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Toys for 3 year old (ASD)?

nomadicanomadica member
in Special Needs
My almost 3 year old son (PDD-NOS) has trouble engaging in play. He really enjoys arts and crafts type activities, which we do a lot, but I'd like to get him engaged in some other types of activities. he used to enjoys books and Legos but has completely lost interest. Any toy suggestions for this age? TIA!
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Re: Toys for 3 year old (ASD)?

  • LoveEeyoreLoveEeyore member

    Gearation!

    https://www.yoyo.com/p/tomy-gearation-109299

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  • MirandaHobbesMirandaHobbes member

    We have a tough time with toys too.. one toy that he has had that he still plays with a little today (we gave it to him just before he turned 3) was the Geotrax train system. Really fun, lots of different types of sets like Disney Cars, airports, Batman, etc. Otherwise DS only plays with his keyboard, electric guitar, fire engines that make lots  of noise, fire engine with working water hose. Outdoors toys and bath toys we have more luck: there's a matchbox toy thing that goes in the tub that's cool and sand grabber toys for his sand box, which he largely ignores. Sprinklers are always a hit too, we have a large variety. Water table still used at that age.

    That Gearation toy looks interesting!

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  • houndbabyhoundbaby member
    My ds's interest in toys comes and goes, he may lose interest in a toy like his duplo blocks and then a few months later he wants to play with them again. Do you have a play kitchen? That was one of my ds's favorite things to play with at 3
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  • malcivarmalcivar member

    Good question.  Chris's interest in toys - he likes bouncing balls - and that's about it.  He seemed to really enjoy his water table last summer but we've got a million toys at home and now his little brother is playing with a lot of them.  

    He does have one of those toys where you throw a ball into a hole at the top and then watch it go down a series of ramps - he can play with that all day and never get tired.  

    He likes musical toys too - best gift ever was a xylophone his grandparents gave him.  

    It really depends on your LO's disposition.  Chris is a very physical rough and tumble kind of kid - completely fearless/reckless so he likes toys geared towards physical activity.  He also loves music so he likes anything that plays songs he can sing along with.  If I could find something that combined the 2 he'd be in heaven.  

    Maybe you can build on his love of arts & crafts.  Crayola makes a bunch of toys related to their products - might be a good place to start.

    Good luck! 

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    Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

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  • nomadicanomadica member
    Thanks, all! That Gearation toy looks great. Unfortunately, we have the Geotrax train and a play kitchen- both flops at our house. He might play with those for a couple of minutes, but there's not much engagement there. He's not too into music, either. I'm thankful that soon the weather will be nicer and we can play outdoors more (which he loves), but right now I struggle to keep him entertained!
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  • nomadicanomadica member

    image-auntie-:
    Does he know how to play? It seems fundamental, but sometimes even bright kids on spectrum need rote instruction on how to use toys to play. DS was pretty good at scripted play around his special interests, but it took Floortime instruction to teach him novel and functional open-ended play skills. This took almost a year of daily play sessions, but made it possible for him to play alone, play with friends and enjoy appropriate and unscripted play. A lot of kids on spectrum can get stuck on more passive cause and effect toys where they watch rather than manipulate and interact with them as tools.

    DS definitely lacks play skills, though it is something that is worked on in his therapy currently, and will also be a focus of his program when he starts inclusion preschool in a few weeks. He does great in structured times, but unstructured play time he tends to wander from activity to activity. I work with him mostly on developing pretend play- he likes to watch and imitate what I do with his play kitchen or dinosaurs (though he doesn't initiate). He can play appropriately with musical toys and building blocks, but it just doesn't hold his interest.

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  • Assembly_ReqdAssembly_Reqd member
    imagemalcivar:

    Good question.  Chris's interest in toys - he likes bouncing balls - and that's about it. .......

    He does have one of those toys where you throw a ball into a hole at the top and then watch it go down a series of ramps - he can play with that all day and never get tired.  

    Ball lover household here, as well.

    Nate has a very simple ball ramp thing I got him at about 20 months. It has two spiral ramps and 5 balls. He can play that thing for an hour. The hyper focus on this one trick pony toy has my ASD flags waving high. You would think by now he would be sick of it. NOPE.

    We also need some ideas for new toys....... 

    WAY 2 Cool 4 School


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