gift ideas for highly sensitive child

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When it comes to gifts for a highly sensitive child (HSC), some are better than others. I always try to find gifts that are fun, but also functional and calming. HSCs need to have quiet down time where they can relax and reflect from their busy days. Here are some great gift ideas that are perfect for highly sensitive children.

Everything we recommended (except for the Dream Tents) on this list are products my HSCs personally own, use and LOVE!

Worry Eater

A range of stuffed animal characters who like nothing more than feasting on children’s worries or nightmares…. um yes please! My first thought when I saw this product was ‘Genius! Why didn’t I think of that!’ My second thought, ‘How perfect would this be for helping my sensitive boys deal with their anxiety.

The worry eater‘s zipper mouth provides children with a safe place to share worries. Have your child write down their worry and stick it in the stuffed animal’s mouth to eat that worry all up! This is a great snuggly tool for helping children share their worries and build confidence. My boys share their worries with me and we make a big deal of the worry eater chomping it away! Last year, my oldest took this into show-n-tell and it was HUGE hit with all the children. Worry Eaters come in all different styles and have two sizes- small and large. We have the large Enno.

My Book of Brave: A Journal for Taking Control of Scary Feelings and Fears

Okay, so I may be a bit biased about this one, because I created it; however I made this journal based on my experience with highly sensitive, anxious children. This journal is meant for helping anxious children identify their fears and take control of them. Each page of this book provides space to write down a situation from the child’s day and record it in a way that feel most comfortable, whether that be through coloring, writing, drawing or all three.

There are 145 pages in My Book of Brave, each one consisting of a feelings chart that can be colored to identify how scary a situation felt, a lined section for writing and a blank box for drawing. Use this book as a journal or diary and track progress over time to see where anxiety has decreased and self-confidence has increased. For more information and a video about the product, you can visit My Book of Brave Homepage

Kinetic Sand

This stuff is so cool, but hard to describe. It feels like sand, but is easily molded without water. It sticks together, but is not sticky or wet. Kinetic sand is a really versatile toy that can provide a lot of benefits. If your sensitive kids don’t like messy play or have tactile defensiveness, like my boys, they will likely still be interested in trying this out. My youngest was cautious with this sand at first. I let him observe his older brother and I playing with it but once he touched it, he really enjoyed the soft, non-sticky texture. You can build with it, draw in it, squeeze it and mold it. The sand comes in all different colors and sets like construction, volcano, fairytale princess and so on. Kinetic Sand has been a great calming activity that I highly recommend.

Legos

I love toys where creativity is key! There is a reason these little blocks continue to be incredibly popular! I have become a huge proponent of Legos over the past couple of years for both boys and girls after seeing the benefits. They have been an amazing tool in helping my children with their fine motor, patience, and problem solving skills. I LOVE these Classic Lego boxes, where your imagination is the limit. There is an idea guide inside, if you want some step by step instructions, but there is a tremendous opportunity for creative play. My favorite works of art are the ones my kids come up with on their own. They have a great sense of pride for their creations and can’t wait to show me them and describe the how, what and why of it. An amazing toy that also provides a sense of accomplishment and builds confidence.

Chewerly

While this may not apply to the majority of highly sensitive children, I did want to add this to the list, as it has been beneficial to both of my HSCs. Both of my children have developed anxious habits over the past few years, one of which involves chewing/biting on things. My oldest would chew on his shirt collar and my youngest would chew on his fingers. Someone had mentioned chewlery to me and it worked so well. There are all different styles for both sexes, but my boys like these. This shark tooth one is really cool for older boys. They even have a Lego type brick, Moana and Batman! My oldest has since outgrown his habit and stopped using his, but it still helps my four year old quite a bit.

Drawing Pads and Markers

This is a simple gift, but such a good one. Highly sensitive children often enjoy creating, so providing the tools for your children to express themselves through drawing, writing and/or coloring is a great idea. I keep these spiral notepads easily accessible to my children. I that they are spiral bound so they are easy to to flip over. Be aware that Highly sensitive kids can set some pretty high standards for themselves. My boys sometimes hit road blocks because their perfectionist side gets them frustrated. Keep encouraging them and praising their beautiful artwork. I keep these notepads easily accessible in their craft area and playroom for anytime art.

Crayola Silly Scents Washable Markers I understand that children who are sensitive to smells may not enjoy these, but my youngest HSC loves smelling things. He could spend hours in Yankee Candle Shop and Bath and Body Works! These markers and crayons have been really fun for him.

Dream Tents

Okay this last one is the only thing that we have not personally used yet, but it is on my boys’ Christmas lists. My kids love tents and making forts. Highly sensitive kids like to feel safe and secure and tents and forts give the cozy feeling of being enclosed in their own little space. We saw these while out shopping and fell in love. They are kind of like those pop up tent beds, that I LOVE, but more budget and kid friendly. They come in Dinosaur Island, Space Adventure, Winter Wonderland, and Unicorn Fantasy. My boys love the space one and they will definitely be under our tree this Christmas!

I hope that these ideas are helpful to you. Do you have a product that your highly sensitive child loves? I would love for you to share it in the comment section!