Special Needs Skill-Building Game Recommendations
Balancing Hemispheres
Balancing hemispheres can be used flat side or round side up. Each sphere is filled with sand to keep it steady and grounded, and is created from anti-slip rubber. Colorful spheres are a perfect addition to any playground or play area, and are great for children three years and older. Each order of balancing hemispheres comes with six 6-inch spheres in two colors.
Encourage: balance & coordination, learn & discover, exercise, confidence
Uses: single player, multiplayer, indoor, outdoor
The Impulse Control Game
Play The Impulse Control Game with two to six players, then use the included list of activities to help reinforce concepts like delayed gratification, problem-solving and consequences.
This 30-minute game teaches seven specific skills to help impulsive children make better decisions by accepting reading social cues and developing a positive internal dialogue.
Perfect for grades 2-7.
Encourage: impulse control, feelings, confidence, social interaction
Uses: multi-player, indoor
Feelings Fair Board Game
Reading social situations correctly is one of the most valuable skills a person can acquire. This fun carnival-themed game is ideal for children aged six through 12. This game includes two sets of rules to suit these age groups individually. Children will learn to recognize their own feelings, express themselves in appropriate ways and read emotionally-charged situations that deal with complex feelings such as anger and jealousy. Play it with two to six players!
Encourage: reflection & awareness, feelings, social interaction
Uses: multi player, indoor
Mental Blox
Mental Blox includes 20 chunky, plastic blocks to help kids build, create, and learn. This set of blocks can be used in a variety of ways to teach key concepts and reinforce knowledge about shapes, colors and patterns. Use the included cards to let kids copy the structures they see. Make the game even harder by using only verbal cues to describe what's on the card. Copying structures from the photos helps older kids learn to pay attention to detail, and re-creating them from verbal instructions develops listening skills. Ideal for ages five and up!
Encourage: colors & shapes, learn & discover, single player
Uses: multi-player, indoor
POP for Sight Words
This popcorn-themed word game provides a learning opportunity for your child or student and a bonding opportunity for you both.
Recommended for kindergarten and up, this words game teaches kids to recognize basic words such as:
*ARE
* SAID
* DID
* UP
* NOT
* GO
* WANT
* PLEASE
* WHO
* HIS
…and many more
This game includes 92-word cards and 8 POP cards. To play this game, draw a card from the bucket and sound out the word. Keep the card of the word you've sounded out. Put the cards back in the box if you draw the POP card.
Alternate rules for finding a POP card:
*Stand up and pop around like a popcorn
*Make a popping sound with your mouth
*Eat a piece of popcorn
*Put a piece of popcorn from a bowl into a cup for later
*Get a sticker
Encourage: vocabulary, confidence, learn & discover
Uses: multi-player, indoor
Pop for Addition + Subtraction
This gumballs-themed game is designed for two to four players ages 6+. Use the spinner to determine how many gumballs to take, keep the gumballs of all math questions you answered correctly. This game uses numbers between one and ten to create addition and subtraction problems such as 1+7 or 9-2. It includes 90 math cards and 10 POP cards.
Keep the card of math problems you've answered correctly. Put the cards back in the box if you draw the POP card.
Alternate rules for finding a POP card:
*Get a bonus question for a chance at bonus gumballs
*Make a popping sound with your mouth
*Get a sticker
Encourage: addition & subtraction, learn & discover, confidence
Uses: multi-player, indoor
Pop Fly
This fun and interactive game can be played alone or with others. Use it for entertainment and exercise, and to improve balance and coordination.
This game includes six bean bags and 11 balls. Put the balls inside the box, then take turns using a bean bag to hit the paddle. When you do, the balls pop out - the harder you throw, the higher they fly. Catch the balls, if you can. Recommended ages 5+.
Encourage: balance & coordination, learn & discover, exercise, social interaction, confidence
Uses: single player, multi player, indoor, outdoor
All About Faces
Many special kids have trouble reading facial expressions and analyzing social situations properly.
This interactive card-based game includes 52 facial expressions representing thirteen different feelings such as:
*HAPPY
* SAD
* ANGRY
* NEUTRAL
* PLEASED
* SCARED
This game can be played in a variety of ways, each designed to associate facial expressions with a feeling. Recommended for ages 4+.
Encourage: feelings, facial expressions, social interaction
Uses: single player, multi-player, indoor
The Original Family Fishing Game
This classic fishing game includes 21 fish in four colors, four fishing poles and a rotating board game. The lake the fish swim in spins and the fish pop up completely randomly. Use your pole to catch your fish for a funny game that teaches coordination and patience!
Recommended for ages 4+. Requires batteries.
Encourage: impulse control, balance & coordination, social interaction
Uses: single player, multi-player, indoor
Tic-Tac-Toss
Turn Tic-Tac-Toe into an interactive outdoor favorite with Tic-Tac-Toss! This game uses the classic concept of three-in-a-row but combines it with a skillful twist: you must throw bean bags at the board to turn over X’s & O’s!
This hilarious game provides hours of backyard fun and can be used by the whole family. Take turns tossing your beanbags to practice patience. Watch accuracy improve the more you play!
This game is approximately 17” x 12” and is ideal for ages 5+.
Encourage: balance & coordination, learn & discover, exercise, social interaction, confidence
Uses: multi-player, outdoor, indoor
Follow Your Nose
This fun game combines the traditional idea behind BINGO with scents! Play this game with two to six players by matching what you smell with a picture on your BINGO board. This game uses 30 distinct floral, herbal and fruit scents to provide an extraordinary opportunity to explore the world through scent. Recommended for ages 4+.
Encourage: learn & discover
Uses: multi-player, indoor
Fold & Go Trampoline
Sometimes you just need to jump! Whether it’s to get the wiggles out or to receive calming proprioceptive and sensory input, this fold-and-go trampoline offers ongoing fun for kids up to 150 pounds. The trampoline includes a safety handle for additional balance. Use it inside or outside!
Encourage: balance & coordination, exercise, sensory calming
Uses: single player, indoor, outdoor
Bullies, Victims & Bystanders
Cast a dice and use a pawn to move along a board similar to Candyland in this board game designed to teach kids about the effects of bullying. Along the way, players collect cards for "Bullies," "Victims," or "Bystanders"; each card is designed to help kids model good behavior and overcome bullying. Use this game at home or in therapy sessions to help break the ice with children who don't know how to discuss their bullying behavior or what they feel like as a victim.
Recommended for two to six players and for ages 7+.
Encourage: reflection & awareness, feelings, social interaction, bullying, confidence
Uses: multi-player, indoor
Pogo Ball
The pogo ball makes a great addition to any playground, whether at home or school. This game encourages balance and coordination and strengthens legs as well as lungs! Boys and girls will love competing to see who can hop the longest!
Encourage: balance & coordination, exercise, confidence
Uses: single player, multi-player, outdoor
River Stones
Like stones in a river, these River Stones vary in steepness and size. Lay them in the grass, driveway or sandbox to let kids jump from stone to stone without touching the ground.
Each stone has a non-slip rubber base to keep kids safe while protecting indoor floors. Create new positions every time to keep this game new and exciting while improving balancing skills. This game is great for imaginative fun and builds confidence. Watch how your kids improve skills like jumping, balancing and judging distances!
This game includes six stones in yellow, blue, red, green, orange and lilac. Ideal for ages 3+!
Encourage: balance & coordination, exercise, learn & discover, confidence
Uses: single player, multi-player, indoor, outdoor
