18 Best Toys for Autistic Kids of All Ages

Toys are essential for sensory stimulation, communication development, and imaginative play with autistic children, aiding their overall mental and physical growth. In this blog, we'll explore top-rated toys for autistic kids of all ages.

Toys and Games for Autistic Kids

Toys and games are valuable tools for promoting emotional and cognitive development in children. So, we’ve curated a list of the best toys for autistic kids, along with engaging games to keep their minds active. Let's get started!

1. MentalUP Brain Games

This highly acclaimed app is adored by millions of children and trusted by parents. It offers a secure and effective learning platform that enables kids to enhance their cognitive and physical abilities through tailored games, activities, and exercises.

MentalUP also provides parents and teachers with valuable insights into their autistic kids' learning journeys, thanks to robust performance-tracking tools and five detailed reporting modules. Moreover, it offers a completely safe learning experience with its no-ads feature.

2. National Autism Resources-Magnetic Schedule Sets

If you are looking for good toys for autistic kids to help them organize their daily activities and routines, you should consider these magnetic schedule sets.

The set allows kids to use colorful magnets to create a visual schedule that displays what they need to do and when. Organizing their daily activities with this set can reduce anxiety, improve communication, and foster independence for autistic children.

Additionally, it is suitable for kids of all ages and can be customized to meet various needs and preferences.

3. Didax-Social Skills Board Games

This is one of the best toys for autistic kids age 6 and up who enjoy board games.

The board games included in the Social Skills game set are specifically designed to encourage discussions, role-playing, and problem-solving within a safe and supportive environment.

These games address important topics, like manners, empathy, communication, and cooperation, which are crucial for the emotional development of autistic children. Additionally, they teach essential social skills, such as making friends, expressing emotions, and managing stress.

4. Playing Chess

Chess is a game that demands logic, strategy, problem-solving, and concentration, making it one of the best games for enhancing the cognitive and emotional development of autistic kids.

Chess imparts patience, resilience, and sportsmanship, making it particularly suitable for older kids. Therefore, if you're searching for toys for older autistic kids, consider getting them a chess set.

Playing with a chess set will also provide them with opportunities to socialize with others who share their interest in the game.

5. Educational Insights-Textured Beanbags

These textured beanbags stand out as good toys for severely autistic kids.

They effectively stimulate tactile awareness and promote vocabulary development in autistic kids. These soft and pliable beanbags feature various textures, including bumpy, furry, fuzzy, and more.

Kids can explore these distinct textures and articulate their sensations. Additionally, these beanbags can be utilized in a range of games and activities, such as throwing, catching, sorting, and matching. They are suitable for kids aged 3 and up and come in a set of 12 pieces.

Sensory Toys for Autistic Kids

Sensory toys are highly beneficial for autistic kids as they stimulate and engage their senses, promoting cognitive development, sensory exploration, and emotional regulation. Here are the best sensory toys for autistic kids.

6. Fat Brain Toys-Teeter Popper

This is one of the good sensory toys for autistic kids who need to develop their balance, coordination, and gross motor skills.

The Teeter Popper is a curved board with suction cups on the bottom that make popping sounds when the child rocks, wobbles, or spins on it. The toy can be used in various positions, such as standing, sitting, kneeling, or lying down.

This toy can also stimulate your child’s auditory and tactile senses, as well as their imagination and creativity, making it one of the most effective toys for autistic kids age 3.

7. BUNMO-Pop Tubes

These are flexible and stretchable tubes offered by BUNMO that can be popped, bent, twisted, and connected together.

This tube set is one of the best toys for autistic kids age 2 and up. The tubes can provide sensory stimulation for autistic kids, as they produce satisfying sounds and feature various textures and colors.

Also, these tubes enhance their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. Additionally, it can be used to create various shapes, structures, and patterns or as a fidget toy to calm your child down.

8. ArtCreativity-Classic Pin Art Game Set

This classic toy can create 3D impressions of any object pressed against it, making it one of the most enjoyable toys for autistic kids age 5 and up.

It encourages autistic children to explore their visual and tactile senses while fostering creativity and curiosity. Kids can take pleasure in crafting impressions of their hands, faces, toys, or anything else they desire with this captivating toy.

Through the act of pressing various objects into the pins, they not only stimulate their senses but also cultivate their creativity and curiosity, making it a perfect addition to their sensory playtime.

9. ICNBUYS-Zen Garden

The Zen Garden is a miniature version of a traditional Japanese garden, comprising a wooden tray, sand, rocks, rake, and other accessories.

It serves as a calming and soothing toy beneficial for managing stress and anxiety, making it an ideal choice among toys for autistic kids age 10.

Moreover, the Zen Garden serves as a powerful catalyst for nurturing a child's imagination, fostering creativity, and promoting self-expression. This versatile and engaging toy allows them to create diverse patterns and designs in the sand or arrange the rocks and accessories in various ways.

10. Special Supplies-Therapy Putty for Kids

If you are looking for cheap toys for autistic kids' sensory skills, you can check out this therapy putty.

This is a soft and moldable putty that can help autistic kids develop their fine motor skills, stress management, and dexterity. It comes in four different colors and resistances, from soft to firm.

Kids can manipulate the putty by squeezing, stretching, twisting, pinching, pulling, or rolling it, fostering creativity and imagination as they mold it into various shapes or use it with molds and cutters. So it is one of the best toys for autistic kids age 4 and up.

Learning Toys for Autistic Kids

Learning toys can benefit autistic kids by providing them with engaging experiences that promote skill development and social interaction in a supportive and enjoyable manner. Let’s discover the most effective learning toys for autistic kids.

11. Melissa & Doug - See and Spell Learning Toy

This is a wooden puzzle game that helps children learn to spell and recognize words.

The toy comes with 50 colorful wooden letters and 16 double-sided word boards that show four- and five-letter words. So, it is considered one of the best learning toys for autistic kids' linguistic skills.

This toy is ideal for autistic children aged 4 and up as it stimulates their visual and tactile senses, enhances fine motor skills, and boosts vocabulary and spelling. Kids can enjoy playing with it by matching letters to the word boards or creating their own words.

12. Playmags- Magnetic Tiles Building Blocks Set

This Building Blocks Set includes 100 magnetic tiles, perfect for creating a wide range of shapes and structures.

These tiles are designed for easy connection and disconnection, and they come in various colors and sizes, granting children the freedom to explore their creativity during play.

If you're seeking a toy suitable for children with autism spectrum disorders, consider this set. It's particularly beneficial for autistic kids as it fosters creativity, imagination, and spatial awareness, while also nurturing their skills in math, engineering, and science.

13. Wily Fox-Sensory Busy Book

This Sensory Busy Book is an interactive set comprising a variety of pages specifically designed to teach kids about numbers, shapes, animals, emotions, and more.

So it is one of the most engaging and educational toys for autistic kids age 5 and up. This toy not only offers valuable sensory stimulation but also promotes cognitive development and emotional regulation, making it an essential tool for their overall growth, learning experience, and well-being.

14. Fat Brain-Dimpl Early Development Toy

Fat Brain's early development toy is a fun and straightforward creation, featuring a silicone frame with five colorful bubbles that offer delightful push-and-pop interactions.

It's not only highly entertaining but also helps young kids with autism understand cause and effect. This toy is especially effective for autistic kids as it helps improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and stimulation.

Plus, it's suitable for kids aged six months and up. So if you are looking for toys that make noise for autistic kids, you should consider this one.

Fidget Toys for Autistic Kids

Children with autism should spend time playing with fidget toys, as these toys are essential for helping them regulate sensory input, reduce anxiety, and improve focus. Here are the best fidget toys for autistic kids.

15. Autism Community Store-Wooden Spinning Top

Are spinning tops good toys for autistic kids? Well, as long as they aren't too loud and flashy, they can offer hours of entertainment and stimulation for kids with autism.

These tops are easy to use but can also help improve a child's fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and visual tracking. Many autistic kids find joy in playing with spinning toys because they assist in regulating sensory input.

They can watch the colors and patterns of the spinning top, listen to its soothing sound, and feel the gentle vibrations in their hands. Therefore, spinning tops are an excellent choice for kids with autism of all ages.

16. BUNMO-Glow in the Dark Stretchy Strings

These colorful, stretchy strings glow in the dark and offer versatile play options – they can be twisted, pulled, or wrapped in various ways.

These strings are ideal for children with autism who require tactile stimulation and sensory input. Plus, they are suitable for kids of all ages. Furthermore, these stretchy strings promote the development of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity.

They are particularly valuable for children experiencing anxiety and struggling to manage stress. This safe toy is crafted from non-toxic, durable materials and is available in a pack of six.

17. PILPOC-Infinity Cube

If you're looking for fidget toys for autistic kids 8 years old and up, consider this cube.

It offers endless flipping and folding possibilities, allowing for the creation of diverse shapes and patterns. It is an ideal choice for kids with autism, helping them stay engaged and soothe their minds.

This infinity cube promotes enhanced concentration, focus, and spatial awareness by presenting users with various cube manipulation challenges. However, it's essential to note that this cube is not recommended for kids under the age of 8, as it could pose a choking hazard should the hinges break or the cubes separate.

18. Autism Community Store-Magic Loops Fidget

This captivating toy serves as an excellent fidget tool, particularly beneficial for individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities.

It provides a means to engage restless hands in settings where maintaining focus can be challenging, such as school or during long car rides. This toy nurtures creativity, imagination, and spatial awareness by empowering children to craft their unique patterns and formations using the wire loops.

Beyond their sensory benefits, the toy delivers a calming effect by offering tactile feedback and gentle pressure on the fingers and palms.

How to Choose Appropriate Good Toys for Autistic Kids

As there are numerous alternatives, you might find it challenging to choose the appropriate toys for kids. Fortunately, we've got you covered! Here are some insightful tips for selecting the best toys for autistic children.

• Choose toys that match children's sensory preferences.
• Opt for toys that have a calming effect, such as fidget toys.
• Select toys that encourage and facilitate children’s communication skills.
• Incorporate their special interests into playtime to engage their enthusiasm.
• Prioritize safety by selecting toys made from non-toxic materials with no small parts that pose choking hazards.
• Avoid overly flashy or noisy toys that could overwhelm sensory-sensitive children.
• Provide open-ended toys, like art supplies or building kits, to nurture creativity.
• Consider multi-sensory toys that engage multiple senses.
• Consult with educators for toy recommendations tailored to each child's needs.
• Pay attention to each child's unique preferences and adapt toy choices accordingly.
• Observe how the child interacts with toys and adjust selections based on their engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

So far, we have evaluated all the favorite toys for autistic kids. If you still have any questions about toys and games for autistic kids, here are the most commonly asked questions on the topic, along with their answers.

What toys are best for older autistic kids?

The best toys for older autistic kids often include challenging sensory toys, puzzles, and games that match their interests and sensory preferences.

What are the best types of toys for nonverbal autistic kids?

The best types of toys for nonverbal autistic kids are often sensory-based, such as fidget toys, textured objects, or communication devices tailored to their needs.

Are there types of toys that autistic kids should not play with?

Autistic kids should generally avoid toys with loud, sudden noises or overwhelming sensory features that may trigger sensory overload.

How can I help my autistic child with stress?

To help your autistic child with stress, create a structured routine, provide sensory-friendly environments, and teach relaxation techniques, like deep breathing.

What are some coping strategies for autistic kids?

Coping strategies for autistic kids may include using visual schedules, social stories, and self-regulation techniques to manage sensory sensitivities and emotions.