As a pediatric occupational therapist, I cannot look at a toy without analyzing it. I enjoy visiting thrift stores and choosing toys that will benefit the children I work with. Organizing my OT store on Amazon is one of my favorite activities!

This week, I chose my son’s favorite toy. He has autism and struggles with fine motor skills. Tying his shoes, opening containers, and buttoning are difficult for him. Many children have similar delays. In order to work on skills, we need to find something motivating. In fact, if an activity is not preferred, he simply won’t participate. One of the critical things is using a child’s strengths to work on his weaknesses. My son has an intense love of numbers and this week’s toy is awesome for children like him!

Presenting:  Lakeshore Learning’s Lacing Numbers (the company also sells lacing letters). You can check them out on Amazon here (Amazon affiliate link).

They come in a large tub containing a rainbow of colors (my son is showing his favorite colors).  I like them because children can:
-line them up in order
-use them as Math manipulatives for hands-on learning
-string them by ones, twos, and so on for practice with skip counting
-sort them by number OR color
-ask kids to string the answers to Math problems
-put them in dough/putty to work on building fine motor coordination and strength of fingers
-put them in the tub, on light tables, or in sensory bins

There are SO many more uses for the tub of numbers!

I hope you enjoy this Tuesday’s TOY of the Week and thank you for tuning in!

I’ll be reviewing toys weekly so please let me know what your child’s favorite therapeutic toy is and you might see it on our blog 🙂
PS:  I sincerely love blogging and providing FREE material for my readers. Anything purchased via one of our Amazon affiliate links helps to pay for the maintenance of running this blog/website.  Thank you for helping me to help children with special needs!

Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L is the mother of two children with special needs. She homeschools and works as a pediatric OT.  Her books, The Pocket Occupational Therapist for Caregivers of Children with Special Needs and The Special Needs SCHOOL Survival Guide are available on her website at www.PocketOT.com or wherever books are sold.