Inside you’ll find: How anxiety is related to sensory issues and the best sensory toys for anxiety that will bring relief.
Maybe you’re parent #1: Your child is battling anxiety and it’s taking over their life. Maybe you’re just starting to hear about weighted blankets and other sensory tools that can help lessen anxiety.
Or maybe you’re parent #2: Your child has lots of sensory issues like fear of loud noises or aversions to clothing and food textures. This has led to considerably anxiety.
I’m not sure which parental boat you’re in, but in reality, you’re in the same boat! Anxiety is derailing life and sensory input can help your child regulate!
When your child starts showing sensory overload symptoms, try these sensory toys for anxiety!
What is the Connection between Anxiety and Sensory Issues?
When your child has sensory overload anxiety, they are vulnerable. If you’re always wanting to avoid certain sensory input, it makes sense that worry and anxiety will often quickly follow. For a sensory overload example, if your child is an auditory avoider, they may always be on the verge of a meltdown, fearing when the next sudden sound is going to interrupt their brain and body.
Now if your child doesn’t primarily struggle with sensory issues, they can still benefit from regulating sensory input, especially proprioceptive input!
This sense is responsible for body awareness and plays a crucial role in the brain’s ability to organize and handle all other sensory input appropriately.
In fact, when the body is getting proprioceptive input, it helps the nervous system switch from the sympathetic nervous system or “alert” system, to the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS for short). Kids with anxiety are often on high alert for significantly long periods of time.
But when a child gets proprioceptive input and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, endorphins are released, breathing and heart rate slow, and the body releases tension.
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What are the Best Sensory Toys for Anxiety by Sense:
Proprioceptive Sensory Toys
This weighted lap pad is great for getting proprioception. But sometimes it can be hard to get kids to hold still long enough to let the weight do its thing. That’s why Laki Kid made this weighted lap pad writable with a water pen that can be used over and over again!
These inflatable canoes are an ideal spot to relax while getting extremely helpful full body proprioceptive input! Help the active wigglers to hold still too!
Weighted Blanket (HERE’s a COUPON!)
Weighted blankets almost seem to good to be true. Try one yourself and you’ll be a believer within seconds of their calming effect. I sleep with one every night!
Warmies® Lavender Scented Plush Sloth
These weighted and WARM stuffed animals are SO comforting! They come in all sorts of varieties and can be heated repeatedly in the microwave. I want one!
Discovery Putty
This putty is great for tactile seekers. It’s great for fidgeting hands. AND it’s great for proprioception as the fingers have to work hard to dig the little objects out. It gives kids something to focus on instead of their fears.
Auditory Sensory Tools
Collapsible Kids Noise Blocking Ear Phones
These are great because they shrink to fit into most purses. Or if your child doesn’t mind ear plugs, that’s a super portable option!
Noise Cancelling Headphones w/Bluetooth
These headphones can really silence the world around you! I like that it has a blue tooth connection so you can play your child’s favorite calming song from a distance without having to deal with cords.
If you’re looking for a more house wide option, this white noise machine can drown out the other upsetting auditory input from a child’s surroundings. Multiple sound options to again give your child control over their environment, which is very empowering for kids who feel the world is out of control.
Visual Sensory Toys
Lighting affects mood. Fluorescent lights can be unsettling to many folks while twinkle lights are full of warmth (and a bit of magic). Set the tone of a room with these lights.
Electric Jellyfish Night Light
Ultra memorizing night lights that offer visual distraction and a calming ambiance. It can help slow breathing and heart rate to be focused on something this calming.
Vestibular Sensory Toys
There’s a good reason these chairs are used with young infants to calm them! The vestibular motion of rocking back and forth relieves anxiety and helps remind kids of the security of being in your arms. Bonus proprioceptive points if they can sit on your lap while you hug them tight.
A pod swing can be both alerting or calming, depending on the way you move it. Rocking back and forth in this has been our go-to way to calm down DURING a sensory meltdown. I like the pods because of the comfort of the enclosure. (Follow your child’s lead as vestibular input can be very finicky!)
Oral Sensory Toys
Meeting a child’s oral sensory needs can relieve anxiety. The jaw provides plenty of proprioceptive input while chomping. This chewy has many different textures to choose from. Plus, the long arm helps reach the back molars.
Some kids prefer the texture of fabric and enjoy sucking on their shirt collars. Theses chewies provide for that need, offering an outlet for their anxiety through oral sensory input! Thankfully, these chewies are super absorbent as well, to keep the spit to a minimum.
Olfactory Sensory Toys
Spider Web Aromatherapy Diffuser Necklace
Don’t forget about the sense of smell and the power it can have over a child who is fretting. These diffuser necklaces are super cool and you can use whatever essential oils help your child regulate and deal with anxiety!
An essential oil diffuser can help the whole room feel secure. Plus this one has a cool light feature if you want to kill two birds with one stone!
Tactile Sensory Toys
We LOVE this variety pack of fidgets. I find that each kid gravitates to different things and having a couple options is a good idea. Give anxious fingers and outlet for their energy and watch the body relax.
These little stretchy strings can be pulled up to eight feet long! Great proprioception that doubles as a fidget!
Vibration can be calming to some kids, especially if they deal with tactile issues. Give it a try and see if it helps!
These pillows are captivating! Run your finger along it to fill the sequence and “draw” on the pillow while getting a delightful tactile experience. Also good for hugging/proprioception.
When your child starts showing sensory overload symptoms, try these sensory toys for anxiety!
Julie is a frazzled mom of three tornadoes. As a dorky second-generation homeschooler, she writes about learning and play, natural living, special needs parenting and matters of the heart. She serves an astounding God that radically saved her.
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Mary Brice says
One of my friends goes through this. I do worry about him while he is at school because I know he has a big day ahead of him learning about friendship and getting along and school concepts.