A sensory gym is like a treatment room and a kid’s paradise combined. With the use of various sensory tools, sensory gyms intend to not only entertain but also provide a stimulating and secure setting that can support a child’s sensory development in many areas.
Here in this article, we are going to review the 10 best sensory gym equipment that is suitable for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with autism. But before that, let’s have a look at how exactly sensory gyms can benefit our kids:
Benefits of Sensory Gym for Children
Sensory gym equipment helps youngsters by reducing stressful and anxious feelings, which improves their confidence, and focus, by calming their nerves. Sensory gyms have several important advantages in addition to benefits for your child’s health and fitness.
Here are some of the benefits:
- Offers Comprehensive Growth – Sensory gyms offer a fantastic opportunity for kids to develop their muscle movements and balancing awareness, proprioception sensation, fine motor abilities, bilateral synergy, and cognitive function in a playful and non-threatening manner. It assists children in releasing any stress and in getting ready for the day’s planned tasks.
- Enhances Therapy Effectiveness – For the most part, children with special needs demand additional treatments like speech and language therapy. Using a sensory gym can help therapy sessions become more successful. When you implement a therapeutic approach and sensory exercises together, your child will become more confident, will improve their tolerance capability, and overcome social anxiety for new situations.
- A Fun Activity – Children often enjoy exploring and playing in sensory gyms since they are so entertaining. Some kids who have problems navigating a typical playground or play area are given access to sensory gyms. Here, they are free to play without being under any pressure.
- Enhances Thinking and Cognitive Growth – Cognitive growth is another advantage of sensory rooms. While sensory rooms can’t rewire your brain, they are a crucial tool for helping your child deal with real-world problems. Your kids can use a sensory gym to comprehend how different activities affect their surroundings. You can educate kids to respond appropriately to complex situations by exposing them to cues that engage all of their senses.
Best Sensory Gym Equipment for Kids
We have gathered the most durable sensory gym equipment available online. From classics like balancing steps and tumbling mat to new favorites like tunnel maze and obstacle course are all part of it. So without further ado, let’s get into the list:
1. Hide N Side Kids Ball Pit Tents and Tunnels
A child can find a pleasant hiding place in the tunnels. In addition to providing resistance, the tunnel promotes tactile exploration and self-control through its contained environment and tactile stimulation from crawling.
As they crawl through tunnels, kids can improve core muscle strength of arms and legs, and strengthen their bilateral coordination while also honing their gross motor abilities. It also aids a kid with a disability in getting over their anxiety of confined quarters, which can help them become more self-assured.
Features: Since it pops up and opens in a matter of seconds, the entire playpen is simple to assemble. With frustration-free easy locks, you can quickly and easily lock the tunnels. Because of its lightweight, malleability, and flexibility, it is easy to transport anywhere. It is constructed with heavy steel wiring and fabric of the best quality, 190T soft polyester.
Dimensions: The tunnel weighs 5.06 pounds and follows the dimensional pattern of 20.5 x 20.5 x 0.98 inches.
Age Appropriate: This playpen is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- The craft is durable and maneuverable.
- This product is super easy to assemble, fold and put away.
Cons
- The amount of balls in the playpen is less than required.
2. OMNISAFE Balance Stepping Stones for Kids
This sensory gym equipment enables children to develop their abdominal muscle strength and enhances their tactile and visual sensory abilities. Children with impairments and autism can improve their balance and coordination by using steppers suspended above the ground.
You can make them act as though they are completing an obstacle course, or you can create a game where they must only walk on steppers of a certain color to advance.
Features: A non-slip silicone edge and textured surface on this toy protect kids from slipping, and it is properly balanced. Five stepping stones in varying sizes and vibrant colors are included in each set. The stones are light in weight and conveniently stackable. Stones have a waterproof surface that makes it easy for you to clean them with a wet towel.
Dimensions: It weighs 1.5 kg and follows a dimensional pattern of 14.5 x 14 x 4.15 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- The colors are bright and engaging.
- They are sturdy and stored in an attractive design.
Cons
- Each disc has a rim around it and hurts feet when your kid hops onto it.
3. Ninja Obstacle Course for Kids
The ninja obstacle course encourages bilateral synchronization, motor planning, and complete body awareness. Gravity and a child’s body weight give their joints critical proprioceptive information, which in turn helps them coordinate their motions.
Features: The ninja obstacle course has eleven colorful attachments placed at a certain height from the ground level. It can be used both in outdoor and indoor areas since the material is UV-resistant, waterproof, and galvanized, which makes it rustproof.
Dimensions: The combined length of the slack line and ratchet line is 50 feet while the obstacle is set two inches apart. It can support a weight of up to 440 lbs.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- It is a perfect outdoor activity and gives off-screen time to children.
- It is easy to take up and down and a hit when friends come over.
Cons
- The carabineers and ratchet clips should not be left outside to rust, you have to take them down every time.
4. Indoor Playground Toddler Climber Slide
Due to its many advantages, climbing is a fantastic form of stimulation for kids with autism and other difficulties. Climbing improves muscular endurance and tones the muscles. It enhances both fine and gross motor skills.
Activities that involve climbing help kids improve their hand-eye coordination. Lastly, it can be aesthetically fascinating for children as they search for the best spot to rest their hands and feet while climbing.
Features: Natural wood is used to construct the toddler climbing frame. The jungle gym’s components have been nicely polished and lacquered. Children will love playing on the monkey bar with the climbing ladder, climbing net, and slide. It takes up little room and is small and easy to assemble.
Dimensions: The item weighs 49.5 kg and follows a dimensional pattern of 51.97 x 33.46 x 51.18 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of two years and up.
Pros
- The rings are great for acrobatics.
- It is colorful and just big enough that it keeps children interested.
Cons
- The hardware isn’t exactly the best choice and is of low quality.
5. SoftZone Four Tunnel Maze
As they crawl through tunnels, kids can build core strength and improve their bilateral coordination while also honing their gross motor abilities. Additionally, it assists a child with special needs in overcoming their fear of confined quarters, which may help them develop more confidence. Children that require visual stimulation will benefit from colorful tunnels’ enticing aesthetics.
Features: This 360° climber has fifteen pieces with four tunnels, platforms, ramps, and steps, allowing kids to explore every inch of it. Stay-put fasteners make it simple to put the components together. The climber has a textured, non-slip bottom and is covered in soft vegan leather that is simple to clean by rubbing it down with mild soap and water solution.
Dimensions: The assembled climber measures 95″ L x 95″ W x 18″ H.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of age nine months and up.
Pros
- The fabric is easy to wipe down and disinfect.
- It is so sturdy that children can stand and jump all over it
Cons
- The pieces do not attach by Velcro to each other.
6. Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars Climbing Tower
The development of a child’s fine and gross motor abilities is assisted by monkey bars as one of the best sensory gym equipment. It also permits hand-eye synchronization, which is advantageous for tactile and visual stimulation.
By assisting the body in aligning properly as the children hang from each bar, monkey bars help children develop hand strength and good posture. As autistic children glide and swing from one bar to the next, they become more conscious of their movements, which stimulates the vestibular and proprioception systems.
Features: The UV-protected high-quality plastic used to construct the Monkey Bars Climbing Tower allows for hours of outdoor sun play. The product is surprisingly light and easy to put together while durable and sturdy due to the interlocking plastic tubes, connectors, and double self-locking springs.
Dimensions: It weighs 25 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 70.1 x 46.65 x 65.53 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- It is a perfect outdoor activity and gives off-screen time to children.
- It is a sturdy and well-made jungle gym that can hold up to 150 pounds.
Cons
- Pieces are challenging to put together due to the tiny push buttons.
7. SoftScape Runway Tumbling Mat
A tumbling mat is a piece of excellent sensory equipment since it can relax your youngster. Additionally, it strengthens their ability to focus and pay attention, which is essential for building their learning processes. They can relieve tension and stress brought on by annoyance or worry.
Features: The mat is 1.5″ thick and composed of high-density foam; it has built-in hook and loop attachments that allow you to connect additional mats; it folds up easily for convenient storage and transit.
Dimensions: This item weighs 10.7 pounds and follows the dimensional calculations of 75 x 48 x 1.5 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- The quality of the product is excellent.
- It is best suitable for children with special needs.
Cons
- This item is a little pricey, but it is worth it.
8. WOOD CITY Foldable Baby Gym
This foldable gym gives babies something to hold and play with while promoting early motor skills. It appeals to the sense of vision, proprioception, and hand-eye coordination.
Features: The unfinished, smooth-sanded beech used to construct the wooden gym structure is used. It has six wooden rings hanging on it, each with a unique color and shape. You can swap out or add more toys – thanks to the adjustable poles. It is simple to fold away and put together.
Dimensions: It weighs 3.37 pounds and has a dimensional pattern of 26.25 x 5.25 x 4 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is best suitable for children of age three months and up.
Pros
- It is aesthetically pleasing and super easy to build.
- Children enjoy lying under and looking at toys.
- This gym is very well-designed and made of high quality.
- The wooden pieces have very smooth surfaces and are easy to grab by little ones.
Cons
- The rings can break and cause choking hazards.
9. Baby Gym Play Mat With 9 Toys
The nine vibrant toys satisfy the baby’s developmental demands of vision, hearing, touch, cognitive ability, and physical coordination. It contains a baby-safe mirror for self-discovery, two relaxing teethers for teething, and cards for graphics and color.
Features: The baby play mat is particularly made with a green tree, a brown branch, a ball pit, and four colorful balls that will captivate your baby. High in quality textiles that are thick and smooth to the touch are used to make the baby gym play mat. Baby skins can use with safety and comfort. It is easy to maintain hygienically, washable, and clean.
Dimensions: It weighs an overall 2.66 pounds and has dimensions of 17.13 x 11.46 x 5.91 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three months and up.
Pros
- The little gym is super cute, and the accessories are good quality.
- They fold up easily and tuck away when not in use.
Cons
- This product is slightly pricier than the other sensory play toys.
10. Liberty Imports Adjustable Barbell Toy Set
This lovely barrel toy set can help your child develop muscle coordination, proprioception, visual stimulation, and touch sensations while teaching them the right ways to work out and lift weights.
Features: The barbell bar, two lock collars, and eight-weight plates make up this sensory play object. You can add sand or water to the weight plates to make them heavier. Your children may get sturdy while having a great time with these adjustable weight plates.
Dimensions: It weighs 1.4 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 15.91 x 10.12 x 5.35 inches.
Age Appropriate: It is best suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- It is super light in weight and easy to carry.
- The vibrant colors of the weight engage children.
Cons
- It is not very sturdy and is prone to breakage.
Conclusion
You can introduce sensory gym equipment for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with autism to keep them happy and stress-free as they develop the necessary skills and awareness of their surroundings.
The great thing about sensory gym equipment is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it. However, you must be aware of the specific types of stimulation that children need, so they can use the right tools to meet those demands.
Here we have covered the top 10 sensory gym sets for children of all ages by also explaining which sensory areas each set can stimulate.
If you want to find out more about sensory toys, you can also check: