My ADHD Son’s 10 Favorite Toys
[Reading time: 7 mins]
10 must-have toys for ADHD kids, as approved by my son.
If you have a child that has ADHD, you know that it is isn’t as simple as saying “my child just can’t sit still”. At least I know for my son, he’s not necessarily hyperactive, his brain just seems to be going a mile a minute, every second of the day, and so he is just constantly needing to fidget with something for a mental release. But even more than fidgeting, he can go into the complete opposite end of the spectrum, where he will be entirely hyper-focused on something.
Below are my son’s approved list of favorite toys that allow him to channel his focus on something more creative and fun! He also has a superior IQ, and some of these toys really exercise his brain and lets it function in the only way he knows how.
01. Maze Ball
Funnily enough, my son first came across this toy while in the waiting room to get a neuropsych evaluation. He got so hyper-focused on it, that when the doctor was ready for him, it was hard for him to put it down! Within the week, I hopped onto Amazon.com and bought it for him.
I love how focused he can get with this toy, and it challenges his brain to figure out the best route to get that little marble through the twists and turns of the maze.
I may or may not get sucked into doing it myself, after the kids go to bed for the evening…..
02. Liquid Motion Bubbler
Photo via temu.com
We were at a touristy gift shop in Maui and I told my kids they can each buy one thing. My daughter of course went for a pretty shell necklace, but my son….? He gravitated right towards a liquid motion bubbler!
I forgot they even made these things, but my son absolutely loved it and when we were decompressing at our airbnb the rest of the vacation, we’d catch him just staring and mesmerized at watching the liquid go down. Just goes to show how hyper-focused he really gets.
This toy also became a great surprise distraction on the long flight home!
There are so many different kinds, take your pick:
03. Lego® Sets
Who doesn’t love Lego®?
Ok, honestly, I am not a fan of them… they hurt when you step on them, I get anxiety when all the sets get mixed up together, and I get annoyed when I end up having to help my kids with what they’re building!
But kids of course love them and I especially do love watching my son concentrate and learn how to read the directions to build his Lego® set. It really helps him target his focus and energy into something he can learn to problem-solve and to foster his creativity.
There are of course so many different Lego® sets for all ages and all interests:
04. Marble Run
My son has something with marbles apparently. Actually, that really is no joke- he enjoys watching videos of marble runs in action! So it’s no surprise that he likes to build his own marble runs as well.
I am not sure if this is specifically an ADHD thing or if it’s just something that interests my son, but he really seems to be into building and engineering. A marble run is perfect for him because he is able to develop spacial awareness and engineering skills.
There are again many different types of marble runs on the market, but I would recommend getting the ones that can be built out into multiple structures. There are even sets that are interchangable with other sets and can be built upon to be bigger and more elaborate.
We normally go for the V-Tech Marble Rush sets.
05. Code & Go Robot Mouse
My son has really been getting into STEM and robotics classes, and studies have shown that kids with ADHD strive in STEM educational environments and hands-on STEM activities. We wanted to continue to develop this kind of learning for him at home and was excited to find this Code & Go Robot Mouse that works with screen-free coding and geared towards younger kids.
He is probably still a little young to fully understand the concept on his own, but with a little help, he is able to learn how to program the robot mouse to go through 16 different maze grids.
06. Design and Drill Marble Maze
Yet another STEM toy and one with a marble run! The Design and Drill Marble Maze has different maze challenges to create, while also developing your fine motor skills.
My son has spent a good couple of hours focused on this toy and using his critical thinking skills along with his love for engineering and building.
07. Fidget Spinners
You can’t have a list of toys for ADHD kids and not have fidget spinners on it. This is an obvious stress reliever toy that helps create an outlet for restless energy.
Check out all the different kinds of fidget spinners here:
08. Scratch Art
When these started becoming popular, I couldn’t understand how anyone could think it’s fun. But then we bought some for a long trip we were taking and the amount of focus that it required allowed the kids to mentally concentrate in such a simple way. I can also personally vouch for it, in saying that it’s also a stress reliever!
The kids really like these Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Books. But you can find even more options here:
09. Dry Erase Maze Book
The type of dry erase book you should get, of course depends on the age of your child. My 5yo son really likes the the tracing and maze books. Like everything else on this list, these types of books help him focus and concentrate on the task at hand, and challenges him to problem solve the different mazes.
One of his favorite ones is this Twisty Mazes and Lots of Dot to Dots book, but like everything else, there are a lot of other book options to choose from:
10. Memory Matching Game
I remember the first time I saw my son playing a Memory game and really enjoying it; I realized that I had not been giving him enough credit that he could actually do it. But when he plays, you can see it in his face how hyper-focused he is and organizing his thoughts to remember where each picture cards are.
[Disclaimer: If you click on any of the Amazon links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. However, all opinions are still my own]
[All photos are taken via amazon.com, unless otherwise noted].
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