Raised Line and Braille Coloring/Paint Book

Raised Line And Braille Coloring and Paint Book
Ages: 2 and up
This is a coloring book that is great for blind children or children with visual impairments, because the raised lines show them where the picture is. It is also great for any children with sensory needs, and children who need to practice fine motor skills, because the raised lines can help them have more control over where they are coloring. The thick pages can be used with crayons, markers, water colors, Do-A-Dots, etc. There are only 12 pictures in the whole book, so you might want to buy Book 2 as well.

Primary Science Color Mixing Set

Primary Science Color Mixing Set
Ages: 3 and up
This is advertised as if for very young children, but I think older kids might like it too! I'm especially thinking of one 11-year-old boy I knew who loved when we did activities involving food colors... he wanted to mix them all together to create "potions." With this color mixing kit, one of the things you can do is mix drops of color together in a test tube to see what new colors they will create. You can also decide which colors to add to a customizable kaleidoscope, look through glasses with different colored lenses, spin a top that you can add different colored disks to, and more. This would be fun for anyone who is learning colors, likes colors, is visually stimulated by colors, or just wants to explore colors.

Bellz Game

Bellz
Ages: 6 and up
Number of Players: 2 to 4
This is a game that is fun for the whole family, and different from most games I've seen! The game consists of wands with magnets on them, and magnetic bells of different colors. When it is your turn, you have to use the wand to pick up as many bells of a certain color as you can... but you can't put down any of the bells! You can make a string of bells or a cluster or whatever you want. The only catch is you can't accidentally pick up any bells of another color. So, if you are supposed to be getting green bells, and a red one accidentally sticks to your wand, your turn is over! This can be a good way of practicing fine motor skills and patience. The game board actually doubles as a carrying case for all the bells, so you can easily take it with you on trips to the doctor's office, or wherever, to play while you wait!

Diggin Wobble Deck

Diggin Wobble Deck
Ages: 3 and up (100 pound limit)
Here is a balance board with another twist! This is an electronic balance board that has three fun games. The first is a game of memory and sequence. The board calls out a color, and you lean towards that color. The next time, you will have to lean towards two different colors in the correct sequence... and it gets more and more challenging! For Speed Play, the board calls out colors for you to lean towards, and calls them more and more quickly until you are wobbling like crazy! Finally, the Freestyle game lets you play songs by leaning in different directions to hear different instruments and tunes. According to Dr. Ron Savage, President of North American Brain Injury Society, "The Wobble Deck develops attention and processing skills for children with special needs, including children with traumatic brain disorders (TBI). The Wobble Deck improves visual motor coordination so children develop the ability to match their physical/motor output with visual input."

Playable Art Ball

Playable Art Ball
Ages: 4 and up
These connected balls allow you to twist, turn and move them to make designs and sculptures. I cannot explain it to you well enough, so see for yourself by watching this video of Playable Balls in action!

Smarty Blocks

 Smarty Blocks
Ages - 2 to 8
Players: 1-4
This is a logic came for littler players, that also teaches reading, number concepts, spatial acuity, patterns, and more. Children complete leveled challenges, from simple (stacking blocks to recreate a pattern on a picture) to advanced (thinking of a word that ends with a specific letter and finding the correct blocks to spell the word.) Even children who are not ready for the actual challenges can enjoy these blocks by using them like regular blocks, or by practicing color recognition, letter recognition, and counting with an adult. Kids can play this alone, or challenge others.

Thinkfun Roll And Play

 
ThinkFun Roll And Play
Ages: 18 months and up.
Number of players: 1 or more. (Toddlers will need an older child or an adult to guide them through this one!)
This may be a toddler's first real game. To play, the child rolls the large, soft die, and then chooses a card that matches the color the die lands on. Each card contains a simple direction, such as "Clap your hands," "Make a sound like a dog," or "Count five fingers." Little ones will learn about taking turns, following directions, and more, while also practicing skills like counting, color recognition, etc. It comes with a parent guide to help parents make the most of this toy for their children.
This would make a great small group game for an Early Childhood Special Education class or special ed Life Skills class!

Melissa And Doug Shape Sorter

Melissa And Doug Shape Sorting Cube
Ages: 18 months to 4 years
This is a classic toy that allows children to practice problem solving as they figure out which shapes will go through which holes. The lid is made to fit loosely so that tiny hands can pry it off and dump the shapes out to start over.
This product won the Scholastic Parent & Child: Teacher's Picks in April 2006.
Although this is a classic toy for toddlers and preschoolers, it could definitely be used for older children as well! It can help children with various special needs practice learning shapes, colors, problem solving, and fine motor skills.