10 Best Sensory Toys for Kids in 2022 (Melissa & Doug, Intelex, and More)

From tablet screens to streetlights, visual stimuli may be the most readily available form of sensory stimulation children have access to in their everyday lives. Sensory toys also offer a plethora of visual stimulants for children of all ages and abilities. 

When selecting a toy, be sure to look for colorful options that feature a diverse palette with rich, vibrant tones that attract and keep your child’s attention. It can also be beneficial to find toys that incorporate unique visual stimuli that your child may not otherwise encounter in their daily routine. 

For example, toys with features like flashing lights or moving pieces can be a great way to provide your child with a more diverse optical experience. Toys that feature vibrant visual stimuli can also be valuable for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those who struggle with issues related to Visual Processing Disorder (VPD).

Tactile learning, or the sense of touch, is one of your child’s primary ways of collecting information about the world around them. Texturally-diverse toys and materials that offer ample opportunity for tactile exploration can help foster healthy physical and cognitive development in infancy and throughout childhood.

Options that incorporate sand, clay, and water play can be an engaging way to provide tactile exploration to children in the preschool to early elementary age range. Toys that offer a diverse mix of surfaces, like a busy board, can also be particularly beneficial for children of all ages who experience issues with stress and anxiety.

Auditory stimuli allow us to make connections between what we see and what we hear. Toys that produce various types of sounds can be an effective way to encourage children to engage their sense of hearing while exploring new and unfamiliar activities and themes. 

There is a wide variety of toys that feature sound-producing elements to enhance the sensory experience. For example, some options for toddlers may feature rings that generate clacking or rattling sounds. Some sensory toys also have electronic components that provide various types of sound stimuli. 

It’s important to note that children with special needs, like Autism and ADHD/ADD, can sometimes be very sensitive to sound stimuli.

The gustatory system, or sense of taste, uses oral stimulation to send signals between the taste buds and the brain to form connections that build and improve oral memory. While this is essential in promoting development during infancy, some children may seek out gustatory stimuli well into their toddler years and even beyond.

Sensory toys that offer gustatory stimulation can also be a beneficial resource for children with special sensory needs associated with ADHD/ADD and OCD. It can be beneficial to consider options that combine familiar toys and objects, like a stuffed animal or necklace, with texturized chew-safe components.

The olfactory system uses odor stimuli to form neurological connections between the nose and the brain to help us gather and retain vital information about the world around us. 

Not only does this process encourage children to recognize and identify different types of smells, it also allows them to begin to discern how various types of odor stimuli differ from one another and improve their memory skills.

There is a wide variety of olfactory resources available for children, from scratch-and-sniff stickers to scented art supplies. Toys that incorporate scent are not as readily available, though some manufacturers do offer fragrance-infused toys that can enhance your child’s sensory experience.

It’s important to note that some children, especially those with special sensory needs, may display hypersensitivity to certain types of odor stimuli. Parents should exercise caution when introducing new odors to children who may be sensitive to olfactory stimulation.

Proprioception, also known as kinesthesia or the “sixth sense,” is the body’s internal sense that helps it determine its orientation in space and process information through movement and touch. Toys that encourage activities like jumping, pushing and climbing are ideal resources for providing children with proprioceptive input.

While people of all ages and abilities can benefit from this form of sensory input, proprioceptive stimulation can also be particularly beneficial for helping children with sensory processing issues to regulate their body’s responses to sensory stimuli.

The vestibular system located within the inner ear works in conjunction with the proprioceptive system to help regulate our body’s sense of balance, coordination, and spatial orientation within our environment.

Vestibular stimulation can help provide children who are easily overstimulated by environmental stimuli with the tools necessary to self-soothe and refocus their attention on their own. Toys that encourage movements like rocking, swinging, and spinning can be an engaging way to provide vestibular stimulation.

The interoceptive system uses a network of nerve receptors throughout the body to gather and send information from internal systems to the brain.

This sensory system is responsible for vital bodily sensations like hunger, thirst, and temperature regulation. Interoceptive awareness is essential in helping children understand and regulate their body’s processes and sensations.

Toys that offer temperature variance can be an effective way to provide this unique form of stimulation and promote interoceptive awareness. Some manufacturers offer sensory toys that can be microwaved or refrigerated to provide children with a more immersive sensory experience.

Bisphenol A (or BPA) is a chemical compound that is used in the production of a wide variety of plastic products. In the last decade, a great deal of research has been conducted into the effects of BPA on brain development.

These studies have shown that exposure to products containing BPA can interfere with human brain development, making products containing the chemical potentially harmful to infants, children, and expectant mothers.

While most toys no longer contain BPA, it's important to note that it is not a banned chemical, so some products intended for children may still contain BPA. To limit your child’s exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, it’s important to ensure all products intended for children are BPA-free.

Many sensory toys incorporate various types of fabrics to encourage and enhance tactile exploration, though very few manufacturers list the types of fabric materials they used for their sensory toys.

Fabrics used in the production of children’s products are commonly made from synthetic materials, like polyester or microfiber, due to their inherent durability and stain-resistance. It is important to note that some children may be sensitive or even allergic to fabrics made from synthetic materials.