One Sharp Mama

Need toddler snack ideas to keep your little one happy throughout the day? We can relate! As the parents of 3 kids (#4 on the way), we know all too well how much of a struggle it can be to not only find snacks your child will enjoy, but to give them a variety of options. And when you’re also trying to keep the snacks at least mostly healthy, you come across an even bigger problem. 

If this is a struggle you find yourself having each week (or even every day), we hope this article will help you out! Below you will find some tasty toddler snack ideas to keep in mind the next time you go grocery shopping. Load up on ingredients and you will always have something on hand for snacktime. 

[Read more…] about Easy Toddler Snack Ideas

There are so many good reasons to get sensory toys for your preschooler. Sensory play is a fun way for children to learn, to help develop important skills, and is a great way for them to be creative.

Learning through sensory play can help encourage the development of fine motor skills, support language development, and can help with brain development. Sensory toys are also used as an effective “calm down” tool for kids who may need help staying calm.

These sensory toys combine fun and learning as play and complete the activities. Not only are they educational, but they will also help with cognitive growth.

Sand Water Table

This sensory play table will provide hours of fun for your preschooler as they use their hands to touch, play, and learn.

Why We Love This Sensory Play Table

• 💧4 IN 1 MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY – This sand water activity table (23*23*15 inches) is composed of four separate parts, which can hold water, sand, snow, soil or anything you can think of for multiple sensory exploration. Enjoy water fun and create sand castles!
• 💧EASY TO ASSEMBLE & CLEAN – Made of durable high-quality ABS material. This sandbox table toy is easy to assemble that kids can explore and build together with the help of parents. Includes four non-leak drain plugs to prevent water and sand from leaking when playing, and can be easily cleaned and stored after playing.
• 💧FULLY ENHANCE SENSORY EXERCISE – This water play table will encourage your child to do more tactile activities: water the windmill to create splashes, build a castle with an excavator, pour water into the water tower to form a waterfall, and use molds to suppress vivid animals, etc. Enhance children’s hand-eye coordination and imagination.
• 💧IDEAL GIFT FOR MORE OCCASIONS – The easy-to-move and carry sand-water sensory table allows indoor and outdoor play. Especially suitable for beach, garden, swimming pool, seaside, park yard, playhouse, etc.Hurry up as a gift for parties, birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, etc. to your children over 3 years old.
• Above bullet points taken from the Amazon Listing for this item.

Busy Board

Great for traveling, or at home play, this busy board is an educational sensory toy that your preschooler will love.

Why We Love This Busy Board

• ✅MONTESSORI TOYS FOR TODDLERS: Montessori is a educational method that is based on self – directed activity, hands – on learning and collaborative play. Busy board is one of the most perfect Montessori toys for toddlers.
• ✅GREAT SENSORY TOYS: Busy boards for toddlers 1-3 can develop kids’ fine motor skills and basic life skills through play. It’s a fun and effective learning toy to help young children learn to dress. The busy board also provides a sensory learning activity which is suitable for a wide range of developmental levels.
• ✅LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE: The busy board measures 11×8.4 in and weighs 0.45 lb. The lightweight handbag design of this busy board allows kids can carry and use it very easily in cars or airplane. So this Montessori busy board is a wonderful choice for travel toy and toddler activities.
• ✅PERFECT GIFTS FOR TODDLERS: Are you still hesitated to choose the kid’s birthday or Christmas gifts for 1 2 3 year old boys & girls ? This busy board for toddler activities is definitely the perfect choice that you won’t regret!
• Above bullet point list is taken from the Amazon Listing.

Simple Dimple Toys

This sensory toy for preschoolers is a fun toy that will have children popping the dimples and can help with reducing stress and overall anxiety.

Why We Love Dimple Toys

• Relieve stress: Mini Fidget Block Set kills time by simply playing squeeze, stretch and flip these simple toys; suitable for children with autism, ADD or ADHD, OCD or autistic patients with high stress/anxiety levels.
• Educational toys: Portable Cheap Sensory Fidget Pack can help exercise hand-eye coordination, improve their memory, concentration, patience, logic, spatial thinking and hand flexibility. It can also be used as an interactive parent-child toy.
• Exquisite gifts: ideal birthday party gifts, school classroom rewards, classroom treasure boxes, carnival prizes, pinata stuffing, Christmas stocking stuffing, Christmas gifts, gift bag stuffing, miniature novelty toys, Halloween party gifts.
• Bullet points listed above came from Amazon Listing.

Sensory Fidget Pack

This pack includes 23 sensory fidget toys and comes with a reusable bag so that you can take them wherever you go.

Why We Love These Toys

• A BLAST IN A BAG – Explore a world of interaction with your fidget toy set from Chuchik! Complete with a reusable bag, your variety pack bursts with 23 sensory toys that pull, twist, pop, and squish!
• GOODBYE, JITTERS – Soothe stress and appease worries with your fidget set! Wonderful for people with trouble focusing or excess worries, your fidget toys pack help calm your thoughts by occupying your hands!
• BUSY HANDS, QUIET MIND – Riddled with a case of the fiddles? Engage your senses with your fidget toys set! Choose between various toys to get out fidgets and get focused at work, home, or school!
• SHARE THE FUN – Your stress relief Bundle holds oodles and gobs of moveable, squeezable goodies perfect for party favors, pinata stuffers, sensory bin filler, carnival prizes, or classrooms!
• Above bullet points came from the Amazon Listing.

Twiddle Sensory Toy

This cute little sensory toy is a highly effective therapy toy that children can play with as they fine tune their motor skills with the textured items.

Why We Love This Cute Toy

• Highly effective and safe sensory therapy tool used to reduce stress and increase brain function in children with Autism and elderly patients living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
• Aids in improving strength and dexterity while also assisting in regaining fine motor skills. Animal lovers and former pet owners find comfort and joy by using the TwiddlePup.
• TwiddlePup comes with an interior soft-plastic orbit ball tethered on the inside. Exterior attached gadgets include a loop of multi-colored wooden beads, textured ribbons, a sealed buckskin crackle pouch, and a hook and loop pull patch to exercise hands and mind alike.
• Ideal for home, therapy clinics, and ”safe spaces” at school and other group settings, as well as memory care and respite care facilities. Endorsed by AblePlay, and is recognized by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) as a Certified Autism Resource.
• Machine Washable and Dryer Friendly after removing gadgets. Meets all US and European safety standards.
• The above bulleted list came from the Amazon Listing.

Water Animal Beads

Perfect for summer, these water animal beads will provide so much fun for your preschooler.

Why We Love Water Beads

• 🌊【VERY PRECISE AND LESS MESS WITH LESS STRESS】It is a complete Water Animal Beads Sensory Toys kit with a lot of tools that perfect for kids 5-7 or above ; Our package includes 12 small sea animal figures to play with and 3 big sea animal figures, 1 container and storage box for storage of everything, 1 strainer, 2 shovel, 1 water beads picker, 3 big size and small water beads, 10 balloon, 3 tweezers and instructions to guide you for every step required.
• 🌊【UNLIMITED HOURS OF FUN IN ONE PLAYSET】With our unique and engaging concept and material playset you can have fun with this toy for long time unlimited hours. Thanks to it’s material and safe production it is best for kids and toddlers from ages 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 years old and above.
• 🌊【DIFFERENT SIZES SEA ANIMALS AND WATER BEADS】Our kit comes with not just one but 2 different size sea animals. Big animals are 3 figures in total and small animals are 12 in total so that you do not get bored with just one figure animals. Not just that! It also comes with 2 different size water beads; Big water beads and small water beads.
• 🌊【CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS AND WITH STORAGE BOX】 It also comes with clear instructions to guide you at every step so that you do not get lost at any step. If you’re new to water beads, then this kit is a prfect choice for you to try! No special skills or tools are needed. You could enjoy this fun and creative activity all day.
• 🌊【30 DAYS GUARANTEE PERFECT GIFT】Buy with confidence with 30 days Money back guarantee. It is the perfect gift for everyone. It is a great tactile experience for kids. The eco-friendly water beads and sea animals toys provide a safe environment for creative play. Water Beads are non-toxic & colorfast. Makes a great gift.

Plastic Building Blocks

These plastic building blocks are interlocking so that children can construct and build.

Why We Love Blocks To Build With

• FRUSTRATION-FREE BUILDING – PicassoTiles bristle shape blocks offer easy connectivity and simple to disconnect to maximize fun and build more creative designs. PTB120 enables children to improve hand-eye coordination, gain a strong sense of color, counting, sorting, attention, promotes the child brain development, and focus by using their hands to foster Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills
• EDUCATIONAL TOY – Never too early to start developing kids’ creativity. Children can acquire strong sense of color, structures, geometrical shapes including 3D forms, numbers counts, & architectural design at an early age. No limitations, scalable to build as big as desired by adding more pieces to create the masterpiece. The 120pcs bristle shape building block can build more than 20 creative designs. Bristle shape block construction toys have different add-on pieces to offer open-ended
• LEARNING IS FUN – Encourage creativity for STEM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) education which is the key factor to success in today’s ever-changing environment. Fun and entertaining; perfect educational present for school age children that will never go out of style. Bristle shape building blocks are designed fosters hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills of all ages including preschool, group activity, classroom teamwork, and kindergarten
• FUN FOR EVERYBODY – PicassoTiles bristle shape blocks encourage children (3+ and up) and/or families to work together as a team to design the masterpiece structures and build the creations. Entertaining for single or multiple parties and feel the sense of achievement of building together. A great way to spend quality time with the loved ones for family time bonding by playing. Developing kids creativity and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) skills
• Above reasons are all a part of the Amazon Listing.

Snap Sensory Toy

This snap sensory toy is made from silicone and makes noise when it is snapped.

Why You’ll Love This Snap Toy

• 【Relieve Stress and Reduce Anxiety】 For those who are stressed or irritable, this silicone gripper toy is a good sensory tool. Bright colors, pleasant sounds, it can help restore mood, stay focused and calm or kill time.
• 【High-quality Material】 The toy is made of high-quality silicone, not easy to break. It is washable and can be used for fun frequently and comfortably.
• 【Multiple Purpose】This is a method used for household necessities, preschool toys, parent-child games, autistic patients, the elderly, children and adults to relieve stress and anxiety.
• 【Convenient to carry 】 The grip ring toy is light and compact, so you can put it in your bag or pocket, take it out anytime and anywhere to decompress and exercise
• 【Perfect Gift】 If you like sensory toys with spinning and cube clicks, but hate their noise, this noiseless and compact tactile sensory relief ring is perfect for irritated hands and can calm you down.
• Above list was taken from the Amazon Listing for this toy.

Wooden Sensory Bin

An all-in-one sensory kit, this wooden sensory bin will have children using their hands and discovering new things.

Why We Heart This Wooden Sensory Box

• ALL-IN-ONE CONVENIENCE & VALUE: 1 Sensory Bin + 11 Sensory Toys,including a Wooden sensory box for storing and playing, a brush for treasure hunting, a shovel for tidying up and paving，a spoon match the container and other useful objects.
• MONTESSIORI TOYS FOR TODDLERS: little dove give you Complete Sensory Bin Tools Kit. Kids can fill the bin with grains, rice, oats, sand……Enjoy the fun of the senses and imagination.
• EDUCATIONAL: Unique designed to meets kids’ abilities and their inner needs. It focus encourages self-confidence and self-exploration that teach kids to stay calm and extend focus from a young age.
• INTERACTIVE TOYS: It is used for building fairy garden, farm,dollhouse, kitchen games, Relaxing,etc.In the construction and process of playing and sharing with family and friends,help children develop social skills.
• WELL MADE: Montessori Toys are made of high-quality natural wood, and all Items edges are sanded smooth, your toddlers can play it safe.This is a best wooden toy for little one.
• All the points in this bullet list are from the Amazon Listing.

Playdough Set

This playdough set is a sensory shape and learn alphabet toy that will help them learn letter recognition and more.

Why We Can’t Get Enough Playdough

• Colorful collection of play clay and wooden tools
• Includes 5 wooden stamping cubes, 3 rolling pins, 4 tubs of modeling dough, 1 patterned wheel press
• 4 vibrant colors (red, yellow, blue, and green)
• Adorable animal molds on every lid
• Great for fine motor skills, finger strength, color recognition, shape recognition, and creative expression
• Above list is from the Amazon Listing for this toy.

Colors and Shapes Sensory Pack

This kit includes a variety of different sensory toys and activities that the kids can do to help with fine motor skills and creativity.

Why We Love This Activity Set

• Toddler Sensory Bin – Our NEW kit strengthens fine motor tools while inspiring imagination. The sensory box is curated with 134 colorful sensory bin supplies including non-toxic pipe cleaners, pom poms, beads, feathers, threading mats, shoelaces, sensory bin filler, and other colorful shapes for sensory games that activate your toddler’s sensory play skills.
• FREE Activity Book – Receive a 12-page book with Instructions on how to play a variety of sensory games & interactive activities inspired by shapes, colors, learning, and having fun!
• Montessori Toys For Toddlers – A Montessori toy encourages learning and small motor skills through creative experimentation. Children learn sensory tools through visual color coordination, different textures, and playing games.
• Sensory Table Materials – Create a kids sensory table by laying all the sensory bin toys from the kit across a clean table or workspace then let the learning and creativity happen.
• Made For Play – All pieces are non-toxic, colorfast, and appropriate for kids ages 3 years old and up. Our team tests and selects each sensory toy to ensure it meets your expectations for long lasting and safe play.
• Above list is from the actual Amazon listing features.

Infinity Cube Fidget Toy

A fun sensory toy for kids, this preschool friendly infinity cube set comes with 4 different colored fidget cubes.

Why We Love These Cubes

• PACK OF 12PCS – This package contains 4 different macaron colors, totally 12 pcs in it! There is also a portable bag for your storage. Pack of 12 means you can distribute across all the main areas in your daily life such as your room, desk, car and more!
• FIDGET CUBE TOYS – Fidget cube toys are sensory gadget for children, teenagers and adults, especially for those with ADD/ADHD, OCD, autism, or high anxiety levels. These toys help to keep calm, reduce stress and anxiety and can increase focus and attention.
• PLAY IT ANYWHERE ANYTIME – The infinity cube size is 3.1 x 1.57 x 0.7 inch, you can even put it in the pocket. It is very suitable for playing in cars, buses or airplanes, or in restaurants.
• GREAT GIFT IDEA – 12 pcs infinity cubes are an ideal present for kids’ and even adults’ birthday and holiday. These are also good as party favors, or event props. You can give them to your family, friends, classmates, colleagues. I believe those who receive this gift will be very happy.
• Above list is from the Amazon Listing.

Magic Cube Puzzle

This fun magic cube puzzle is a sensory toy that also challenges kids as they play.

Why You Need This Magic Cube Toy

• 【 Uses 】Not only a logic toy,but also a rotating slide puzzle.It is a combination of magic cube and puzzle,its puzzle pieces can be rotated from left and right around the axis as well as be slided up and down.You can create different patterns, or restore the puzzle pieces that are out of order to the original state layer by layerEntertaining at home,relieve stress, cultivate patience，exercising brain, exercising fingers,play on the journey,or giving it to children or the elderly as a gift.
• 【Style】Each 3D cube puzzle contains 8 color movable pieces. 1 x 6 layers + 1 x 7 layers + 1 x 8 layers
• 【Non-toxic,high-quality,safety】All products have a variety of international toy quality and safety certifications. It is small and portable so you can take it anywhere with you.
• above list is from the amazon listing.

Creativity for Kids Sensory Bin

With a fun outer space theme, this sensory bin will have them discovering, imagining, and learning.

Why Kids Love This Sensory Bin

• OUTER SPACE ADVENTURE – Blast off on a intergalactic mission with a galaxy play bin filled with glowing stars, 2.5 lbs of outer space rocks, astronaut, squishy alien and more! This self-contained space toy is an out of this world sensory experience
• SENSORY BIN – Sensory bins allow kids to discover, imagine and learn while engaging their senses. Place the self-contained sensory bin on a table cloth or towel and scoop, sort, dig and build for easy clean up and endless hours of hands-on play!
• SAFETY TESTED – All sensory bin fillers are carefully selected and safety tested to provide the best at home play activity. Since 1976, Creativity for Kids has proudly made fun and creative experiences today to nurture children’s confidence for life
• PRESCHOOL LEARNING TOYS – Enjoy hours of imaginative play while building fine motor skills and promoting sensory development. Create cognitive tasks for your preschooler as you sort, categorize, count and engage in hands-on play with your sensory bin
• GIFTS FOR KIDS – Complete play set includes 2.5 lbs of outer space rocks, glowing stars, astronaut, squishy alien, a variety of sensory tools and more! All packed in a bin with lid for easy storage (Bin measures approx. 14.5″ W x 10.25″ L x 4.75″ H)
• Above list was taken from the Amazon Listing for this sensory bin toy.

Bubble Sensory Fidget

These bubble fidget toys are a fun sensory tool that the kids will love playing with again and again.

Why Bubble Fidget Toys Are Worth Getting (and repeating)

• Approz 5″ round and made of silicone. Available in yellow color.
• this fidget is a great sensory tool you fidget with again and again.
• Ever catch your children, or maybe even yourself, popping the bubble wrap right of the box of a package? Then you’ll love this bubble fidget.
• ust press the mouse bubbles down and they make a slight popping sound; then flip it over and start again! Endlessly reusable and washable, too.
• Use a fine motor game, players take turns pressing down any number of mice they wish in a single row. The player who presses down the last mouse loses.
• above list from the listing of toys on Amazon.

Any of these sensory toys are great for birthday presents, toddler stocking stuffers and are a great way to fill your preschoolers easter basket.

What Are Considered Sensory Toys?

Great question! Sensory toys are toys that were developed to stimulate your childs 5 senses- smell, taste, sight, sound and touch. These kinds of toys were created to let your child play while naturally developing these senses in a safe and educational way.

How Do Sensory Toys (or fidget toys) Help ADHD?

Recent studies have shown that children who play with fidget toys or sensory toys benefit from this kind of play by increasing their concentration on an activity.

We hope your kids enjoy any of the above toys and helps them stimulate all of their senses.