Cerebral palsy ailing kids need to adjust through exercise to improve their functional abilities.
Equipping such kids with the best toys for children with cerebral palsy will also encourage them to exercise their most affected parts, which helps them develop basic skills like communication and hand-eye coordination.
However, the right toys depend on the age and condition of the kid. In the review below, we focus on the best toys for toddlers with cerebral palsy.
But just quickly…
Table of Contents
Why Buy Toys for a Child with Cerebral Palsy?
Provides Therapeutic Distraction
Sensory toys for kids with cerebral palsy are specifically designed to introduce stimuli and other forms of tactile sensations.
Once the cerebral palsy kids get used to these sensations, their social cooperation and interaction are encouraged.
The stimulation offered by these toys relieves the stress and enhances a calming pressure, which boosts the gross motor skills of cerebral palsy kids.
Enhances Language Skills
Although many kids with cerebral palsy have poor language and communication ability, equipping them with the best toys for children with cerebral palsy helps them improve these skills.
Sensory toys allow cerebral palsy kids to experience different sounds and visually coordinate with what is happening. This coordination helps these kids improve their overall communication and language skills.
Best Toys for Children with Cerebral Palsy Reviews
1. Overall best sensory toys for babies with cerebral palsy – Special Needs Essentials FocusPad Seat
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.5 x 9.5 x 3 inches
- Weight: 10.8 ounces
- Age Limit: No limit
- Batteries: 2 AA batteries
Special Needs Essentials FocusPad Seat is designed to calm the nerves, enhance relaxation, soothing the body through vibrations that are gentle as loved by the kids making it an ideal choice for babies with cerebral palsy.
Special Needs FocusPad Seat comes with a sensory pillow that effectively assists children with cerebral palsy to stay focused and keep them engaged. The seat offers tactile inputs that are therapeutic to cerebral palsy kids.
The FocusPad Seat cloth cover is washable and all the parts disinfectable, enhancing the cleanliness of cerebral palsy babies.
Special Needs Essentials FocusPad seats can be available in various shapes and colors, improving cerebral palsy kids’ color perception when playing.
However, it lacks the on-off switch and has to be pressed hard to vibrate, which might be impossible for children suffering from cerebral palsy
Pros
✅ Helps in calming the nerves enhancing relaxation
✅ Improve color cognitive skills
Cons
X The toy have to be pressed hard to vibrate, for it lacks the on-off switch
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2. Best toys for 1-year-old with cerebral palsy – Fat Brain Toys
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.4 x 8.4 x 7.1 inches
- Weight: 2.25 pounds
- Age Limit: 1 month and up
- Batteries: Nat required
Fat Brain toys come with soft rubber tops with vivid textures, making it easy for a one-year-old cerebral palsy baby to grasp.
The toy is made of high-quality silicone and plastic, which are BPA-free safe for cerebral palsy babies of 1 year old and above to chew.
When the pink and blue ball is pushed out, the green and purple ball clicked in and out; the orange and teal ball on the top rotates around, the cerebral palsy kids gain color perception skills.
The spinning effect is caused by the rattling beads that fill each ball, teaching cerebral palsy kids cause-and-effect, coordination, and developing fine motor skills, which improves their ability in activities such as walking.
The sound, movement, and bright colors also help stimulate their ears and eyes, enabling them to differentiate sounds produced by different toys and perceive colors.
However, the kids’ little hands can be pinched easily in the hard plastic, especially due to their inability to control their hands, often hurting the kid.
Pros
✅ Durable silicone build
✅ Muscle coordination and fine motor skills
Cons
X The hard plastic can easily pinch their small hands.
3. Best toys for 2-year-old with cerebral palsy – Playskool Sit ‘n Spin
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 4.02 x 17.99 x 17.99 inches
- Weight: 4.24 pounds
- Age Limit: 18 months and up
- Batteries: Not required
Playskool Sit ‘n Spin toy features 2 center post halves, 3 screws, and a decently sturdy turn handle.
This toy creates the spinning and twirling hour fun for your two-year-old child suffering from cerebral palsy, helping them gain more skills and lifelong fan from the toy, capturing the kid’s attention and concentration.
Turning the wheel develops cerebral palsy kids’ hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Cerebral palsy kids undergo challenging general body weakness.
Therefore, strengthening muscles is fundamental, and this toy achieves this by having a wheel that needs spinning when playing, improving the child’s muscle and spine strength.
However, when assembling this toy, the parent must be available to do it on behalf of the kid due to the imbalance of the cerebral palsy kids.
Also, Phillips/ cross head screwdriver is required in the toy assembly, which may not be the best tool in the hands of a cerebral palsy kid.
Pros
✅ Improves child muscle strength
✅ Hand-eye coordination and motor skills development
Cons
X Cross head screwdriver is not included in the package though required in the assembly of the toy
4. Best toy for 4 years old with cerebral palsy – SHCKE Toy Rocket
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 10.63 x 10.51 x 2.91 inches
- Weight: 14.4 ounces
- Age Limit: 4years and up
- Batteries: Not required
SHCKE Toy Rocket helps cerebral palsy kids in learning about aerodynamics and cause and effect motion basics.
The rocket toy enhances physical exercise, and although it is not a cure for cerebral palsy, it does assist the ailing child in improving cardiovascular conditions.
Mostly cerebral palsy causes difficulties when it comes to actions involving hands and legs; the kid launches the rocket in the sky using their hands by pulling the rubber band on the slingshot with the finger and releasing it to launch.
The activity of rocket launching improves their ability to use and coordinate smaller muscle movements.
With a switchable LED light inside, the toy can be played in the day or at night, broadening cerebral palsy children’s horizons and developing long-lasting love for exploration.
The gameplay encourages cerebral palsy kids to play with their colleagues and therefore becomes highly interactive and engaging. This helps cerebral palsy kids to improve their interpersonal skills.
Although the LED rocket adds more fun to the toy, it lasts for 72 hours and is not replaceable.
Pros
✅ Helps in injury prevention and improves cardiovascular conditions
✅ Improves kids fine motor skills and small muscle movement
Cons
X The LED rocket is short-lived and not replaceable.
5. Best toys for 3 years old boy with cerebral palsy- Fat Brain Squigz Toy
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 7.25 x7.25 x 9 inches
- Weight: 2.45 pounds
- Age Limit: 36 months – 15 years
- Batteries: Not required
Fat Brain Squigz is one of the best toys for 3-year-olds with cerebral palsy. The construction quality is BPA-free, latex-free, high-quality food-grade silicone, enhancing the safety of cerebral palsy kids if they put them on the mouth.
Suction construction triggers the cerebral palsy kids’ imagination and provides hours of creative play, and through these toys, children can come up with a rocket, vehicles among others.
Cerebral palsy children can develop creative thinking and fine motor skills with these experimental, playful toys.
Fat Brain Squigz Toy comes in many colors helping cerebral palsy kids acquire color recognition skills and reduce monotony in the toy, leading to boredom.
The downside is that the toy does not stick on any flat surface.
Pros
✅ High-quality silicone build
✅ Improves creative thinking and fine motor skills development
Cons
X The toy does not stick to all sorts of flat surfaces
6. Best educational toys for toddlers with cerebral palsy – deMoca Quiet Book
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 11.22 x 9.33 x 2.64 inches
- Weight: 8.8 ounces
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
deMoca Quiet Book comes with 9 Montessori toddler activities enabling cerebral palsy kids to feel each of their textures, enhancing their sense of touch.
The educational toy is ideal for a 3 years old toddler and stimulates cerebral palsy kids’ senses helping them acquire critical thinking, positive social behavior, and communication.
The toy features 9 Quiet Time activities that assist cerebral palsy kids in improving basic skills using true-life challenges like getting dressed and matching colors and shapes.
The act of matching colors reduces boredom, increases gameplay time, maximizing the exercises on the cerebral palsy kid.
However, the book contains a few pages offering short-lived entertainment to the kids.
Pros
✅ Kids acquire educational objectives
✅ Highly engaging toy and enhances positive social behavior development
Cons
X The book offers a short-lived entertainment
7. Best trampoline for toddler with cerebral palsy – Kalkal Recreational Trampolines
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 37.8 x 14.8 x 8 inches
- Weight: 39 pounds
- Age Limit: No limit
- Batteries: Not required
Kalkal Recreational Trampoline is a heavy-duty, UV-resistant jumping mat made from polypropylene, contributing to sturdiness that can withstand the rough play of a cerebral palsy kid.
The trampoline features 3 pieces of rust-resistant galvanized “ U” shape legs, 36 pieces of thick-waist springs providing high elasticity, helping a child ailing from cerebral palsy in muscle coordination.
With a steel frame that can withstand a jump weight of 220 pounds and 2 pieces of anti-slip silent guards for every leg, this Kalkal Recreational Trampoline offers extra stability for trampoline assisting your cerebral palsy child in meeting various educational objectives such as posture and balance.
Kalkal Recreational Trampoline has a 360 degrees enclosure net and is not too high for cerebral palsy, who normally have balance issues, ensuring safety and preventing injuries.
The downside is that the toy cannot stand if any net hook up lacks, yet cerebral palsy kids are known to be less careful.
Pros
✅ Durable polypropylene build
✅ Muscle coordination development
Cons
X Cannot function if any hook is missing
8. Inflatable pad for baby with cerebral palsy –Bouncy Bands Medium Comfy
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 18.94 x 13.74 x 8.23 inches
- Weight: 8.68 pounds
- Age Limit: 6- 12 years
- Batteries: Not required
Bouncy Bands Medium Comfy acts similarly like a sensory pillow. The soft inflatable lounge chair reduces anxiety, providing children with a sense of well-being and helping them practice high concentration.
In the construction of this toy, sturdy vinyl and heavy-duty triple-welded seams are used for maximum sturdiness.
This quality allows the toy to last long, enabling your cerebral palsy kid to acquire the most skills and entertainment from the toy.
The toy is an ideal choice for use at school or home, with the cerebral palsy kids lounging in the peapod, acquiring a therapeutic sensory relief that offers comfort and fun.
Bouncy Band peapod makes players experience a caressing hug and a gentle deep pressure, which is perfect for cerebral palsy kids who cannot sit.
However, parents should keep all sharp objects away for they may cause accidental punctures, and adult supervision is important.
Pros
✅ Reduces anxiety and offer a sense of well-being
✅ Durable vinyl and heavy-duty triple welded seams build
Cons
X Adults supervision required
9. Best sensory sox for baby with cerebral palsy – Sanho Yopo Dynamic Movement
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.6 x 4.8 x2.5 inches
- Weight: 9 ounces
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
Sanho Yopo Dynamic Movement is a soft and breathable, stretchy body sock suitable for kids ailing from cerebral palsy, helping them increase their spatial awareness.
The toy is made with high-quality materials with an all elastic side effect, preventing skin irritation problems to the cerebral palsy child.
In most cases, cerebral palsy kids can show an abnormal degree of sensory processing, making them challenging motor skills. Fortunately, this toy improves balance and increases movement creativity.
Also, the toy is non-toxic and safe to be used by the ailing kid without any harm, even if put in the mouth. The toy enhances proper postural control for cerebral palsy kids who have balancing problems.
However, a cerebral palsy-ailing kid cannot use this toy without supervision.
Pros
✅ Enhances proper postural control
✅ Increases movement creativity
Cons
X Adult supervision is required
10. Best fidget toy for baby with cerebral palsy – Konblimic 25 Pack Sensory
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.25 x 6.38 x 3.62 inches
- Weight: 1.81 pounds
- Age Limit: 3 years and up
- Batteries: Not required
Konblimic 25 Pack Sensory Toys Set features a relaxing design that helps relieve anxiety in cerebral palsy kids by calming the nerves and gently soothing their bodies, making it one of the best toys for babies with cerebral palsy.
When held on the palms, the sensory toy helps cerebral palsy kids calm their thoughts by occupying their hands. Most cerebral palsy babies have trouble with focusing and excess worries.
Luckily, this toy is an ideal choice for it captures their attention and concentration, relieving them from all this.
With 25 sensory toys that pull, twist, squish, and pop by hand, this toy offers sensory with various textures helping cerebral palsy kids gain cognitive skills, enhancing dexterity, and developing their small hands’ coordination.
However, the fidget spinners get broken within a short period of usage, especially when subjected to the rough play of a cerebral palsy kid.
Pros
✅ Relieves anxiety by calming the nerves
✅ Kids acquire cognitive skills
Cons
X The fidget spinners are not durable
11. Best walker bike toy for baby with cerebral palsy – YBIKE Pewi Ride On Toy
Specifications
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 19.01 x 13.19 x 6.54 inches
- Weight: 5.11 pounds
- Age Limit: 9 months – 3 years
- Batteries: Not required
YBIKE Pewi Ride On Toy has a versatile design that accommodates children’s developmental stages from 9 months to 3 years, making it an ideal choice for cerebral palsy children who are yet to walk or sit.
Parents should support cerebral palsy kids when riding to learn how to walk or sit, which in turn helps them grow like other children who are not ailing.
The toy has a lightweight aluminum frame, molded plastic seat, and a soft pad to support the weak spine of cerebral palsy kids.
With easy-to-grip handles, the bike is suitable for cerebral palsy kids who may have weak hands, developing their movement and riding confidence.
YBIKE Pewi Ride On toy has leg clearance enabling kids ailing from cerebral palsy free movement, which helps develop motor and cognitive skills such as balance.
However, adult supervision is required to prevent the cerebral palsy kids from tipping forward, hurting themselves.
Pros
✅ The toy supports the weak spine of cerebral palsy kids.
✅ Kids confidence is developed by riding the bike
Cons
X Kids can hurt themselves if they lack adult supervision
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Buying Guide – Choosing toys for your child with cerebral palsy
Types of Toys for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Building and Stacking Blocks
Stacking and building blocks help to teach kids suffering from cerebral palsy basic lessons of balance, shape, color, texture, and size.
They help to stimulate the brains of cerebral palsy kids, improving their imaginations and creativity.
Musical Instrument Toys
Music toys help children suffering from cerebral palsy develop important sound recognition skills. In turn, these skills help them develop language and communication skills.
Games and Puzzles
The game and puzzle toys come with large pieces that require fine motor skills. Considering that many cerebral palsy kids have a problem with movement coordination, assembling puzzles is a great way to improve movement coordination and upper-body strength.
Kitchen Playsets
Kitchen playset toys focus on pretending to carry out real-world tasks such as preparing food. When kids suffering from cerebral palsy play with these toys, their confidence, and coordination when doing basic real-life tasks are improved.
Features to Consider in Toys for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Safety
When it comes to toys for kids with cerebral palsy for all ages, safety is one of the most important features you need to consider when purchasing toys for infants with cerebral palsy.
Typically, kids with cerebral palsy are known for imbalance, unsteadiness, rough play, and the tendency to eat anything they find.
With these in mind, look for toys with large pieces that cannot fit in the toddler’s mouth to prevent choking hazards.
Also, avoid toys that pose a falling risk in case of imbalance. Toys that have sharp edges that can bruise the child during a rough play should also be avoided.
Durability
Children with cerebral palsy may subject the toys to rough play, which will break apart if not sufficiently sturdy.
If you want toys that will serve your cerebral palsy kid for years, consider toys made of sturdy materials such as carbon fiber or wood.
How to Stimulate a Child with Cerebral Palsy
- Let the cerebral palsy child grasp lightweight objects to enhance the grasping skills.
- Encourage the cerebral palsy kid to play with objects that can be twisted and rolled easily to improve coordination skills.
- Encourage the cerebral palsy kid to sing along with the sound produced by the toys to enhance language learning.
How to Play with a Child with Cerebral Palsy
When it comes to children with cerebral palsy, they should not be limited to the activities they want to experiment.
Children with cerebral palsy should be given the freedom to play and participate in games like all other kids. The fact that they will not feel different will naturally encourage the development of new abilities and skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do children with cerebral palsy love playing with?
Children with cerebral palsy like playing with toys that stimulate their feelings, for example, games and puzzles. In turn, the games and puzzles help develop the kid’s ability to manipulate things and pick up objects.
However, you should ensure the toy is safe because they cannot discern for themselves.
How does cerebral palsy affect the kid’s ability to play?
Cerebral palsy affects the kid’s ability to play, and in most cases, realize lower playful scores, unlike typically developing kids.
Cerebral palsy kids are also rough in the play due to their inability to coordinate the movement and control muscle strength.
Conclusion
If your child has cerebral palsy, you do not have to force your kid to therapies that may make them feel different from the other kids.
Equipping them with the best toys for children with cerebral palsy like the Special Needs Essentials FocusPad Seat and Fat Brain Toys will help them develop the basic skills.
These toys will keep the cerebral palsy kids engaged and focused, which is important for developing concentration abilities.
Also, the sounds produced help the children who have cerebral palsy develop visual coordination and communication abilities.