Our Favorite Toys

T.E.A.M.S. is Overbrook’s home-based program for families of children with vision impairment under the age of three. We, the teachers of T.E.A.M.S., have put together a list of our favorite toys. We will be updating and adding to this list periodically, so please check back with us throughout the year. All of the toys on the list were found at the large national chain stores (ToysRUs) and some smaller, independents stores such as I.Q.Kids, Learning Express, and Zany Brainy. These "favorite toys" are meant for children ages birth through three years old and are not listed in any particular order.

If your child has a favorite toy not on this list and you think we should know about it, please contact Cassandra Giardina at Cassandra@obs.org and reference "favorite toy".

*Note: Click on each picture to see it in large view.

Activity Links by Lamaze
These hard plastic links are the perfect size for little fingers to grasp and hold and bring to babies mouth. They come in the early visual color system of black, white, and red. They work very well with the Fisher Price Activity Gym. Attach them to themselves for a delightful rattle toy.

Activity Links Gym by Fisher Price
Our favorite baby gym, this durable toy adapts to almost any situation. Add extra links (Lamaze and Sassy make great links or use plastic shower curtain rings) with your child’s favorite small toys and rattles. Make it more or less stimulation by adding or deleting rings and toys. For infants with very low or questionable vision, wrap twinkle lights around the top bar for supervised play. Activity gyms encourage visual attention and focusing, reach and grasping, and cause and effect.

Ball Party by TOMY
This durable toy can be adjusted in height to accommodate sitting, kneeling, or standing positions by adding or removing levels. Practice visual tracking, voluntary hand release, and cause and effect with swallow-safe balls. Look for other TOMY toys in this line for early fine motor play.

Big Block Shape Puzzle - This is just one example of large, wooden block pieces just the right size for chubby fingers. Not only can you match the puzzle pieces, you can build shape block towers, too. Or use them to trace shapes on paper for coloring.

Bob the Builderby Playdoh
Toddlers love Playdoh and here is a set with the new sensation, Bob the Builder! Playdoh is a great tool for sensory play and building fine motor strength. Hide small objects in the Playdoh and have your child pull it apart to find it. This set includes an easy-open mold of Bob, himself.

Bristle Blocks
A unique sensory explosion! Every child will love these brightly colored textured blocks. Practice building, pulling apart, and color identification with these fun blocks or just play dump and fill games with younger learners.

Dunk & Clunk by Sassy
The Sassy Company knows what makes young babies tick. These brightly colored, high-contrast and textured rings drop into the clear plastic container with loud "clunking" sounds. The rings are perfect for grasping and holding more than one. The top provides slots that encourage visual-motor play. If your child has trouble seeing the clear container, use black electrical tape around the top or in stripes along the sides.

Elmo’s Talking Driver by Sesame Street
Elmo is so popular any toy with his character on it instantly becomes a favorite with children. This driving toy encourages two-hand play, wrist rotation, and cause and effect skills. Various buttons elicit fun "traffic" noises and Elmo’s voice.

Fill & Spillby Lamaze
A simple toy that will entertain your baby for hours while practicing dump and fill play, visual tracking, and reach and grasp. Inside the clear balls are double-sided spinners that provide great visual feedback for young children. We use these balls on the lightbox for visual tracking play.

Gearation by TOMY
Once again, TOMY is showing its creativity by creating a fun, magnetic toy that moves! There are several different sets of "gears" including a small set for the refrigerator with its own motor piece. Place these brightly colored magnets on the board and turn it on to create a "clicking and clacking" moving masterpiece. Use a battery interrupter and switch for cause and effect play.

Happy Feet Rattles by Sassy
These brightly colored rattles are socks for feet or hands that encourage infants to look and focus independently. They encourage cause and effect concept development and promote arm and leg movements.

Light and Sound Put ‘N Take
Drop a ball into the hole and listen to the music play. This toy combines fine motor skills, voluntary release, cause and effect, and in/out concept development in one fun activity. This toy is especially motivating for children with very little vision.

Little People Discovery City by Fisher Price
Toddlers love manipulatives and this city has plenty of them. The little people are child-sized and swallow-safe. Encourage pretend play, language and concept development while having lots of fun playing with your child. The city includes several visual motor activities and cause and effect play.

Mr. Potato Head by Playskool
What great ways to learn body parts and engage in pretend play. Mr. Potato Head also has a Wife and extra attachments are available. Practice fine motor skills and language development through guided play. Mr. Potato Head is a long- standing favorite with teachers and speech therapists.

Peaceful Planet Aquarium by Fisher Price
This crib toy glows with light while making soft and soothing bubbling noises to create a relaxing atmosphere while encouraging focusing and attention skills. Try a battery interrupter and switch to make a neat cause and effect toy for slightly older children.

Ride on Zebra by Little Tykes
This early ride-on toy has a removable and washable cover. The bright colors and black and white stripes of the Zebra are quite visible and make a great target for traveling towards a distant toy. It is just the right height for pre- and early walkers to practice pulling up, standing, and balance in sitting while rocking

Singin PopUp Pals by Sesame Street
This is a fun way to practice fine motor skill development and cause and effect play. The buttons do not require a great deal of strength and the roaring songs of the Sesame Street gang are instantaneous. This is a brightly colored toy for children with low vision or cortical vision impairment. Warning: This toy is very loud.

Sparklin’ Symphony Star Stacker by Fisher Price
Our babies love this stacker that includes flickering lights on the stem and classical music excerpts whenever they take the stars off or put them on. The stars glow on the lightbox to make a great two-step activity to include visual search and scan before stacking. There are several other neat toys in Fisher Price’s Sparklin’ Symphony line

Stacking Cups by Sassy
Another "Sassy" toy that encourages basic skill development. Use these brightly colored and patterned cups for nesting or stacking. Put the cups in a box of rice for scoop and pouring games. The top of each cup has a soft plastic textured lip that children love to chew. We all have at least one set of these.

Tickle Me Elmo by Sesame Street
And last, but not least, Sesame Street’s hit toy from several years back is still available and still just as much fun. This large, soft Elmo talks, giggles, and vibrates with just a squeeze. It encourages cause and effect learning, language development, and pretend play. The vibration is great for body awareness and sensory integration

Tuffies by Tonka
For our truck-loving boys, choose these soft cause and effect vehicles that encourage two-hand play, pretend play, and cause and effect. Push down on the top of the toy to elicit a realistic noise and rumbling.