A good way to think about what I do as a pediatric occupational therapist is to think of “play” as a child’s “job.” Play is critical for a child's development. It affects sensory processing, motor and social skills, school-related abilities, behavioral regulation and daily living skills. These are all key areas we work on in occupational therapy. And one of my favorite parts of this job is finding and sharing great toys that stimulate the senses, develop body awareness and/or help children engage with their surroundings. I’m also very aware that parents with young kids are exhausted and overworked—between tantrums and Taekwondo, you have 5 million things to remember. Sometimes, you need a simple solution to kill some time. When that's the case, here are five simple-as-they-come toys to throw in the diaper bag and make life a little easier.
I'm a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, & Here Are 5 Toys I Recommend for Parents with Young Kids
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Meet the Expert
Judy Katz, OTR/L is an occupational therapist with over 40 years of experience in private practice helping children fulfill their potential and guiding families in understanding both subtle and complex issues that impact daily life. Her practice specializes in pediatric occupational therapy, utilizing personalized therapeutic interventions and a nurturing approach to enhance each child's abilities, foster confidence and promote independence in their daily lives.
1. Left Right Center Dice Game
Amazon
- Ages: 3 and up
- Why I like it: This game helps children develop the internal sense and body awareness of left and right sides—which grown ups forget, is something we have to work on!—as well fine motor hand skills.
- Why kids like: Kids love that you can wind up with a whole pile of chips (or candy), and the game is simple to play.
- OT Tip: Substitute the chips for coins or candies—kids get excited about either!
The game is simple: players roll up to three special dice, each marked with L, R, Star, and Dot. For each L or R rolled, a player must pass a chip to the player on their left or right, while a Star means placing a chip in the center pot, and a Dot means the player gets to keep a chip. The game continues until only one player remains with chips. Besides the easy rules, I love that the game works well with large groups (no one needs to be left out), and it’s also great for family trips or holidays. Throw a pack in your diaper bag, keep one in the car and one in the playroom for “emergencies.”
Wobe
- Ages: 1 and up (with supervision)
- Why I like it: These provide deep tactile pressure to the palms, which facilitates the development of mature grasp patterns. They also require more pressure to produce marks on paper, so it enhances the feedback loop and awareness of the hands.
- Why kids like it: They're fun to hold, feel and play with since they stack.
- OT Tip: Draw on an easel or a 3-ring binder slanted toward you to facilitate functional grasp.
I usually keep a few packs of these in my toy closet to pass out to my students, but any time my granddaughter catches sight of them, she’s like a moth to a flame—she loves them! They’re familiar to kids but just different enough to really engage them—draw with them or stack them like LEGOS. Put a couple in a baggie in your diaper bag to keep your kids occupied in the waiting room or on a longer car ride.
Workman Publishing
- Ages: 2 and up
- Why I like it: Kids need to use precise movements to peel and place the stickers, which is great for visual-motor skill development. It’s also good for body awareness, since they can feel the sticky side of the stickers on their skin.
- Why kids like: The outcome is fantastic—they’ve created a great picture to be proud of.
- OT Tip: There are so many options with these books, from beginner to advanced, so a younger preschooler can use a few stickers to make a dinosaur, and an older cat lover can create an intricate masterpiece.
Lots of sensory toys involve a bit of mess. And while I think parents and kids can both embrace a little more mess when it comes to toys, sometimes parents could really use a mess-free option for the car seat or just peace of mind! This activity book checks so many boxes on that front sans little squirmy hands to wash or spills to fret over. Plus, it’s an all-in-one contained activity: it creates a space for independent play and has all the things you need right there between the pages.
4. Magnetic Foam Puzzle Blocks
GLEEHAPY
- Ages: 2 and up (with supervision)
- Why you like it: The magnetic blocks engage the deep tactile system and the child is building hand awareness and strength while playing. Also, the blocks have a nice texture (tactile) and are vibrantly colored.
- Why kids like: Theycan use their imagination and free-build and/or copy models, creating endless options.
- OT Tip: Provide a few schemes to help the process…train, family pet, or castle, and start the build with a few pieces.
This is considered a STEM toy since kids engage in problem-solving and patterns—often without even realizing it. Match the colors and numbers to the template to create a finished design (like a bumble bee or boat) or let them design their own creation. Practice counting, addition or grouping similar items—whatever! I love that this is a multi-purpose, fun toy that can evolve with your child as they grow or develop new interests and skills. If you’re popping this on in the diaper bag, definitely bring a baggie for the tiles and keep away from the little ones since the tiles can be choking hazards.
Coogam
- Ages: 1 and up (with supervision)
- Why I like it: This toy has so much going for it! The eggs are fun to separate and require the use of both hands, using the right amount of force. Once open, the child can see and feel the letter on each half of the egg. It takes some precision maneuvering in order to get the egg back together. This is challenging and it requires hand skills and letter recognition.
- Why kids like: When the eggs are correctly matched and clicked together, it’s a super fun feeling of accomplishment
- OT Tip: Provide your child with one or two eggs at a time, rather than the whole set in order to build confidence.
Each of the 26 eggs breaks in half to reveal an uppercase letter and bright color that kids are challenged to match back up. The activity hones their fine motor skills, colors, shapes and alphabet skills. If your child loves playing “grocery,” add this one to their shopping list. Not only can they take care of an errand on their list, but they can really go to town breaking some eggs when they get “home.” As I mentioned above, you don’t need all 26 to enjoy. Bring a couple eggs along in the diaper bag for your child to play around with on the go.