10 Gift Ideas for Kids with BIG Movement Needs
Do you have a child who needs LOTS of sensory input? I’m talking jumping, climbing, crashing, BIG sensory input? I know I do, and over the years I’ve found a handful of products that really helped get my son’s needs met. Whether you’re shopping for the holidays or looking for ideas for a sensory space, we’ve got you covered with this list!
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means Generation O earns a small commission from purchases. All proceeds go back to support our mission of supporting opioid-exposed kids and their families.
For my son’s second birthday, I got him a gymnastics bar like this one, and it is the single most used item I have ever purchased. It lasted our family for many years. He climbed the sides like a jungle gym, hung from the bar to get some hanging proprioceptive input, and did increasingly complex flips and tricks over the bar. The height is adjustable, so it grew with him, and the folding feature made it relatively easy to store off to the side when not in use.
#2 A Crash Pad and/or Crashable Ottoman
If you have space for a full crash pad, great! Sensory seekers love to jump, flip, and dive into these massive safety cushions. This one comes in multiple sizes so you can find one that meets your needs.
We didn’t have a good space for one, so instead, I swapped out our coffee table for a fillable ottoman. I packed the cover with blankets and pillows we weren’t using and voila! I had a crash pad that still looks nice in my living room. At 8 years old, my son is still going strong diving onto this thing from the furniture around it. He has graduated from simple jumps to flips, and I don’t expect he will stop using it anytime soon. I bought mine on Facebook marketplace, but I found a similar one here.
#3 A Spinning Chair
Another staple of our living room, this chair spins impressively fast, and its angled design helps kids build and maintain momentum on their own. My kids started on this around aged 3 and 4 and still use it regularly at ages 8 and 9. It’s strong enough to hold an adult, so bigger kids that love to spin will enjoy it too.
One thing I’ve learned parenting my kids is that I have to let go of what I thought my life (and home) would look like in order to accommodate their needs. Enter this gymnastics set, which is bolted to the ceiling in my son’s room. The carabiners allow me to easily switch out different pieces of equipment to keep things interesting. For ceiling mounts, I used these fixtures.
I know, I know, more ceiling mounting, but I promise it’s worth it! This sensory swing from Harkla is one of the best on the market. I found it was better than pod-style swings for my sensory seeker. It provides compression and allows them to swing and spin to their heart’s delight. My son’s is mounted close-ish to a wall, and he likes to put his belly in the swing and then push off the wall with his feet, essentially jumping on the wall. As a bonus, it comes with all the hardware you need to mount it to the ceiling.
This is a classic movement gift for a reason. Little ones will love holding the bar to bounce. As my son got older, I removed the balance bar, and he uses it to launch himself onto his bed or up to the rings hanging from his ceiling (see above).
#7 A Bosu Ball
This lives in my living room and gets a ton of usage. It challenges balance while also functioning as a springboard for acrobatics. My son loves to run, jump off the bosu, and fling himself onto the stuffed ottoman (see above) or couch.
This one doesn’t get quite as much use as other items on the list, at least in my house, but it has still led to plenty of fun. It works for playing catch or slamming on the floor of his room (we have a gymnastics mat for cushioning). He also likes to play a game where we throw/roll it at each other and dodge it. It’s great as heavy work, and for some kids, throwing it is a safe and satisfying way to get some big feelings out.
This has been a favorite in my house for many years. Many know it as the fun little couch you can turn into a fort. For us, it works as a crash pad, and my son also loves to use the pieces to build an obstacle course. For a budget option, there are plenty of “dupes” on Amazon, I just can’t personally speak to their durability.
#10 Go Extra Big with a Brainrich Gym
If you have the space, and the budget, the Brainrich gyms are frequently recommended in our support group, and I had one myself for many years. I’m sure it would still be going strong, but we moved and our new home didn’t have a good space. These are definitely expensive, but if you can swing it, they are worth it! They come in two styles - wall mount or tension mounted - and multiple sizes. They also sell different accessories, so you can add on or swap out swings, climbing ropes, trapezes, and more.
Keep Them Safe
For some of these products, and for certain kids, having some extra safety items can be important. Gymnastics mats like this one are great (and can often be found on Facebook marketplace). Padding the walls can also be helpful for some kids, and these wall panels apply easily, just peel and stick!
