Having three children with autism and two with adhd, we use a ton of sensory toys. A lot of those sensory therapy items come from the local teacher store or as a diy option. Getting out to the teacher store is not always a great option for us, as it is not very close. I recently learned about an amazing new option! Sensory TheraPlay Box !

Sensory TheraPlay Box is the sensory toy subscription box designed for children with autism and those with sensory needs. Boxes are curated by a licensed occupational therapist and ship out the first week of each month. This is a review of the September 2017 box. We will go over each item, value, use, and what we think of each one!

Sensory TheraPlay Box Review

Unboxing September 2017

After little man was diagnosed with autism, we began working with First Steps of Missouri. Each week, he would have a speech therapist and an occupational therapist come to the home. Little man was making leaps and bounds with the help of his therapists. I loved finding out new information from his occupational therapist. They would bring toys and diy ideas I had never thought of.

That program ended when he turned three. He is now in preschool, but I absolutely see the importance of carrying on with occupational therapy at home. With our daughter have autism as well, this box was a no brainer for us! Our Sensory TheraPlay box was jammed packed with a ton of great goodies for both of our kiddos to enjoy!

One of the best features of the box is the advice directly from an occupational therapist. The box comes with a card that explains why and how to use each item. That alone adds a huge value to the box!

Sensory TheraPlay Box Review

Unboxing September 2017

Fun and Function Discovery Putty – Transportation Station

Value $14.99 (not prime eligible, so $23.97 with shipping)

OT Advice: “This putty activity is a fun and playful way to strengthen little hands and work on fine motor skills. The kit comes with 12 little pieces you can hide and push into the putty. The idea is to stretch, pull and manipulate the putty to find and dig out all the pieces.”

Our Review: We absolutely love the fun and function discovery putty! It is very sturdy, and a really bright fun color. Little man had to work really hard to get the toys out of it. This is a fantastic sensory toy!

eeBoo Create and Tell Me A Story Cards, Fairy Tale Mix-Up

Value- $11.99 (prime eligible)

OT Advice– Story Telling builds literacy skills of sequencing, vocabulary development, narrative and comprehension. For children who are non-verbal and cannot verbally say a story aloud, looking through the detailed illustrations and photos on each page is certainly engaging and a different way of expressing imagination and making fairytale stories come to life.

Our Review– eeBoo Create and Tell Me A Story Cards, Fairy Tale Mix-Up are a fun new way to play pretend. I like that it encourages imagination, which is an area both of my autistic children struggle in. This would be a really fun activity for a parent and child, or even siblings to play together. It comes with three different game suggestion, so this is a game that they won’t bore from easily.

Kahootz Travel Spirograph Playset

Value- $9.47

OT Advice- Spirograph’s interlocking gears promote fine motor control, visual motor, and bilateral skills. Not only is it incredibly fun to play with, but the circular intricate patterns kids can create are eye-popping and provide visual stimulation.

Our Review- Kahootz Travel Spirograph playset is an absolutely win! We love spirographs, so having a portable one that we can through in our sensory bag or book bags is an absolute win! I love that the sheets of paper are actually sticky notes, so I can run to dollar tree to get cheap replacements!

Sensory University Desk Buddy Multi-Textured Chewable Ruler

Value- $11.97

OT Advice – This textured ruler also functions as a hand fidget and can be used in the classroom or at home. For children who see different textures to touch or “fidget: with, this item is both practical and socially acceptable in a school setting. Fidgeting with and touching the multi-textured surface can help a child focus and pay attention. The Desk Buddy is constructed from a FDA approved material do its even safe to chew on if the need was to arise.

Our Review– The desk buddy is an awesome tool for school. I love that it can sit on the desk just like any other ruler! My daughter loves keeping it in her desk, so she can fiddle with it without anyone knowing. The other great feature is that is a chewie option for those who have oral sensory needs.

Porcupine Ball Pencil Topper

Value- $1.06 (comes in a 12 pack, we received 1)

OT Advice- Pop this porcupine ball onto the top of a pencil and bring to school. The tactile stimulation it provides can help children focus or maintain attention during school work/ academic tasks.

Our Review- We love the Porcupine Ball Pencil Toppers! They are perfect for school because they are a quiet fidget option. They are relatively cheap, so if they get lost it’s not the big of a deal to replace.

Smiley Face Puffer Ball Yo-Yo

Value $0.75 (comes in a 12 pack, we received 1)

OT Advice- This Fun little puffer ball toy is fun to play and fidget with. Loop the end of the cord around your finger and bounce around for fun!

Our Review- The Smiley Face Puffer Ball Yo-Yo was a hit with the kids. They thought it was super fun and loved the texture. I wouldn’t necessarily go buy a lot of these, but they are fun and would be a great option for school birthdays or Halloween goodies for kids who have allergies.

Big Bites Crocodile Puppet

Value $9.99 ($6.00 if you buy as an ad-on item)

OT Advice– This realistic looking crocodile puppet is not only fun to play with, but playing with puppets also has benefits for language, social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Fine motor skills are also strengthened. The opening and closing actions of the hands as your child makes the mouth of the puppet move is also important in the development of scissor skills and being able to effectively use scissors in a coordinate manner during classroom activities.

If you’re a teacher, giving this puppet a funny and engaging personality while introducing or explaining classroom rules can help capture attention. You can also use it for transitions to help a child know what’s coming next.

Our Review- Little man is obsessed with the Big Bite Crocodile! He loves that it is a crocodile. The soft, stretchy material is also one that he prefers in his “squishy” toys we use for sensory input. He instantly started using it correctly (no prompting, seriously, it’s on video lol!). Little man loves to have the crocodile “chomp” and pick up small items.