Each year Autism Live curates a list of top toys and gifts in a wide range of categories and developmental levels to help you find the perfect gift to delight the children, teens and adults in your life who are on the Autism Spectrum. This year we have chosen toys in various price ranges to help you make the perfect holiday selection. We hope there is something to delight everyone on your list!
Top Toy Winner
Lego Creator Roller Coaster
Lego
Description
9+ Years
Kids 9 years old and up can enjoy fun in space with this LEGO Creator 3in1 Space Roller Coaster (31142) playset, featuring 3 models to build and rebuild in 1 box. The roller coaster has a winding track where 3 carts can zoom around surrounded by planets, shooting stars and meteors.
Autism Live Says:
This is an amazing building kit that allows the builder to explore gravity and space. We love the working roller coaster. It definitely is a huge motivating force to reach competion.
Therapist Recommendation Toy Winner
Mystery Spin Set
Magformers
Description
3+ years
Turn your Magformers creations into moving and mobile wonders with this set! Use the clear spinner as a fun fidget spinner by itself or attach it to the SPIN CONNECTOR to add movement to any build!
Autism Live Says:
This 40 piece set is perfect for developing builders. It allows them to plan, problem solve and create movement in their creations. We love the vibrant colors, wide variety of building possibilities and the ease with which the pieces snap together.
STEM Toy Winner
Clixo - Flexible Magnetic Building Toy
Toyish Labs
Description
4+ Years
Clixo is a first-of-its-kind, flexible, magnetic building toy that can be used in both 2D and 3D. With its stackable packing design and magnets connecting the pieces together with a click, Clixo allows exploring open-ended creativity anywhere.
Autism Live Says:
We love this fresh take on building! Clixo seems simple but because of its flexibility a builder can create in ways that expand young minds! We love the creativity this product sparks.
Speech Builder Toy Winner
Folkmanis® Puppets
Folkmanis®
Description
3+ Years
The Folkmanis® Dinosaur Egg puppet with movable mouth and arms engages little ones in open-ended play. The movable mouth Folkmanis® Bassett Hound puppet is high in play value and inspires creativity. Puppet play promotes hands-on discovery, encourages interaction, advances fine and gross motor skills, and helps develop early language skills.
Autism Live Says:
These puppets are amazing! We love how expressive they are and how much children love to making them come to life and giving them a voice.
Social Skills Builder Toy Winner
Future Fans Football
Future Fans
Description
4 + Years
Future Fans Football is a fun, family experience around learning football – via reading, playing games, and dancing! A storybook-led experience for adult and child, the box includes an activity book, 5 games & toys, and 6 unboxing experiences.
Autism Live Says:
OMG! We love this kit and its purpose. It is designed to help a child become a lifelong fan of football, by teaching them about the game and how to participate in the social experience of watching a game with others. BRAVO!
Sensory Toy Winner
Karmagami
Fun in Motion
Description
4+ Years
Karmagami sensory fidget toy flips infinitely. Each one rotates and transforms seamlessly into 4 colorful designs like a kaleidoscope. It helps calm the mind and is a great sensory toy for kids and adults who constantly fidget with their hands.
Autism Live Says:
This is a unique and wonderful fidget toy. It doesn’t light up, it doesn’t have screens, but it is addictive and calming at the same time. It feels good in the hands and the motion of it is meditative and stress reducing.
Parents Recommendation Toy Winner
Ooze Lab
Thames & Kosmos
Description
6+ years
Play the role of chemist with this huge, colorful, functional lab station! Create glowing slime, fizzing reactions, Oozing Bubbles, colorful chromatography, and more! With 57 pieces, This kit has everything you need to conduct experiments like a real scientist, including beakers, test tubes, flasks, pipettes, and more. Includes non-hazardous chemicals; does not contain borax.
Autism Live Says:
Parents love the hands-on science experiments young learners can do – while knowing there are no unsafe chemicals in the kit.
Oldie but Goodie Toy Winner
Barbie and Ken
Mattel
Description
3+ years
Barbie brightens the day in a pink top, a skirt with graphic print and adorable shoes. Ken doll is dashing in blue pants, a collared shirt and bright orange shoes that add flair. Makes a perfect gift set for any gift-giving occasion or to add to Barbie and Ken doll collections.
Celebrate the Kencore fashion trend with the original inspiration.
Autism Live Says:
Barbie and Ken are great social skill building toys. They allow for role play, and for strengthening perspective taking. They are part of the fabric of our society so don’t hesitate to gift these iconic toys.
Motor Play Toy Winner
Spooner Boards
Spooner Boards
Description
2+ Years
The Spooner Board is an award winning, made in the USA balance board for kids and adults of all ages and abilities. The curved contour allows the user to develop core stregnth and stability while safely feeling the motions of boarding! Ages 2+
Autism Live Says:
Little ones can sit and spin on this award-winning toy, but older children can stand and “ride the wave” which strengthens core muscles used to balance, engage in handwriting, and play any sport. We love the confidence and self-esteem these boards foster all while having so much fun!
Kid's Choice Toy Winner
VTech® Switch & Go® 2-in-1 Spino Speedster
VTech®
Description
4+ Years
Transform playtime adventures with the Switch & Go® 2-in-1 Spino Speedster! Easily combine the Spinosaurus with the Pterodactyl into a fireball-launching mega car.
Autism Live Says:
This toy has so much going for it, it is no wonder our kid judges loved it! It starts out as 2 really cool dinosaurs but flip it around and snap it together and you have a really cool hotrod car that fires fake flames. It’s hours of fun!
Empowering Employment Skills Toy Winner
What's Next?
M & J Games
Description
4+ Years
Designed to establish a culture of complete acceptance, no matter what your cognitive abilities may be. Additional tiles have been added to allow the game to be modified based on the player’s needs.
Roll, Move, Act – That’s it! The social skills expansion set includes tiles to help with speech therapy, gross motor skills, and physical development.
Autism Live Says:
We love this game to work on problem-solving skills which are pivotal when preparing to join the workforce.
Educational Toy Winner
LeapFrog® Magic Adventures™ Telescope
LeapFrog®
Description
5+ Years
Discover things that are out of this world with the Magic Adventures™ Telescope. Young astronomers will be amazed at what they can see with up to 110x zoom and activate 100+ videos and images, courtesy of NASA and the European Space Agency.
Autism Live Says:
This is one of those toys that has the power to change a young life by making learning fun! There are so many things to learn about space and the space program from this working telescope. We love the well-made construction of this telescope and that range of things it teaches. This is a lovely gift.
Best Card/Board Game Winner
My First Castle Panic
Fireside Games
Description
8+ years
In My First Castle Panic, a group of monsters is racing out of the woods and coming right at your Castle! Players need to catch all the monsters before they smash the Castle flat. No reading required. Cooperative gameplay means no sore losers.
Autism Live Says:
This is a great board game to work on strategy and team work. We love working together to save the castle and everyone in it from the dreadful monsters. In this younger version of the game the cards and game play are appropriate for prereaders. No reading is necessary, but there is lots of fun matching, working together, cooperating and overcoming challenges.
Boredom Buster Toy Winner
Bank-A-Ball Basketball
ABetter Design Company
Description
4+ Years
The adjustable angle basketball backboard and rim that hooks atop a standard-sized door to turn any room into an indoor trick shot playground. Comes with a full set up of bank-a-ball backboard, net and mini vinyl covered foam basketball
Autism Live Says:
This fun game works on hand-eye coordination, timing, physics and much more. Invite friends to a tournament and now it is a social game! Who needs to be bored when there is this much fun available? We also love the way this game offers players an opportunity to hone their shooting skills, without having to work on dribbling.
Best Video Game Winner
Super Mario 3D
Nintendo
Description
In Super Mario 3D World, choose a character, each with distinct playstyles as you dash and climb through dozens of colorful courses, collecting green stars and power-ups along the way.
Cooperate (and compete) with friends locally or online to reach each stage’s goal. A crown is awarded to the highest-scoring player, making for a friendly frenzy.
Autism Live Says:
This game is fun for the whole family. We love all the old and new tracks to race through, challenging friends and family members to race. We especially love the new feature that makes it impossible to fall off the track. This game makes success possible for even the youngest drivers. It teaches problem solving, critical thinking and much more. It is addictive good fun.
Best Puzzle Winner
Plus Plus Car
Plus Plus USA
Description
5+ Years
The 200 piece Hero Color Car tube is a great way to get started with Plus-Plus. Kids will learn to create in 2D or 3D, encouraging open-ended, creative play. It’s a perfect STEM toy to develop fine motor skills, focus and patience.
Autism Live Says:
Who said puzzles have to be flat? This fun puzzle takes puzzling to another level, literally. You can build flat, or you make your creations come to life in 3D. This particular kit makes a great car! Although we love that you can use the pieces to create all kinds of wonderful things.
Best Book Winner
My Brain is a Racecar
Nell Harris
Description
This book was created from lived experience of having a neurodivergent brain, described simply and factually with no clinical or diagnostic terminology that will bring the audience out of the book. A conversation opener between adults and children.
Autism Live Says:
This book is amazing as a tool to easily explain a busy mind to children, siblings and loved ones. We love the simplicity and elegance that Nell Harris uses to describe the experience of neurodiversity. It’s so important to demystify differences so we can move to acceptance and respect.
Best Art/Craft Winner
Crayola Spin and Spiral Art Station, Deluxe Edition
Crayola
Description
6+ Years
Let kids “gear up” for awesome spirally geometric marker designs or “spin out” for wild, random drippy spin art paint designs. Create combo designs using both activities to elevate your art! This cool tool is kid-powered – no batteries required.
Autism Live Says:
We love this art project that combines some of our favorite ways to make art when we were kids! There is nothing as satisfying as having a child proudly display a work of art they created themselves. There are so many ways for children to experiment with the tools of this toy. It is sure to created many lasting memories.
Don’t forget to check out all the fabulous toy and gift winners in other categories.
You might find exactly what you are looking for there!
We at AUTISM Live
wish you the
Happiest of Holidays!
After all of your shopping is done, if you find that you have more to give, please join us in making a donation of any size to Autism Care Today (ACT). This wonderful organization gives grants to families for things like iPads, insurance co-pays, sensory equipment, GPS devices and more. Your donation could make another family’s holiday wishes come true.