Sensory toys: what are they and why are they good for your child?

Sensory toys are toys that deliberately engage one or more of your child’s senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, and often movement and balance too. By grasping, squeezing, listening and looking, your child learns to make sense of their surroundings and practises motor, cognitive and social skills. In this guide you’ll read what sensory toys are, what they offer, which types there are and how to make a good choice for each age.

What are sensory toys?

Young children learn first and foremost through their senses. Long before they can talk or count, they discover that a ball rolls, that a rattle makes a sound when you shake it and that silicone feels different from wood. Sensory toys deliberately build on this. They are designed to offer sensory input that a child can explore for themselves.

Think of toys with different textures, materials that make a sound when you move them, clear colour contrasts or shapes that invite stacking, squeezing and mouthing. Well-known examples include:

• soft sensory balls and balls with bumps or ridges
• rattles and simple musical instruments
• teething rings and grasping toys made of silicone or wood
• texture puzzles and touch-and-feel books
• play sand, kinetic sand and water and sand tables
• stacking cups and blocks in different colours

How are they different from ordinary toys?

In fact, almost every toy is sensory to some degree. The difference lies in the intention. Sensory toys are designed to get one or more senses actively working, whereas many other toys mainly offer entertainment. A soft toy with different fabrics, a crinkly patch and a little bell invites feeling and listening. A toy car that drives by itself and plays songs mostly has the child watching.

Why are sensory toys important for development?

Sensory play lays a broad foundation. It isn’t about one single skill, but about a combination of learning to perceive, move, think and feel.

Sensory perception

Your child learns to tell textures, sounds, colours and smells apart. Soft and hard, high and low, light and dark: by experiencing these differences again and again, sensations become more recognisable and easier to process.

Fine and gross motor skills

Grasping, squeezing, rolling, shaking and stacking strengthen the muscles in the hands and fingers and improve hand–eye coordination. Balls that roll away or toys that are just out of reach also encourage bigger movements, such as reaching, rolling over and later crawling. Toys that bring movement and the senses together are also known as sensorimotor toys.

Thinking and cause and effect

When your child discovers that shaking makes a sound or that a ball rolls away when it’s pushed, they learn about cause and effect. Recognising patterns, comparing shapes and solving small problems are all skills that are practised naturally during sensory play.

Language

Sensory play gives you plenty of opportunities to put into words what your child is experiencing: “Can you feel how soft this is?”, “That ball is red”, “Can you hear the bell?”. This way your child links words to experiences, which expands their vocabulary.

Concentration

A child who is completely absorbed in filling and emptying a little tub is practising holding their attention. Calm, simple sensory toys often invite longer and more focused play than toys that constantly produce sound and light themselves.

Emotions and social skills

Some tactile experiences, such as kneading, squeezing or holding a soft material, can help a child to calm down. Playing together with sand, water or balls also offers chances to practise sharing, taking turns and communicating.

Which senses do sensory toys stimulate?

We usually talk about the five familiar senses. In young children, the sense of balance and body awareness (knowing where your arms and legs are without looking) are just as important.

Sense	What your child learns	Examples of toys
Sight	following colours, contrasts, shapes and movement	high-contrast cards, colourful blocks, a mobile, books with clear pictures
Hearing	recognising sounds, rhythm, listening	rattles, a drum, a xylophone, crinkle fabric
Touch	textures, temperature, hard and soft	sensory balls, teething rings, touch-and-feel books, play sand
Taste and smell	safely exploring with the mouth, telling smells apart	teething rings, natural materials such as wood
Balance and body awareness	balance, judging strength, coordination	swinging, rolling over a mat, pushing and pulling, balancing

Sight

Newborns still see blurrily and respond mainly to strong contrasts. Gradually they begin to distinguish colours and follow moving objects. Toys with clear colours, contrasts and simple shapes help them practise this visual perception.

Hearing

Sound attracts attention and invites listening. Rattles, simple instruments and materials that creak or crinkle let your child discover that they can make sounds themselves. This practises listening, a sense of rhythm and concentration.

Touch

For babies and toddlers, touch is perhaps the most important channel for learning. Soft toys, ridges, bumps, smooth and rough: every surface provides information. By touching, your child also develops their fine motor skills.

Taste and smell

Babies put everything in their mouths. That isn’t a bad habit, but a way of exploring. Teething rings and grasping toys with different textures make this possible safely and can also be soothing when teeth are coming through. Smell plays a smaller role in toys, but natural materials such as wood have their own scent that children notice. Safety always comes first here: toys that go in the mouth must be designed for that purpose.

Balance and body awareness

Swinging, rolling, climbing, pushing and pulling stimulate the balance organ and the sense of one’s own body. This is mainly the territory of movement toys and ties in with sensorimotor play.

What types of sensory toys are there?

You can group sensory toys by the sense they mainly engage. In practice, good toys often combine several types of input.

Visual sensory toys
– Toys with bright colours and clear contrasts, such as colourful blocks and books with vivid illustrations. These support colour recognition and learning to follow with the eyes.
– Toys with light, such as a soft night light. Use these in moderation: too many light effects can also make a child restless.

Auditory sensory toys
– Rattles, drums and other simple instruments your child can use to make sounds themselves.
– Materials that make a sound when touched, such as crinkly fabric in a soft toy or a touch-and-feel book.

Tactile sensory toys
– Soft textures, such as cuddly toys and plush, which can give a sense of security and comfort.
– Textures and raised surfaces, such as ribbed balls, knobbly balls and texture books, which challenge the sense of touch.
– Mouldable materials such as play sand and kinetic sand for slightly older children.

Sensory toys for the mouth
– Teething rings and grasping toys with different surfaces, which engage both touch and oral motor skills.

Which sensory toys suit which age?

There are sensory toys for almost every age. Always check the age label on the toy and look at what your own child can already do. The ages below are broad guidelines; every child develops at their own pace.

Age	What’s happening	Suitable sensory toys
0–6 months	looking, following, first grasping, everything in the mouth	high-contrast cards, a light rattle, a teething ring, a baby gym
6–12 months	grasping and letting go, passing from hand to hand, sitting, crawling	sensory balls, stacking cups, textured grasping toys, bath toys
1–2 years	stacking, putting in and taking out, walking, imitating	stacking blocks, a shape sorter, simple instruments, puzzles with large pieces
2–4 years	pretend play, finer hand movements, playing together	play sand, water and sand play, texture puzzles, modelling material, role play

Would you like to know more about the first months of life? Then read our article on sensory baby toys for babies from 0 to 12 months.

Are sensory toys suitable for children with autism or ADHD?

Sensory toys can be valuable for children who process sensory input differently, for example children with autism, ADHD or a developmental delay. Some children actively seek extra input, such as squeezing, moving or chewing. Other children quickly become overstimulated and benefit from calm toys that help them settle.

Important to know: toys don’t treat or cure anything. They can, however, help by offering a child a pleasant way of dealing with sensory input. Which toys are right varies greatly from child to child. If you have questions about how your child processes sensory input, discuss them with your GP, health visitor or a paediatric occupational therapist. You’ll find more background in our article on toys for children with autism.

How do you choose good sensory toys?

• Choose by age and developmental stage. A toy should offer a small challenge, but not cause frustration.
• Provide a variety of input. Combine touch, hearing and sight so your child gains different experiences.
• Choose calm rather than busy. Simple toys that your child sets in motion themselves leave more room for discovery than toys that give off constant light and sound.
• Quality over quantity. A few well-made toys last longer and often offer more ways to play than an overflowing toy box.
• Pay attention to material and cleaning. Toys that go in the mouth must be easy to keep clean.
• Watch your child. What do they stay busy with for a long time? What confuses them? Your child will show you what works.

What should you look out for in terms of safety?

• Choose toys with a clear age label and a CE marking. Toys sold in Europe must meet the European safety requirements for toys (the EN 71 standards).
• Avoid small parts for children under 3 because of the choking hazard.
• Check toys regularly for cracks, loose parts and wear.
• Stay close by during play with water, sand and small materials.
• Keep toys for older children out of babies’ reach.

How to use sensory toys wisely

• Play together. Your attention and the words you give to what your child feels and hears make sensory play richer.
• Offer only a few things at a time. Two or three toys are enough. Rotate them regularly so they stay interesting.
• Use everyday moments. Bath time, mealtimes and outdoor play are full of sensory experiences.
• Watch for signs of too much stimulation. Looking away, crying, rubbing their eyes or becoming hyper can mean your child has had enough. Read more about this in can a child become overstimulated by toys?
• Leave room for free play. You don’t have to steer all the time. Let your child work out for themselves what to do with the toy.

Toys from this article

• silicone sensory toys for babies
• stacking blocks
• wooden shape sorter

Frequently asked questions

What are sensory toys?

Sensory toys are toys that deliberately engage a child’s senses, such as touch, hearing, sight and taste. Think of sensory balls, rattles, teething rings and play sand. By playing with them, a child learns to recognise sensory input and practises motor and thinking skills.

From what age are sensory toys suitable?

Sensory toys are available from birth, for example high-contrast cards and light rattles. For toddlers and pre-schoolers there are play sand, texture puzzles and instruments. Always check the age label on the toy.

What is the difference between sensory and ordinary toys?

Sensory toys are designed to get one or more senses actively working. Many other toys are mainly intended as entertainment, where the child watches more than explores. In practice the line isn’t sharp: ordinary blocks or balls can also prompt sensory play.

Do sensory toys help with autism or ADHD?

Sensory toys can help children who process sensory input differently to calm down, or to get exactly the input they are looking for. They are not a treatment. Discuss questions about sensory processing with your GP, health visitor or an occupational therapist.

Can sensory toys provide too much stimulation?

Yes. Toys with lots of light and sound in particular can overstimulate a child. It’s better to choose calm toys, not offer too many at once and watch for signs such as looking away, crying or hyperactive behaviour.