motor skills, early handwriting readiness, regulation, expanding pretend play, following directions, coordination
Top Picks + How They Help
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- Play-Doh sets and tools: Rolling, pinching, and cutting strengthen hand muscles for pre-writing and improve tactile tolerance.
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- Pretend play sets (kitchens, food sets, doctor kits, people, animals): Pretend play at this age builds early vocabulary, symbolic play, turn-taking, and social skills.
- Obstacle course items (stepping stones, tunnels, balance beams): Perfect for gross motor skills, balance, coordination, and building sensory regulation routines.
- Lacing Beads: Lacing beads strengthen the small muscles of the hand, improve bilateral coordination, and support early pre-writing skills. They also promote visual-motor integration and attention as children sequence colors or follow simple patterns.
- Mini Trampoline: A small indoor trampoline provides a safe outlet for movement, supports balance and coordination, and offers strong sensory input to help with regulation. It is also an excellent way to work on motor planning and controlled movement during structured play.
- Fine Motor Games: Games that involve tweezers, tongs, spinning wheels, or small pieces help build grasp strength, hand precision, and early problem-solving skills. These activities support pre-writing readiness, visual scanning, and turn-taking in a playful, motivating format.
- Board games for early learners (Candy Land, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, First Orchard): Support turn-taking, attention, problem solving, and emotional regulation.
Amazon List:
Holiday Gift Guide- Preschool
School-Age Toy Ideas (5+ years)
Focus Areas: handwriting/visual-motor skills, executive functioning, emotional regulation, cooperative play, strength and coordination
Top Picks + How They Help
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- STEM building toys (Magna-Tiles, LEGO sets, STEM challenge kits): Support planning, spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and creativity.
- Active equipment (jump rope, mini trampoline, scooter board): Build strength, endurance, coordination, and provide a healthy sensory outlet.
- Board games with strategy (Guess Who, Connect 4, Rush Hour, Sequence for Kids, Sorry): Enhance attention, flexible thinking, working memory, and social skills.
- Art supplies (beads, lacing sets, fuse beads, drawing kits): Improve grasp, bilateral coordination, precision, and creative expression.
- Theraputty: Theraputty is a versatile strengthening tool that improves hand and finger strength, endurance, and fine motor control. It can be used for squeezing, pinching, hiding small objects, and handwriting warm-ups.
- Obstacle Course Kits: Ready-to-go obstacle sets-such as stepping stones, balance pods, and agility rings-support motor planning, coordination, strength, and sensory regulation. They’re perfect for creative movement challenges and building confidence through physical play.
- Design & Drill Boards: These sets combine creativity with fine motor work. Kids practice hand strength, grasp patterns, visual–spatial planning, and problem-solving as they design patterns and use the kid-safe drill to screw pieces into place.
Amazon List:
Holiday Gift Guide- School Age
Why These Toys Matter
Play isn’t just fun, it’s the foundation of child development! With the right toys, children build:
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- Fine motor strength
- Gross motor coordination
- Speech, language, and social skills
- Sensory regulation
- Cognitive and problem-solving abilities
- Confidence and independence
When you choose toys that match your child’s developmental stage, you’re giving them the opportunity to grow through play all year long
