if 2020 has been a lesson in anything, to us it’s been a primer in simplicity. Through the 2020 pandemic, many of us have found or rediscovered the beauty of simple gifts. From the daily gifts of a beautiful sunrise, fresh air, or a long phone call with an old friend, paring back to protect ourselves and others has bestowed fresh perspective to many areas of our day to day. On the other hand, as parents, we know the tasks of caring for young ones may have increased as support has decreased, and the burden load is heavy, and at times may feel impossible.

In the tradition of holiday gift giving, we hope this overview can help make the burden lighter by providing inspiration and by helping your child practice what they are learning in speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling or the Learning Academy. Each of these gift ideas focuses on many aspects of the developing child, and provides endless opportunity for your little ones to play solo or with you.

Simple blocks promote imaginative, open ended play! Blocks can morph from towers to roads for cars, to corrals for animals…

Just the right size cleaning implements get a little help with the housework AND your child gets to exercise their gross motor skills.

Kitchen play set helps little ones exercise their vocabulary skills. Carry on conversations, practice placing orders and asking about colors and amounts.

The Bed Bugs Game is the perfect game to work on pencil grasp without using a pencil! This wood set works on the same hand action, but without the batteries or sound!

Build your own town and farm and practice vocabulary, fine motor, and more.

An old fashioned jump rope is great for little ones to burn off energy, works on coordination and is healthy cardio exercise. It’s also a great outlet for sensory seekers!

A balance board can also provide stimulation for vestibular sensory seekers.

Steppers provide proprioceptive input and are fun to get around inside or outside in!

For kinetic sensory, consider kinetic sand or living sand as a special gift.

Take it outside, or even inside, with these soft disks and balls!

Our hope for you is that the holidays will present opportunities to appreciate the simple gifts; quality time spent together, simple toys that spark imagination, warmth and joy.