Great Gift Ideas for Developing Minds and Hands!

Here are some gift ideas that help promote fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, body awareness, and bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body). You can find these games on amazon.com, yoyo.com, and/or at Target! Favorite brands include Melissa & Doug, and Learning Resources.

Any play dough, pull apart and put together toys, below are some examples:

• Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head by Playskool
• Cutting Fruit Set, Wooden Play Food by Melissa & Doug
• Froggy Feeding Fun by Learning Resources
• Smart Snacks Alpha Pops by Learning Resources
• Dolphin Dive and Pelican Catch Water games by TOMY

Any lacing and/or beading activity! Know that larger beads and sturdier strings/pipe cleaners make the task easier

• Smart Snacks ABC lacing Sweets by Learning Resources
• Early Learning String and Beep by ALEX toys

Any puzzles, shape sorters, and/or building toys! Know that fewer pieces, chunkier pieces, and simpler colors are easier

• Beginner Pattern Blocks by Melissa & Doug
• Shape Sequence Sorting Set by Melissa & Doug
• Giant Fire Truck Floor Puzzle by Melissa & Doug
• 60-100 piece lego sets of interest by lego (These sets usually build 3 different models of cars, planes, helicopters, etc and are more simple than larger lego sets)
• Mighty Mind by Mighty Mind (Shape tiles that create larger compositions, magnetic tiles also available)

Fun interactive single player and multiplayer games!

• Rush Hour Jr by ThinkFun
• Spot It by Blue Orange
• Avalanche Fruit Stand by Learning Resources
• Connect Four by Martin Bradley
• Wok and Roll by International Playthings

iPad Apps

• Dexteria Jr
• Bugs and Buttons or Bubbles and Buttons
• Letter School

Great Gift Ideas for Developing Minds and Hands!
Joy Cadelina, OTD, OTR/L