Unusual Toys for High Energy Kids who need Proprioceptive Input

This article provides recommendations for proprioceptive toys that support a child’s proprioceptive system. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

Do you know kids who appear to be active, but maybe not in a structured way? They may like to run into furniture, bump into people or they like to punch and kick friends (in a playful way). Sometimes, these are signs of a child needing more proprioceptive input.

You may think it’s silly to get your child or students unusual toys that encourage them to kick, punch, crash and bump, but there is a reason behind it. All of these toys build a child’s proprioception.

What is proprioception? It’s often known as the sixth sense that many people aren’t aware of when a child is developing. It tells the child where their body is in space and in their environment. When the child has underdeveloped proprioceptive input, they often seek activities that help their body self-regulate. Hence why you may see kids crave some of the following movements over and over again:

• Crashing
• Jumping
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Punching
• Bumping

Proprioceptive Toys

When kids actively seek out these types of movements it tells you their body needs it to stay calm and focused. There are many types of proprioceptive toys that can help your child and students get the proprioceptive input they need.

You can use many of these proprioceptive toys in a number of ways to help kids stay active with movement that directly targets the proprioceptive system. Here are a few suggestions below.

Sensory Body Sock: Make shapes with your body or roll around like an animal.

Balance Stepping Stones: Leap from stone to stone or play the floor is lava.

Hopper Ball: Have races or weave in and out of hurdles.

Jump Rope: Play helicopter or jump to the days of the week.

Kids Wheelbarrow or Shopping Cart: Fill the carts with toys and push around the house or outside to give more deep pressure to the joints and muscles.

Crash Pad: Play jump, crash and roll games with a crash pad or bean bag.

Find all proprioceptive toys here:

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