The best toys for babies with Down Syndrome should offer high interactiveness to keep your child engaged; finger and palm exercise to work on short fingers and irregular fingertip patterns and teaching ability to overcome the hurdles of a small mouth and long tongue.
Also, the best toys for babies with down syndrome should effectively build muscles since they have a massive challenge of poor muscle tone and irregular muscle profile.
But first…
Table of Contents
Who is a Baby with Down Syndrome?
A baby with Down syndrome suffers a genetic disorder; a third copy of chromosome 21. Physical characteristics here include tiny fingers, wide flat faces, small mouths, and intellectual disability.
Why buy toys for Babies With Down Syndrome?
Toys improve the life and fun of Down Syndrome kids in several ways.
Toys help exercise their fingers, limbs, and necks to overcome the problems of short necks, irregular hand formations, and small fingers.
Toys improve the intellectual capacity of Down Syndrome kids by invoking fun gameplays, introducing puzzles, and promoting problem-solving in toy activities.
Toys keep Down syndrome kids engaged and without the monotony of their everyday life.
Toys with several textures, sizes, shapes, and colors play a significant role in resisting sameness and monotony to ensure your child has extensive exposure to differences, variety, and options.
Reviews Best Toys For Toddlers With Down Syndrome
1. Best toys for baby with Down syndrome for finger and arm strength – BunMo Fidget Toys
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.9 x 6.6 x 3.2 inches
- Weight: 16 ounces
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
BunMo Fidget Toys features 24 pieces of wacky multicolored shapes designed with flat centers, enabling the down syndrome baby to build in all directions.
Babies with the down syndrome usually have small hands and pinky fingers that occasionally curve toward the thumb.
When they stick the suckers, they improve their fine motor skills. Babies with down syndrome experience poor muscle tone that makes grasping, reaching, and handling some toys more challenging, and fortunately, BunMo Fidget toys target these areas of growth.
The down syndrome kid should then build, connect, pop, and stick the little suckers, which would help to increase muscle strength.
The silly suckers are water-resistant, making the toy an ideal choice for bath time.
These suckers help kids with down syndrome gain fundamental skills such as cause and effect, hand-eye coordination, and early math as the kid can learn numerical terms like empty, less more, and full.
Talking with a down syndrome kid throughout the bath time also nurtures their language development.
The bathing activity helps down syndrome kids develop their sensory sensitivity by learning how to differentiate different temperatures.
They can also squeeze the toy in the water, building their fine motor skills development. However, if any piece tears at the seam where the toy sticks, the torn pieces may pose a choking hazard.
Pros
✅ Improves sensory sensitivity development
✅ Increases kids muscle strength
Cons
X The toy may pose a choking hazard if any piece gets torn
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2. Best toy for toddlers with down syndrome in chronic pain – Fat Brain Toys Whirly Squigz
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.78 x 1.57 x 9.06 inches
- Weight: 12.3 ounces
- Age Limit: 10 months and up
- Batteries: Not required
Fat Brain Toys Whirly Squigz are a suitable choice for kids ailing from down syndrome and have chronic pain, for they primarily help them cope with the pain.
Every Whirl squigz is 100% silicone build, colorful, pleasant to touch, making them ideal for down syndrome kids who are teething and have chronic pain on the gum and need massaging.
The toy features 3 whirly squigz, 1 with 2 propellers, one with 3,, and the other with 4, all with bright colors. These whirly squigz spins, capturing the attention of the down syndrome kid and making them stop concentrating on the pain and focus on the toy.
The toy is BPA-free and thoroughly tested for safety, ensuring the baby will not have additional pain or health issues.
When the toy is stuck on a flat, non-porous surface such as a bathtub wall and then pinned, it moves faster than the eyes can see, capturing the kid’s attention, enhancing cause and effect learning.
However, the toy is much less sticky, and will only stick, spin, and then fall off after a short time.
Pros
✅ Fully tested for kids safety
✅ Enhances cause and effect learning
Cons
X The toy sticks and falls after sometime
3. Best toys for down syndrome kids or parents with down syndrome kids – Fat Brain Dimpl Duo Toy
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.76 x 1.8 x 7.75 inches
- Weight: 3.52 ounces
- Age Limit: 6 months and up
- Batteries: Not required
Fat Brain Dimpl Duo Toy features silicone buttons that come in varying textures and shapes, and colors.
Kids with down syndrome experience visual problems, and therefore, the different colors help capture their attention and concentration, improving their color cognitive skills.
The different shapes in this toy bear a label with their matching English word, and the kid should try to match the shape with its name.
This sensory play helps down syndrome kids’ brain development and early childhood development, such as social interaction, language development, and problem-solving skills.
When matching the shapes, kids ailing from down syndrome have to move and touch, feeling the different textures of the objects, improving their tactile learning.
Although kids with down syndrome have poor muscle tone, the silicone construction makes this toy lightweight and easy to lift, which increases their interest in the toy. In their rough play, kids with down syndrome may end up putting the toy in their mouth.
Luckily, the silicone build is safe for chewing. However, the buttons are stiff for a young and weak down syndrome toddler to push.
Pros
✅ Improves cognitive skills
✅ Helps in language development
✅ Durable silicone build
Cons
X The buttons are stiff for young toddlers to push
4. Best memory toy for a child with down syndrome – MoDuer Wooden Memory
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 7.3 x 6.8 x 2.25 inches
- Weight: 13.6 ounces
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
MoDuer Wooden Memory is a game that involves 2-6 players. Keeping in mind that kids with down syndrome are slow learners and experience difficulties interacting with others, this toy helps them develop social interaction skills that enhance their brains.
When playing, the chess pieces are inserted in the wooden board randomly, with the colors hidden. This enhances down syndrome kids’ IQ as they try to remember the position of each color.
Also, the gameplay prevents down syndrome kids from depending on gadgets, which helps to exercise their memory.
This fun-memory word puzzle game highly engages down syndrome kids when they have to precisely place the pieces in their respective places, improving their hand-eye coordination skills and cognitive development.
The toy features non-toxic paint and safe wooden material with a smooth surface layer to prevent hurting the small hands. However, the instructions on how to play the memory game are not clear.
Pros
✅ Improves hand-eye coordination
✅ Enhances brain development
✅ Environmentally friendly and safe for toddlers
Cons
X The playing instructions are not clear
5. Best toy for babies with down syndrome for motor skills – Fisher-Price 3-in-1 Musical Activity Gym, Woodland
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 20.91 x 2.48 x 16.06 inches
- Weight: 2.09 pounds
- Age Limit: 1-12 months
- Batteries: 2 AA batteries
Fisher-Price comes with a musical fox toy with long and short playing music modes and fun sounds. Muscle control is a problem that many down syndrome kids live with.
The music in these toys assists in articulation and pacing, improving coordination and self-help skills in down syndrome kids.
The toy has two soft overhead arches, which are easy for down syndrome kids to fold, improving their fine motor skills.
Down syndrome kids can quickly move the five linkable activity toys around the arches who mostly have trouble grasping and moving objects with their small fingers that curve towards the thumb.
The toy activity gym helps strengthen motor skills as the down syndrome kid reaches for the hanging toys.
Fisher-price toys encourage the down syndrome kid to get in on the action and comprehend the idea of action/reaction like touching the fox for music to play, touching it again for music to stop, enhancing hand-eye coordination.
However, the mat is thin, making the toy unsuitable for crawling down syndrome children to play on for long.
Pros
✅ Improves gross motor skills
✅ The kids understand the idea of action /reaction
✅ The toy is lightweight to carry
Cons
X The toy is not convenient for crawling babies
6. Best developmental toys for babies with down syndrome – Iplay, Ilearn Stacking toy
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 6.8 x 6.8 x x28 inches
- Weight: 1.35pounds
- Age Limit: 12 months to yea
- Batteries: Not required
Iplay, Ilearn stacking toy comprises 18 toy shapes, playable in multiple ways like shape sorting, beach play, nesting, stacking, and bath play.
The gameplay assists down syndrome kids to sit upright when stacking, allowing them to get used to core stabilization as they move and use their hands.
Down syndrome kids also get to learn about sharing and social interaction skills.
Children with Down syndrome are usually shorter in height; the castle can only reach 73 centimeters, which is ideal. The cups cannot break even in a rough play, enhancing fine motor skills development.
Down syndrome, babies can nest cups, match shapes, identify colors, study numbers and differentiate sizes developing their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills, nurturing their imagination and creativity.
Iplay, Ilearn Stacking Toy also exposes down syndrome children to early numeracy skills such as height, comparison, and size. However, if you miss any cup in between the stacking process, the game is quite challenging
Pros
✅ Helps in acquiring social interaction skills
✅ Nurtures kids imagination and creativity
✅ Improves problem-solving skills
Cons
X If you miss a step in the staking process, the play becomes challenging.
7. Best toy for toddlers with down syndrome to remember their name – WOODLAND Personalized Puzzle
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 4.8 inches
- Weight: Not included
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
WOODLAND Personalized puzzle is a custom puzzle that any kid ailing from down syndrome will love, making this toy a unique gift for any occasion involving a down kid.
The wooden name puzzle helps down syndrome kids learn how to spell their names because the puzzle is big enough for children’s names with many letters.
The toy features different bright colors that enhance down syndrome kids’ color cognitive skills.
The puzzles are plastic-covered, made with high-grade plywood, and stained with water-based dyes ensuring that the pieces do not move around, enhancing the safety of a down syndrome kid and the durability of the toy.
Down syndrome kids develop fine motor skills. Also, spelling the names exercises the memory of these kids. However, the puzzle board is thin and easy to break.
Pros
✅ Cognitive skills development
✅ Exercises the kid’s memory.
✅ The toy build enhances the kid’s safety
Cons
X The puzzle board is thin and easy to break
8. Best visual tracking gift for down syndrome boy or girl – Janod Mirrors Box
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.27 x 6.85 x 6.02 inches
- Weight: 1.54 pounds
- Age Limit: 19 months- 5 years
- Batteries: Not required
Janod Mirrors box comes with different types of mirrors and three differently colored magnifying lenses. Toddlers with down syndrome can develop eye problems which in turn affects the proper development of vision.
Luckily, most eye problems are treatable, mainly if detected at an early age. A mirror is an ideal way for down syndrome babies to develop visual skills by making ugly faces and seeing if they can imitate them.
The three differently colored magnifying glasses help improve down syndrome kids’ cognitive skills. Janod Mirror Box package includes; a regular mirror, a rotating magnifying mirror, multiple bubble-shaped mirrors, and a convex mirror, all producing different faces when a down syndrome toddler looks at them, developing their visual senses.
Down syndrome physical features include small ears, a flattened face, slanting up almond-shaped eyes, and a tiny white spot on the iris.
Mirroring helps down syndrome kids to develop self-acceptance and self-awareness, which in turn increases their self-esteem.
The biggest downside of the toy is that it is small in size, making down syndrome kids unable to get their clear facial image.
Pros
✅ Visual skills development
✅ Enhances self-awareness and self-acceptance
Cons
X The toy is small therefore producing unclear images.
9. Best puzzle toy for baby with down syndrome – FANSUSENKE Manipulative puzzle
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 3.94 x 3.94 x 1.57 inches
- Weight: 12 ounces
- Age Limit: 36 months- 3 years
- Batteries: Not included
FANSUSENKE Manipulative Puzzle features 155 blocks that perfectly fit on cards and are simple for down syndrome kids to play with.
The blocks are plenty, allowing a down syndrome kid to develop different patterns like trees, flowers, ships, people, or animals, improving their creativity and imagination.
The different shapes and colors of the blocks help improve down syndrome kids’ cognitive ability.
All the block pieces are non-toxic, odorless, nicely sanded, and painted with tasteless water paints, ensuring the safety of the down syndrome babies even if put in the mouth.
FANSUSENKE Manipulative Puzzle features a sturdy construction enhancing the toy’s durability and longevity, offering maximum fun and entertainment to a Down syndrome baby.
The wooden shapes have a soft and smooth texture in the hands of a down syndrome kid, making the toy lightweight enough to be carried by their small hands. However, they lack multiple sizes of the same color.
Pros
✅ Improves imagination and creativity
✅ Increases color perception ability
Cons
X The toy lacks multiple sizes of the same color
10. Best floor mirror toy for toddlers with down syndrome – Teytoy Tummy Time Floor Mirror
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 6.3 x 10 x5.6 inches
- Weight: 7.2 ounces
- Age Limit: Not required
- Batteries: Not required
Teytoy Tummy Time Floor Mirror is an ideal choice for young down syndrome toddlers for they can learn the texture of different things by touching before they get to see colors clearly, making this toy a perfect match for young developing brains.
The play mirror activity enables down syndrome babies to view their image or experiment with various tactile textures, improving their tactile learning through senses.
The tummy time playmat helps strengthen down syndrome babies’ legs and arms muscles, preparing them to crawl.
When viewing themselves in the mirror, the early development toy is suitable for stimulating crucial key skills in a down syndrome toddler, such as self-awareness, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
Also, the toy stimulates the down syndrome babies creativity and curiosity, encouraging parent-child interaction in communication.
Adult supervision is key when the toy is new to remove the mirror protective film to make reflections clearer and sharper. However, the mirror may sometimes produce distorted images.
Pros
✅ Enhances brain development
✅ Fine motor skills development
Cons
X Sometimes, the mirror produces distorted images
11. Best body awareness toy for a child with down syndrome – Endless Interactive Games
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 10.5 x 2.75 x 10.5 inches
- Weight: 8 ounces
- Age Limit: 5 years and up
- Batteries: Not included
Endless interactive games feature 25 colored foam “safety stones,” 27 challenge cards, a game spinner, and 2-6 players aged 5 years and above.
The players should imagine a molten lava floor, spin the wheel, and jump to the suitable foam for safety.
The toy is highly engaging and interactive, promoting the physical exercise of down syndrome kids, improving their creativity and imagination.
Endless Interactive Games get kids leaping and jumping, improving down syndrome kids’ balance, conditioning, and gross motor skills.
The foam stepping stone is slip-resistant, great during indoor and outdoor parties. The game rules are easy to learn even for down syndrome babies and difficult to stop playing, creating more fun and excitement.
However, the small parts of the toy can pose a choking hazard.
Pros
✅ Highly interactive and engaging
✅ Improves balance and gross motor skills
Cons
X The toy has small parts that pose a choking hazard.
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Best toys for toddlers with down syndrome – Buying Guide
Toys to build muscles
Since children with Down Syndrome experience a poor muscle tone, toys that engage their limbs and other muscles are a great choice to ensure they stay healthy.
Toys involving arm lifting, crawling, pulling up, standing, or jumping are an excellent choice to make sure many muscles of your child are engaged.
Such toys can include a floor mirror where a child is likely to twist their neck and crawl around to see themselves in the mirror.
Toys for holding
children with Down Syndrome have shirt fingers and atypical fingertip patterns.
Fidget toys, squigz, and pieces that these children can hold in their hand palsy have such a significant role in exercising their hands and stretching their palms and fingers.
In the end, Down Syndrome kids can significantly maintain the strength of their grasp and grip which aid in drinking, eating, and other activities.
Teethers
A smaller mouth and a relatively long tongue is primary characteristic of Down Syndrome kids. Teethers are a great way to teach these children the best way to interact with drinks, food, and snacks.
If they can handle teether correctly and take control of them without choking, these toys go a long way in introducing them to licking, chewing, and biting skills of eating.
Interactive toys
Interactive toys are central to the life of a Down Syndrome kid because, without toys to captivate their mind, they will often feel bored and will remain in low spirits.
Interactive toys improve effective gameplay time by increasing fun by introducing various shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and forms.
Your child, therefore, gets a different perspective about life by reducing monotony and thus improving their life overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I buy my baby with Down syndrome?
The best item to buy your baby with Down Syndrome is BunMo Fidget Toys. BunMo Fidget Toys features 24 pieces of wacky multicolored shapes designed with flat centers, enabling the down syndrome baby to build in all directions.
Babies with down syndrome usually have small hands and pinky fingers that occasionally curve toward the thumb. When they stick the suckers, they improve their fine motor skills.
Babies with down syndrome experience poor muscle tone that makes grasping, reaching, and handling some toys more challenging, and fortunately, BunMo Fidget toys target these areas of growth.
How do you stimulate a baby with Down syndrome?
The best way to stimulate a child with Down Syndrome is to use Teytoy Tummy Time Floor Mirror. The tummy time playmat helps strengthen down syndrome babies’ legs and arms muscles, preparing them to crawl.
When viewing themselves in the mirror, the early development toy is suitable for stimulating crucial key skills in a down syndrome toddler, such as self-awareness, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
Also, the toy stimulates the down syndrome babies creativity and curiosity, encouraging parent-child interaction in communication.
What is a good gift for a Down syndrome girl?
The best gift for a Down syndrome girl is Janod Mirrors box. Janod Mirrors box comes with different types of mirrors and three differently colored magnifying lenses.
Toddlers with down syndrome can develop eye problems which in turn affect the proper development of vision.
Luckily, most eye problems are treatable, mainly if detected at an early age. A mirror is an ideal way for down syndrome babies to develop visual skills by making ugly faces and see if they can imitate them.
My Final Thoughts
BunMo Fidget Toys and Fat Brain Toys Whirly Squigz are the overall Best Toys For Babies With Down Syndrome.
These toys allow for finger and palm exercising which helps improve the limb muscle of babies with Down syndrome.
Also, the toys are interactive enough to create an extended fun gameplay session suitable for your child.
When looking for the Best Toys For Babies With Down Syndrome, the key features to consider include toys to build muscles, toys for holding and fidgeting, interactive toys, and teethers.
Besides, high-quality and durable toys palsy a significant role in ensuring extended uninterrupted gameplay sessions.