The Best Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome
Our children with Down Syndrome can do so much when given the opportunity, time, and patience. Their toddler years can have a big impact and as their parents we want it to be a positive one!
While often overlooked, play is such an important part of childhood and the learning process.
Hey Mama Bears, full disclosure here. There are affiliate links in this post so if you click on the link and buy the product I will earn a small commission. Now that we’re clear on that let’s get back to rocking life with special needs!
Why Play Is Important For Toddlers With Down Syndrome
Play is an important part of the learning process for all children, but it is especially important for toddlers with Down syndrome. Play helps kids learn about themselves as well as the world around them. It allows kids to practice skills, try out new things, discover new challenges, communicate ideas, and understand others through social interactions. It’s also a natural stress reliever!
Max is very good at modeling others. Play is a perfect opportunity to model skills for your child with Down Syndrome. They’re learning, growing, gaining new skills, and it’s fun!
Choosing Toys For Your Child With Down Syndrome
Our toddlers with Down Syndrome don’t need special toys. What makes a toy great for a child with Down Syndrome is often the same reason it’s a great toy for any other child. Here are a few general tips though to keep in mind as you’re buying toys.
Safety First
Toddlers love to put things in their mouths so choking is a big concern. When buying toys make sure they’re not a choking hazard. You’ll also want to buy toys that are sturdy and can withstand the rough play of a toddler. You are the expert on your child and will have the best understanding regarding toys that will be safe for them.
Multifunctional Toys
Toys that fulfill a number of purposes are great. Look for toys that can help your child work on several different skills. Toys that will grow with them are also fabulous. This helps limit the need to constantly buy new toys (your pocketbook will also thank you) and reduce waste.
Simple Toys
Toys that have all the “bells and whistles” can overwhelm our kids. Simple toys will help avoid overwhelm and encourage creativity. It’s important to know your child on this one. Max loved toddler toys that lit up and played music but if they did too many things at once or were too complicated he would become overwhelmed and lose interest.
Toys With Purpose
When buying a toy for your toddler with Down Syndrome ask yourself if it’s going to help your child with at least one of the following areas…
Problem solving
Pretend play and imagination
Life skills
Language development
Strength and staying active
Fine motor skills and visual development
Toys That Interest Your Child
When choosing toys, think about what interests your child. Do they love animals? Then a foldable barn with farm animals may be the perfect toy! Our kids with Down Syndrome tend to be visual learners and enjoy singing and dancing so keep this in mind too when choosing toys.
25 Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome
When Max was younger I enjoyed finding toys that would help him learn and grow as well as come up with ideas on how to utilize them. Today I’m going to share with you 25 toys that we loved and how we used them to help Max grow and learn!
Now Mama Bear, like with anything on the Twenty One Dandelions blog you should decide what will work for you and your family, what won’t, and implement accordingly.
Our children, our families, our values, and our lives are all unique so there is no one size fits all.
Remember Mama Bears, these are affiliate links so if you click on the link and buy the product I will earn a small commission.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #1
Floor Mirror
When your child is a baby this mirror is great for tummy time. Max was not a fan of tummy time but if we put the mirror down it suddenly became tolerable! As a baby and toddler Max loved looking at himself in the mirror. Now that I think about it he still does! He’s the only kid with a full length mirror in their bedroom!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Get down on the floor with your child and practice making faces in the mirror such as sad (frown), mad (furrow brow), happy (smile), and surprised (raise eyebrows). Have your child mimic things you do such as put your tongue out, move your tongue to the left and right, put your tongue in, puff your cheeks out, press your lips together, and make kissing noises. These are all great facial exercises getting your child ready for speech without them feeling like it’s a therapy session!
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #2
Rody Horse
The Rody Horse is great to help strengthen your child’s core, improve balance, and work on gross motor skills.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: When your child has just learned how to sit, improve their core strength by setting them on the Rody Horse while your hands are stabilizing them at their hips. You can say things like “Giddy up” and make horse noises to make it fun. To make it more challenging you can gently bounce them while sitting on Rody.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #3
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to improve hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Max wasn’t a big fan of puzzles when he was a toddler. I would make it more fun by placing the big puzzle pieces around the house and we’d go on a “puzzle hunt.” As we’d find a puzzle piece he would place it into the correct spot. We used the Melissa and Doug animal puzzles a lot and I would make the noise of the animal as he fit it into the correct spot.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #4
Books
I love books. Libraries and bookstores are some of my favorite places so of course I want to share my love of books with my kids! Whenever possible I buy books that feature other kids with disabilities. Reading helps children learn about speech sounds, words, and language.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child sit in your lap as you read. When it’s time to turn the page, have your child do it.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #5
Wooden Blocks
Wooden blocks are so great! They are versatile and work on so many skills such as fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and they encourage creativity.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Help your child build a block tower. See how tall you can make it before it falls down. Count each block as you add it.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #6
Shape Sorting Cube
We used this toy a lot! We used it to work on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and we used it to help Max learn his shapes and colors!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: To help your child learn their shapes, spread the shapes around the shape sorter. Ask your child to find the square. When they find the square, help them find the square shape on the sorter and have them put it in. If your child is just starting to learn their shapes, only set out two shapes for them to choose from such as a square and a circle. Once they’ve consistently chosen the correct shape then you can add more shapes to their choices.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #7
Laugh and Learn Piggy Bank
This is another toy that got a lot of use in our home. Max loved the sounds the piggy made and the song. I liked it because we could practice Max isolating his pointer finger in order to open the piggy.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Scatter the coins around the piggy bank. Tell your child it’s time to feed the piggy and have them pick up the coins and fit them into the slot. Have them use their pointer finger to open the piggy’s belly and release the coins.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #8
Melissa and Doug Fold And Go Farm
I grew up on a dairy farm so I’m partial to farm themed toys and Max loved farm themed toys because it reminded him of Nana and Papa’s farm! We used this to help build Max’s language skills. We would make farm animal noises and we used this toy to help Max understand prepositions such as between, inside, outside, etc.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Pick up each animal, identify the animal and the sound it makes. “This is a horse. A horse says neigh.” As you're playing with your child make sure to talk as you’re playing. “Mommy is putting the horse inside the barn.”
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #9
My 1st Touch And Feel Picture Cards
We used these a lot when Max was a young toddler for sensory play and to help build language.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child sit on your lap as you look at the cards. Encourage your child to use their pointer finger to reach out and touch the card. Ask them how it feels. Does it feel soft, rough, bumpy?
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #10
Ball Pit Balls And Kid Pool
By far this was Max’s favorite toy. Max loved ball pit balls. He would crawl around our house “herding” balls from one place to the next. One Christmas I got the bright idea of buying a small kiddie pool and filling it up with ball pit balls inside our home. Max was in heaven! It was great for sensory play and gross motor skills!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Hide toys in the ball pit. Create a legend and have your child find each toy hidden.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #11
Stacking Rings
We had a stacking ring that made a noise and lit up as you added a ring which was highly reinforcing for Max. At the end there was a star that went on top and when you pushed down on it a song played and more lights lit up. Highly reinforcing.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child take the rings off and count them as you do. Next ask your child to put the rings back on but ask them to put the blue ring on first, then the red ring, etc.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #12
Ball Popper
Another one of Max’s favorites! I would bring this toy out when I needed to make dinner as I was guaranteed a half hour to hour of uninterrupted time! It’s a great toy to teach cause and effect.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: As you or your child put the ball in, identify its color. Say “I’m putting the yellow ball in.”
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #13
Ball Drop
While Max did not have this exact toy we did have something very similar. This is a great toy to work on gross motor skills (putting the ball and then using their hand to push it down), cause and effect, learning colors, and learning how to follow directions. This toy also plays music. Max loves music.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Tell your child you’re going to feed the fish. Ask your child to feed the blue fish the blue ball, etc.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #14
Pop Up Toy
This toy has received an upgrade! The one Max had did not have lights and sound. Of course that was several years ago now. This toy is great for learning about cause and effect as well as working on fine motor skills. Getting their little hands to be able to do things like turning and sliding knobs will make things like dressing themselves so much easier! Just beware…the first time one of the animals pops up it may frighten your little one.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Take turns popping up each animal. Make the sound the animal makes together.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #15
Baby Doll
A baby doll encourages pretend play, development of social skills and language skills, as well as improving fine motor skills. Max had a baby doll and would mimic what he would see me doing with his little sister such as feeding his baby, changing his baby’s diaper, and more!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Engage your little one with doll play. Pretend to feed the baby with your child, change the doll’s diaper with your baby, rock the baby to sleep, etc. The entire time you are doing these things with your child and the baby doll, narrate it. Talk about what you’re doing.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #16
See N Say
This toy is great for language development. It also helps with fine motor skills as they have to pull the lever.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: With your child on your lap, point to the different animals and identify them. Talk about the sounds each animal makes. Take turns pulling the lever to see which animal you get.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #17
LeapFrog Spin And Sing Alphabet Zoo
We loved this toy for learning our letters!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: With the toy off start at letter A, point to it and say “A”. Go through the entire alphabet doing this. Then spin the toy and randomly point to a letter. Ask your child what letter it is. Turn the toy on and let your child play with it while you get a few minutes to yourself!
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #18
Activity Table
The activity table was a great way to practice gross motor skills such as standing when Max was young. I would have him play with the activity table while standing to strengthen his legs. I would also encourage him to move around the table while standing as he was playing with it. This table is great because your child has to bend down to get the ball and then stand up to put it into the ball drop. Great for gross motor skills!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child bend down to pick up one of the balls and then encourage them to drop it into the ball drop in the middle of the table.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #19
Ride On Toy
Another great toy to improve gross motor skills and balance!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child get on the Pony by themselves while holding the toy to steady it. Then push your child around the house while making horse noises. If your child is able to self propel themself have a “horse race” with you pretending to be a pony and race your child across the room.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #20
Ball Pit Play Tent With Tunnels
A ball pit play tent with tunnels is so much fun and helps improve your child’s strength and gross motor skills.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: In the ball pit area have your child pick up a ball, stand up, and shoot a basket.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #21
Musical Instruments
Music is fantastic for toddlers. Musical instruments help with gross and fine motor skills and support sensory development. If combined with singing it improves language skills too!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Break out the musical instruments and sing songs together such as Old MacDonald Had A Farm and Row Your Boat.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #22
Bath Crayons
Bath time is a great time to work fine motor skills. Bath crayons are the best! I think Max got a little thrill thinking he was being a rebel drawing on our tub! Bath crayons are great for strengthening little hands and fine motor skills!
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Draw a vertical line on the tub wall and ask your child to do the same. Next draw a horizontal line, then a circle.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #23
Bath Toys
Bath time is also the perfect time to learn how to scoop, dump, and pour! All skills we need in day to day life.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have your child stack the cups or scoop water into one of the cups.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #24
Press And Go Cars
These little cars teach cause and effect, encourage creative play, and can improve language skills as well as gross motor skills.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Have a race with the cars. Line the cars up. Then say together “Ready, set, go!” with your child and push the buttons to make the cars go.
Toys For Your Toddler With Down Syndrome #25
Water/Sand Table
We used our table so much! We live in Erie and our winters bring a lot of snow. One of Max’s favorite things was to fill the table with snow and bring it inside. I would put down a plastic tablecloth to protect our floor and then the kids would have lot of fun playing with the snow.
An Idea On How To Use This Toy: Put snow on the table. Get an ice cube tray and fill it with water. Put different drops of food coloring in each compartment and get out several droppers. Allow your child to “color” the snow.
So there you have it Mama Bears!
25 of the best toys for your toddler with Down Syndrome AND ideas on how to use them to rock those skills!
If you enjoyed this post then you may want to check out…
5 Toys To Help Your Toddler With Down Syndrome Improve Fine Motor Skills
The Best Toys For Your Young Child With Down Syndrome To Improve Gross Motor Skills
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Dandelion Tribe Takeaway: Play is an important part of the learning process for all children, but it is especially important for toddlers with Down syndrome. Play helps kids learn about themselves as well as the world around them. It allows kids to practice skills, try out new things, discover new challenges, communicate ideas, and understand others through social interactions.
Mama Bear Share: What toys does your toddler love?
