Today I am sharing my top 10 cause and effect toys. These toys are always the most popular ones that I’ve used with my autistic students. And honestly there are just so many great ones out there, full of learning possibilities. And that means it can get very overwhelming when you’re trying to work out which ones to try with your students. So, I’m going to make it a little easier for you and narrow down to my top 10.
What Are Cause and Effect Toys?
Cause and effect toys are items where an action creates something to happen with that toy. One example of this can be something as simple as a rattle making a noise when you shake it.
Why Use Cause and Effect Toys?
There are so many reasons to use cause and effect toys. Some of these include;
- They’re naturally engaging for students.
- Help to develop curiosity.
- Cause and effect toys generally hold students attention for longer periods of time.
- Perfect for intentional play.
- Provides opportunities for students to look at the consequences of an action; what happens when tehy do something?
- Developing hand-eye coordination.
- Great for students who enjoy repetitive actions.
- Many are also great for sensory exploration.
- Opens up an opportunity for you to engage in play with the student.
My Top 10 Cause and Effect Toys
These are just my top 10 – they are not in any specific order of preference.
I have also included Amazon links below if you wish to purchase these items direct. Links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a % commission if you decide to purchase the toy through my link – at no extra cost to yourself. This is not a sponsored post or ad. These recommendations are all my own from personal experience using them with my students.
1. Push and Pop Toy
With this, students need to push the head down and then all the balls inside of the toy start to pop around.
2. Pop Up Pals
Students use the included hammer (if they wish – otherwise they can use their hands) to hit the buttons on the bottom of the toy. Once they hit them, the pals will pop up on the top of the toy.
3. Spinning Teddies
Students push down on the button at the top of the toy and watch the teddies spin around inside. This is always a very popular one with my students.
4. Pop Up Farm Animals
This is another great cause and effect toy in the sense that it also has students working on their fine motor skills. Students need to use the buttons in different ways to get the farm animals to pop up.
5. Melissa and Doug Vehicle Sound Blocks
Melissa and Doug toys never disappoint. And this is another great one to add to your collection. Students need to match the blocks together to make the picture in order to active the matching sound.
6. Frog in a Box
This is pretty much like Jack in the Box – just with a frog! Students lift the lid and the frog hops right out. I love this one mainly because I can throw the frog into the washing machine as needed too!
7. Sound Puzzles
There are lots of different sound puzzles around now. I personally love this one from Melissa and Doug – mainly because I do a farm theme each year and this one fits in perfectly with that! When students place the pieces into the puzzle, it plays the matching farm animal noise!
8. Popper Toys
These come in a huge selection now. We have a cow and a penguin one that we use the most. But honestly, my kids love any of them that we pull out. The best part is the harder you squeeze the toy – the further the ball goes. So it’s really great for my students to work on their strength in their hands.
9. Light Up Spinning Windmill
We also love these light up spinning windmills. Students just need to push the button and watch the windmill come to life, spinning around and lighting up.
10. Car Ramp Racer
This car ramp racer is definitely one of our most popular cause and effect toys. Students need to push the car from the top to watch it work down all of the ramps.
So those are my top 10 cause and effect toys that my students personally love. What are your most popular ones? Let me know in the comments below.
I hope you found this blog post helpful. If so, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media.
Nikki
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