A Few of Sam’s Favorite Things: The 2019 Edition

As the parent of a kiddo with Down syndrome, I am often on the lookout for products and resources that will help us to more effectively engage Sam as we work on skills and simply have fun learning together. I’ve enjoyed discovering his growing needs and interests so I thought I’d share with you what has worked for us.   

Lest you think this post is exclusively for parents raising kids with Ds, here is a brief list of the many readers who may benefit:

• Caregivers of children with Down syndrome
• Specialists/therapists/paraprofessionals working with students with Ds
• Friends of families raising children with Ds
• Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents who love a child with Ds
• Anyone who would like to purchase a gift for a child with Ds
• Anyone who wants to work with kiddos on their fine/gross motor skills
  regardless of diagnosis or ability

Here are 13 of our favorite products and a few points about the skills they may sharpen and/or benefits they may provide.

1. CONNECT FOUR:

• Fine motor skills
• Taking turns. 
• Sensory satisfaction. Sam loves the clinking sound the chips make when they drop and he giggles as he empties all the chips into the box.

2. CARIBOO:

• Fine motor skills
• Color/letter/shape recognition
• Open/close
• Memory 

3. TWISTER:

• Color recognition and left/right differentiation
• Movement/stretching
• Gross motor skills
• Listening and following directions    

4. KINETIC SAND:

• Fine motor skills
• Sensory seeker activity
• Creativity (can cut/shape it; add plastic figurines)

5. FOAM LETTERS:

• Sensory seeker activity
• Letter recognition
• Fine motor skills

6. FOAM NUMBERS WITH PEGS:

• Sensory activity
• Number/color recognition
• Fine motor skills
• Stacking/counting

7. STRETCHY BED COVER:

Sensory seeker product that provides compression–Sam sleeps better with this!

Makes his bed super easy to make! (We ordered ours through Etsy.)

8. INDOOR SWING:

• Great for sensory seekers (Sam LOVES the swings at the park)
• Calming

9. NALGENE WATER BOTTLE:

• Small mouth allows for Sam to drink without requiring a sippy cup top
• Strong closure to prevent leaking and no straw to disassemble and clean.
• Nearly indestructible

10. SQUIGZ:

• Fine motor skills
• Cause-effect
• Color recognition

11. WOODEN CLOCK:

• Number recognition
• Telling time
• Shape recognition
• Color recognition
• Sorting
• Fine motor skills

12. MATCH IT! ABCs:

• Letter recognition
• Item recognition
• Matching
• Fine motor skills

13. BIKE:

• Ideal for kids learning to pedal and steer
• Provides safety belt and latch
• Easy to maneuver

A few notes: 

• They are inclusive: Both neurotypical kids and those with developmental delays may benefit from using these items. Each of our kids has enjoyed them (except the bed cover and the bike, which is too small for our big kids.) 

• They do not require batteries. YOU’RE WELCOME. 

• They are not age specific. What you choose may vary, depending on your child’s development, mobility, and interest. 

• They are not from a particular retailer. Products are sold at various stores at different prices, so I did not include specific (online) places, only visuals as a guide.

I hope this list has served you well.

What would you guys add to Sam’s favorites? Share in the comments!

Featured photo by Samantha Hurley at Burst

***This post is not intended to be an ad; I did not receive any compensation for endorsing these products.***