Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Squishies

So, I'm not really sure what you would call these, but we call them 'squishies' at our house.



Kyra absolutely loves them and they are a great calming method. They are even small enough that you can bring them with you when you have to go to the store or know that your child needs a fidget toy.

For a lot of kids with sensory problems, the act of pushing and pulling feels really good to them, which is why usually therapists will recommend brushing and joint compressions (will make a post on that soon) along with heavy work. These toys work in a similar way - they allow the child to pull them or wear them, providing some pressure to the body. Kyra also finds relief from wearing tight "sensory shirts" that work in a similar way. To her, they feel like a big bear hug, which is why wearing some of her 'squishies' on her arms and legs also feels good. A lot of people mistake "sensory activities" with "things that feel squishy/slimy/gooey/funny on your hands" which isn't always true.  The biggest form of relief for my daughter is doing some kind of heavy work such as picking up a 5 pounds hand weight and throwing it. When we are out in the store and can't actually carry around a 5 pound weight with us all the time, we depend on fidget toys like 'squishies' to provide that 'heavy pulling' feeling.

You can find basic animal or ball squishies at any dollar store, Five Below, Michaels, Target, Walmart, etc. They pretty much sell them anywhere that has a $1-$5 section.



You can find the ring squishies at Fun and Function HERE. They come in a set of 18 for $11.99. They have some more fidget toys on their site but it is a little expensive. You can also find the sensory shirts that I mentioned above here. It was the only place I could find one in a 2T, but if you have an older child you can also check out Under Armour.

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