Sensory Toys: Sensory Stimulation Toys to Support Emotional Regulation
TL:DR
Sensory toys deliver predictable, gentle sensory input that helps children calm down, focus, and move through big emotions. From discreet fidget toys that support attention to aromatherapy putty that pairs scent with tactile play, the right sensory stimulation toys can be an easy, non-stigmatizing tool caregivers use throughout the day to prevent meltdowns and build self‑regulation skills.
Why Use Sensory Toys?
We live in a busy world. Our children’s brains are constantly working to process all the sensory information happening like the lights overhead, the feeling of air on their skin or clothes on their bodies, and the many different sounds surrounding them. Their brains are busy processing, filtering, and categorizing so they can focus on what is important at the moment.
On top of all the sensory processing that our children’s brains are doing, they are also learning how to process and regulate their bodies when feeling big emotions.
Emotions can be tricky. Everyone experiences them, but sometimes they can feel overwhelming. This is where sensory tools come into play and caregivers can help children find calm and balance during moments of emotional dysregulation.
Many children’s sensory toys are designed to help children find calm and balance during moments of emotional turmoil.
Sensory toys deliver targeted sensory input to help children self-regulate, from fidget toys that improve focus to sensory stimulation toys and aromatherapy putty that support calm.
Understanding Emotional Dysregulation
Emotional dysregulation refers to difficulties in managing emotional responses. This can mean feeling emotions more intensely than others or having trouble calming down after something upsetting happens.
All children experience emotional dysregulation at times. They are learning to navigate and manage emotions as they grow and develop. This is a natural part of development and a big part of our jobs as parents and caregivers is to help our children learn effective coping strategies for when these moments happen.
There are a lot of reasons or “triggers” when our children are young and cannot yet fully identify or communicate their needs. Sometimes it comes from an internal stressor like being hungry or tired. Sometimes the stressor is outside of themselves, like an overstimulating environment.
Transitions can be another area of difficulty especially when moving from an activity that they’re really enjoying to one that is less enjoyable.
In these moments, our children's nervous systems are on high alert, their bodies have detected a threat and then their body responds. Their heart rate increases, their breathing patterns shift and become more shallow, and stress hormones are released.
This is their body's way of protecting itself against a perceived threat. They have moved into the reflexive and impulsive area of the brain and when we see impulsive behaviours, like yelling, hitting, or intense crying. This is dysregulation in our nervous system.
Understanding Emotional Regulation
Understanding how our bodies respond to emotions is essential for managing them effectively. The science behind emotional regulation involves the nervous system, which plays a crucial role in how we react to stress and overwhelming situations.
When our nervous system is working well, we can handle stress and other emotions as they come up. We process the emotion and move on with our day.
Our sensory system plays a role as we are continually processing through all the sensory stimuli that our bodies are experiencing throughout the day.
Children can get overwhelmed with all the sensory input and the emotions that they are also experiencing in a day, this is when dysregulation happens.
What are Children’s Sensory Toys?
Children’s sensory toys deliver sensory stimulation in a targeted way. There are a wide variety of sensory toys that target one or more of the core sensory systems so children can get the input they need in the moment.
It can be as simple as a fidget that gives their hands something to do and focuses their mind on a targeted sensory sensation in their body. The sensory input helps to reset their nervous system.
How Children’s Sensory Toys Help with Emotional Regulation
Sensory stimulation toys give us a proactive tool that our kids can use throughout the day to satisfy their sensory needs and keep their nervous systems from becoming overwhelmed.
Children can use sensory toys to engage their senses, like touch, smell, and sight, to help ground themselves and regain a sense of control. They can act as a physical anchor for a child and bring them back to a calmer state.
Observe and notice the small cues from their bodies; tapping a foot, bouncing legs when trying to sit still, or walking on their toes. Taking a few moments to address their sensory needs with a sensory break or toy can help children feel in control of their bodies and can help children learn how to regulate their emotions.
Combine a sensory toy (the physical anchor) with a mindfulness practice (like a breathing exercise) is a helpful way for children to learn to regulate their emotions.
Our Star Essence Collection is made specifically for children and their sensory needs. The blends are formulated and diluted for children as young as 2 years of age and we include a kid-friendly breath work card with each Star Essence Nasal Inhaler.
Wellnessed Sensory Tools for Kids: Matching Tools to Emotional Needs
We created our Star Essence Children’s Putty because we wanted to give children a sense of empowerment over what can feel like overwhelming emotions and nervous systems that are out of control.
The putty combines smell and touch and each putty (Awesome, Cheer, Focus, and Relax) is made with an aromatherapy blend created purposefully to help with certain emotional needs.
Star Essence Awesome
Awesome is our grounding blend and is helpful for times of transition and change, which can be a challenge for kids. It is a curated formula of lemongrass, cypress, geranium, spearmint, and frankincense essential oils to soothe and center emotions.
Star Essence Cheer
Cheer has a bright and uplifting aroma profile that includes a combination of citrus oils grounded with the base notes of frankincense. When your child is experiencing hypoarousal, or when their body feels shut down because they are tired or overwhelmed, Cheer putty is a great tool to use.
Star Essence Focus
Focus is definitely a kid favorite, it smells like candy canes! The wonderful oils of peppermint, clary sage and cypress stimulate the body and mind and can help with attention. Focus is the only Star Essence essential oil blend recommended for children 5 and older because of the use of peppermint oil. Awesome, Cheer, and Relax blends are safe for ages 2 and older.
Star Essence Relax
Our Relax blend is infused with a combination of wild orange, bergamot, ylang ylang and frankincense essential oils. These oils work together to create a sweet aroma that is calming and relaxing to the body and the mind.
Situations to pull out this sensory tool for kids is at bedtime, or when a child is dealing with feelings of sadness. The calming oils blend with the bright notes of bergamot and wild orange make it a great sensory tool to use when talking or playing with a child who is experiencing an emotional time.
Consistency and Practice
Using sensory toys and tools effectively also requires consistency and practice. Just like any skill, the more a child practices, the better they become.
Purposeful play with younger kids, using the putty like playdough with cookie cutters and rolling pins gives them the tactile input while at the same time inhaling the aroma that can help to calm and ground their emotional state.
I love using the Relax Putty before bed with my young nieces and playing with them as we roll the dough and cut out shapes in a calming bedtime routine.
Older kids like to use our putty as a fidget, something to hold in their hands and squeeze, pinch, and fidget with as they do homework or any other activity. Again getting the wonderful aromatherapy blend to help them feel grounded and calm.
When we incorporate these sensory toys and tools into the day in a proactive way we can help our kids learn to manage their emotions and sensory needs and avoid the bigger nervous system melt downs.
It’s important to educate our kids on ways to manage their emotions and take care of their bodily needs. Our sensory systems are always working and we need to care for them just like our other body systems.
Susan Nelson is an autism therapist with 20+ years’ experience specializing in play therapy, communication, and emotional regulation. A certified aromatherapist and co‑founder of Wellnessed Boutique, she blends clinical expertise with practical, kid‑safe aromatherapy and sensory strategies to help parents, educators, and therapists support children and adults. Susan shares research‑informed tips and guidance designed for everyday calming routines.
