Hopebridge Holiday Gift Guide for Kids with Autism

30 Toys That are Great for Child Development This Holiday Season

It’s the time of year for spreading holiday cheer, so we at Hopebridge set out to help Santa and his elves come up with some of the best gift ideas for kids with autism or other developmental disabilities. It can be challenging to find the perfect present for children on the spectrum who may not be into this year’s trending toys or could be overwhelmed by the latest gadgets. If you need a little assistance imagining your kiddo’s wish list, we broke down some of our favorite gifts into five fun categories for toddlers and early learners with differing abilities.

Before we get to the goods, here are a few extra tips to keep in mind for shopping for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)–and neurotypical kids, too!

1. It does not require tons of money to make the holidays special.
   Rather than flooding your child with gifts, which could be overwhelming, collaborate with family to choose one or a few select items that fit their interests. Focus on a couple heartfelt, handmade gifts over Kwanzaa, offer eight nights of simple yet special presents for Hanukkah, or give one “big” toy alongside smaller stocking stuffers for Christmas.
2. You do not need to buy new in order for it to feel new to your child.
   Check out Facebook Marketplace, neighborhood apps, or your community’s mom groups to scan for items that will make your kid happy. Many families sell or give away toys their children have grown out of in order to make room for new toys, so use it to your advantage–especially if you are still unsure whether they will engage with them. Activity cubes, balance bikes, Legos, push toys, doll houses, train sets and more pop up all the time and are often still in excellent shape.
3. In addition to your child’s interests, keep developmental and sensory needs in mind.
   It is ok if your child’s list does not look like others’ their age. You may choose to gift toys that are intended for children younger than your own, but are more appropriate for your kid’s developmental needs. The important part is that they will enjoy it and remain safe using it. Learning by playing is a bonus!

Gift Ideas for Active Play and Enhancing Gross Motor Skills

• Little Tikes Activity Garden
  This convertible play center gives toddlers multiple ways to move and explore. They can crawl through the archway, climb in and out of openings, pull themselves up to stand, experiment with the ball drop, and sit and reach to tap the buttons–all actions that build strength, coordination, balance and spatial awareness.
• Rocket Ship Pop-Up Play Tent and Tunnel
  Calling all space fanatics, this one is for you! Future astronauts will love blasting off from their very own shuttle with this tent, plus the tunnel is beneficial for those still working on their crawling skills. Want to add more sensory play into the mix? Pour in some balls to create an indoor ball pit.
• Fat Brain Toys Teeter Popper
  Rock it, roll it, sit in it, stand in it … this seemingly simple contraption offers endless fun and creativity, plus improves core strength and balance while stimulating the senses. As a bonus, it also has suction cups that pop as it rocks back and forth.
• Retrospect Chipmunk Plus Kids’ Kick Scooter
  The best beginner scooters are those that allow kids to get their bearings. Our occupational therapists say larger wheels, wider handlebars and wider decks are features to seek out when choosing a scooter for an inexperienced rider, as they offer more support with balance, and this one fits the bill. This scooter also has a removable seat that comes in handy when kids get tired going from one place to another.
• Faux “Snowballs”
  This set of indoor snowballs – which also provide outdoor fun in less snowy locales – give kids and adults a chance to have a “snowball fight” without the cold, slushy mess. Practice tossing, throwing and catching with 40 soft and light balls that come with their own storage case.

Toys for Building Fine Motor Skills

• Itzy Play Bakery
  This mini bakery makes put-and-take play irresistible. Kids strengthen their little fingers and build upon coordination as they squish treats, open the door and drop each “pastry” inside for endless imaginative fun.
• Palm-Grasp Egg Crayons
  Crayons have evolved and there many stages to help match your child’s developmental level. These palm crayons easily fit in a child’s hand and don’t require a more sophisticated grip, allowing them to explore scribbling in an easy-to-use crayon.
• Vegetable Memory Game
  This toy has a few ways to play, depending on your child’s developmental level, which allows it to grow with them. Your kid first can practice “planting” and “picking” the vegetables, which get those fingers working. If they are ready for more, you can make it into a memory game. It also provides opportunities to work on language, colors and shape recognition, in addition to hand-eye coordination.
• Pop It! Color Mix Game
  Pop, match and glow with this interactive game. This game turns finger tapping into a fine-motor fiesta! Kids practice precision, finger control an reaction skills as they press the bubbles, and maybe a bit of friendly competition, too.
• Lovevery Wooden Stacking Stones
  These smooth, wooden stones are perfect for tiny hands. Stacking and balancing them builds hand-eye coordination, grip strength and spacial thinking.

Gift Ideas for Creativity

• Play-Doh Starters Shapes & Color Dino Playlet
  Squish, shape and roar! This dinosaur Play-Doh set gives kids endless opportunities to pinch, roll and mold dough while using their imagination to create their own designs.
• Lush Cosmetics Rainbow Soap
  If you know your child is already into play dough, or if you just need a reason to get them more excited about bath time, this genius product from Lush might be for your family. There are seven scented colors of soap that can be molded much like clay and keep your kiddo clean at the same time. If they fancy a bubble bath, it can be crumbled under the running tap for mountains of suds.
• Hope Mighty Mini Band
  This colorful instrument set allows for cognitive exploration and cause-and-effect play. The variety allows it to grow with your child. Even from the start, infants and toddlers can test out shaker or tap their hand on the drum, and the more complex instruments that require more fine and gross motor skills can be reserved for a later developmental period.
• Invisible Ink Pens
  If your child is already interested in drawing, reading or writing, these invisible ink pens can feel like magic. Take turns drawing lines or pictures, or writing a secret message they can unearth with the attached light on the cap.
• Castle Magna-Tiles
  Princesses in training will get a kick out of creating their own imaginary world of fairytales with these themed Magna-Tiles. The interactive set is intended to build STEAM skills, including spatial awareness. Watch them piece together the magnets – and knock them over as half the fun – while chatting with them along the way for extra communication, social and pretend-play opportunities.

Toys for Communication and Imaginative Play

• Tonie Box with Ms. Rachel Tonie
  This magical audio box invites kids to sing, dance, and explore stories with Ms. Rachel, sparking their imagination while building vocabulary, listening skills, and social-emotional awareness. With songs about feelings, colors, letters, and everyday adventures (like trips to the farm or school), it’s a cozy, screen-free way for kids to play, pretend and practice repeating the words and songs.
• Personalized Mixing Bowl Set
  If your child enjoys digging through kitchen cabinets, is fascinated by cooking, or you want a new way to get them excited about mealtime, give them the chance to join in the “mix” with their very own baking tools. They’re great for pretend play or the real deal as you talk about various foods, take turns following directions, and prepare to sit down for dinner. Plus, kids who can read or recognize their name might get a kick out of the personalization.
• Wooden Doctor Kit
  A toy doctor’s kit is a staple in many households, but this kit can serve an extra purpose if your child is nervous about visiting the pediatrician’s or dentist’s office. Use it to practice well checkups with dolls, stuffed animals or each other, including communicating “what hurts” and how they feel. It doesn’t hurt that its little pieces are adorable, too.
• Backyard Bugs Touch and Feel Book
  Books are our clinicians’ favorite toys when it comes to communication-building. Touch-and-feel sensory books are a great place to start to help create a language-rich environment while also offering them diversity through smooth, shiny, bumpy and furry textures at the same time. Use them to describe the different landscapes, characters, textures and sounds.
• Bluey Garbage Truck Play Set
  Bluey plus a sanitation truck … need we say more? Combining some of many kids’ favorite things, this sweet set encourages pretend play with familiar sights and characters. Talk about what is going on as they drive the truck or listen as they script various scenes from the show. Or, if your child is preparing for school, consider Bluey’s preschool playset to act out various scenarios before they head to the classroom.

Gift Ideas for Sensory Fun and Calming

• Creativity for Kids Sensory Pack: Axolotl
  This underwater-themed sensory pack is full of soft clay, glow-in-the-dark treasures, and squishy axolotl toys that little hands can mold, press, and explore. It invites tactile discovery and helps kids regulate, relax, and focus through hands-on sensory play.
• Warmies Capybara Plush
  A gently weighted, lavender-scented snuggle buddy you can warm up for cozy comfort or chill for cooling relief. Its weight, scent, and softness give calming sensory input, which is wonderful for soothing anxiety, easing stress, or helping little ones settle for rest.
• GE LED + Color Tile Light Bulb
  You may have spotted these hexagon lights on Instagram and TikTok, as modular light panels are the perfect addition to a sensory room for kids who are intrigued or calmed by light. This set has 17 color settings, including a mode that synchronizes the lights with music.
• Ark’s Brick Stick Chew Necklace
  A sensory seeker’s dream, this Lego-inspired chew necklace offers kids the chance to orally stim in a safe manner. It has large bumps on one side and small bumps on the other for lots of varied sensory input, as well as comes in various toughness levels and an adjustable breakaway cord.
• Light-Up Bath Toys
  Bath time will be much more entertaining when your kid adds these glowing bath toys into the tub. A little extra playtime with these ocean animals allows them to splash around while also creating a soothing sensory experience that sets them off into bedtime.

Did we miss any great gifting ideas for kids with autism? Share what presents your child will be opening on Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah – or just because! – on our Hopebridge Facebook page.

To make this season extra special for your entire family, check out even more autism-friendly holiday tips, a Christmas social story, and more for you and your child in our 2025 Hopebridge Holiday Guide.

Looking for more support for your child after the holidays? Hopebridge can help. With a range of services from autism testing and applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy), to speech therapy and occupational therapy, our clinicians are experts in helping young children and families affected by autism or other developmental delays. No matter their abilities, we want to work with you to create and achieve goals that can set you up to get even more out of life, so reach out to us today for help in the new year.