The holiday shopping season is here!

We know it can be hard to find a fun yet meaningful gift for the children in your life. So, we wanted to help. Physical therapists, speech language pathologists, and occupational therapists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital compiled a few recommended items for gift-giving fun that also promote healthy development.

(Be sure the option you choose is age appropriate.)

Up to 12 Months Old

Experts recommend looking for gifts that encourage gross motor skills. Here are some options that can help babies develop these skills.

• Wrist and ankle rattles
• Sensory teether or rattle
• Light-up toys
• Mirror toys
• Activity mat
• Climbing gym
• Activity table
  

Other gifts for this age group might encourage fine motor, visual motor, and sensory integration development. Gifts that can encourage these skills include:

• Musical instruments
• Plush blocks
• Spinners
• Floor mirror
• Sensory toys and tubes

Speech and language development are vital during the first year of life. You can find toys, books, and games that encourage their development.

• Large picture books with touch and texture
• Pop-up toys and activities
• Ball popper
• Cars or trucks that can be pushed
• Toys with buttons that have lights and sounds
• Interactive stuffed animals

1-2 Years Old

Gross motor skills continue to develop, and children this age. There are plenty of great gift options to help children develop these skills:

• Ride and push toys
• Tricycle with steering handle (2+ years old)
• Slide with ladder
• Beach ball
• Train
• Tunnel
• Car ramps
• Activity center

Gifts to encourage fine motor, visual motor, and sensory integration development are good, too.

• Stacking cups
• Small blocks
• Crayons
• Pop beads
• Board books
• Puzzle with knobs
• Shape sorter
  

Speech and language development continues at this age. You can find plenty of gifts to help the child in your life hone these skills with gifts that encourage conversation and imaginative play:

• Large picture books (thick pages with bright pictures and textures work very well)
• Piggy bank
• Ball popper
• Tea set
• Farm with animals
• Dollhouse
• Cars/trucks

3-4 Years Old

You can help children this age develop their gross motor skills with gifts like these:

• Soccer ball and goal
• Basketball hoop
• Inflatable ball dart game
• Playground ball
• Bicycle with training wheels
• Bean bag toss
• Yoga activity blocks
• Yoga mat
  

• Color matching games
• Dressing board
• Game involving stringing and threading
• Pattern matching games
• Sensory sand play set
• Water table
  

You can encourage continued speech and language development. Here are gift ideas to help children continue to develop these skills:

• Doll house
• Kitchen play set
• Racetrack
• Memory/matching games
  

5-6 Years Old

Here are gifts to assist children this age to develop their gross motor skills:

• Bicycle with removable training wheels
• Yoga mat
• Hockey set
• Dance/tumbling class pass
• Sports lessons

Fine motor, visual motor, and sensory integration development can be supported with gifts like these:

• Scissor skills workbooks
• Mosaic tiles
• Geometric shape puzzle
• Kinetic sand
• Small bead jewelry making set
• Dress up games

Don’t forget that speech and language skills are still evolving. Here’s how you can support them:

• Memory games
• Matching games
• Certain card games

7- 9 Years Old

• Velcro toss and catch
• Jump rope
• Bicycle without training wheels
• Yoga mat

Fine motor, visual motor, and sensory integration skills are still developing at this age. Look for gifts like these to support that growth:

• Crafting and bed sets
• Activity books (mazes, word searches, and puzzles)
• Cooking and baking set
• Fidget toys
• Classic board games
• Keyboard and typing toys

Speech and language development will continue at this age, too. Look for these games to support it:

• Board games
• Story games

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