What your Christmas Amazon cart should look like with hyperactive kids.

Get ready to get your sensory on! If you are struggling with a hyper active child, or your child is just hyper from quarantine, add these gifts to your Amazon cart now. If you create your list ahead of time, Amazon will notify you of free coupons and price drops on your items so you pay the best price.

As an added bonus, many of the companies who make these great gifts are small businesses or privately owned by parents with hyperactive kids like yourself.

The Inexpensive Basics

1. Earplugs

These are for you. They are extremely cheap. Enjoy!

If you have extra loud kids like me, go for these industrial strength ones! They are reusable, mold-able, washable (and if they get disgusting and un-washable, you can trim them with scissors!)

2. Fidget Toy Starter Pack

If you are new to the sensory and fidget toy game, this is the best place to start. There are a wide variety of sensory toys and many different packs to choose from.

Prices range anywhere from $6.99 up to $30 and $40. This is very similar to the pack I got for my kids.

Remember, this pack is for you just as much as it is for your child. Do NOT let them see the contents. Instead, use this pack as your emergency melt down pack. Whenever my boys are overcome with boredom or hyperactivity (usually both), I grab ONE new toy out of the pack and let them experiment with it.

I purchased this towards the beginning of quarantine and I still have several of the toys stashed away for a meltdown day. Great investment, kids love them!

3. PoP! Tubes

These amazing toys aren't just super cheap but also extremely satisfying to play with. (If you haven't guessed by now, I love playing with these toys as much as my kids do!)

If your child has sensory issues with noise, these have a really great, non-irritating sound. In addition, they are extremely safe and durable. My teething 8 month old loves to grab one and chew on the end. He also makes noises through the tubes and the vibrations help his gums! (These toys are not made for babies and the baby should always be monitored when handling toys).

Thank you Grandma for supplying us with these gems for the holiday season!

4. Kinetic Sand

By far my favorite addition to our sensory toy bank. Far less messy than Ploy dough or clay and much more affordable. Kinetic sand is a stress relieving, stress free sensory activity. No need to worry about it drying out or sticking to furniture and floors.

There are tons of cheap kinetic sand kits which are great! If you have more than one child or just want more bang for your buck, I would go for the bulk sand. You get a lot more of the kinetic sand and it is packaged with different colors.

I suggest portioning the sand into smaller bags and then using old cardboard boxes or plastic containers to pour the sand in while your kids play. This eliminates the need to sweep up afterwards. (I always end up sweeping up some anyways, but we have had the sand for almost 6 months and I have a brand new 2 lb bag not even open yet!)

5. Crayon Molds

If you have any old crayons laying around or you have the ingredients to make melted chocolate or candies, these are an essential part of your sensory bank.

I have tried this activity with pans, oven, stove top, microwave, and cookie cutters. By far the most kids friendly way is to buy the molds and use the microwave. (I have ruined several pans and many cookie cutters attempting this other ways!)

They are endlessly reusable! Just have your kids break up their crayons into small pieces and fill up the molds. Mix up colors, get crazy, it doesn't matter, they will turn out cool!

Once the molds are full of broken crayons, then microwave for 45 to 60 seconds at a time until you see they have all melted.

And... wait for them to cool. That's it! Super cool crayons your kids can use to color. (Most coloring books are $1.00 but if you are stuck at home, rip open some cereal boxes and let the kids use those to color on!) I usually let them cool over night just to be safe.

Slightly More Expensive

1. Stretch Sheet and/or Bag

The day this came in the mail I was so excited, we put it on my son's mattress immediately. I had him pretend to go to sleep just so I could see him use it for the first time.

My son is 3 years old with extreme ADHD, restless legs at night, and on and off nightmares that wake him up and send him to our bed. Since the sensory sheet has become part of the bed time routine, he falls asleep faster, and when he is feeling the restless leg syndrome, the sheet provides enough resistance and pressure to help alleviate the throbbing.

They also sell this as a "bag". The bag is for individual use by your child and not to be used overnight. If your child likes the sheet, get the bag for playtime and help tire out your little Tasmanian devil!

2. Sponge Paint Set

Having a scheduled and organized craft time helps your child's mental and physical needs all at once. I find sponges and large brushes are best for my younger children.

The only paint I buy is Crayola Washable. There is no bad smell, your child can paint literally anything and it washes off easily (very easily) with a little soap and water. (My sons don't know it but they painted the same pumpkin 3 times before Halloween got here.)

The paint is fairly inexpensive, but again, I like to buy bulk. My kids have had craft hour painting paper, coloring books, pumpkins, rocks, sticks, and even plastic bottles and cardboard boxes I pulled out of the recycling.

As long as you have some rules and a lot of fun, it really doesn't matter how the art turns out!

3. Magnetic Tiles

Also called Picasso tiles, these are a no mess, time consuming miracle. More engaging and thought provoking than regular building blocks, there are truly no rules for this toy.

Prices range a lot on this one depending on the quality and amount of tiles you wish to purchase. They also sell tiles with pictures on them in smaller sets. My son's have "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" magnetic tiles thanks to their Aunt finding them for me!

4. Marble Tracks

I am seriously under-exaggerating when I say my sons love this toy... Nearly every other morning since I've purchased these we build a new marble track. Both sons will sit for hours trying out different tracks and ways to redirect the marbles.

A really nice range of prices here. If you are new to the marble tracks, they sell them fairly cheap down to about $5.oo. If you know your child is going to be in love or already is, go for the larger sets! The more pieces you have, the more unique the track becomes.

5. Weighted Blanket

I'm going to be very honest here, the weighted blanket is a little expensive... but oh my is it worth it! Really, this is a great gift for yourself too and will seriously improve your sleep.

It is very important that you choose the correct weight when you make this purchase. Not only is the price drastically different for a toddler blanket than an adult blanket, but too much weight can negatively effect your child's sleep.

Blankets are sold based on your child's weight, not their age, so be sure to get all the details before hitting purchase.

I've Got Money to Spend!

1. Kids Tent

Having a safe place to run to could be the key to preventing meltdowns for your child. This was a birthday gift for our son. We made sure to put it together while he watched, placed it in a room he likes to play in, and then filled it with soft blankets and pillows.

Our sons have a glow in the dark star theme in their room, so I purchased the space themed tent for him to cool down in. Be sure to look around and see if they have a tent with your child's interests before purchasing!

2. Personal Trampoline

While this may not suite all houses, if your child is ADHD you may want to make this investment immediately. Even without a trampoline my son jumps in place the entire day. With the trampoline, they tire out faster and don't use your furniture or beds to release that extra energy (like my kids are doing right now.)

3. Toddler Bouncy House (indoor use)

When you are looking at bouncy houses, just remember, you get what you pay for. We spent about $175 and it is extremely durable, has a jumping section, and a ball pit with a basketball hoop.

There is some planning that goes into this one if you want to use it indoors (which I highly suggest if you want it to be useful during colder weather). Be sure to measure the rooms in your house and check them against the dimensions of the bouncy house before purchasing. For us, there are two rooms that the bouncy house can fit in, but we chose the living room for the high ceilings. We move furniture and set it up with kids music playing and our kids have a fun activity for the entire day.

I suggest investing in the plastic ball pit balls as well! Get at least 200, they do not fill up the ball pit as fast as you would think. 300-400 if you want your kids to safely jump or fall in. We also pad the floor under the bouncy house with a cheap roll out rug.

Deflating and storing is super quick and easy!

4 & 5. Swing and Steel Door Insert

These last two really go together. A sensory swing is a big investment, however, if your child has special sensory needs, this is a priceless investment. If your child does not have special sensory needs or meltdowns this isn't a necessity (but it sure is fun).

You do have the option of purchasing a swing with a sturdy base, however, it takes up a lot of space and is quite expensive. Also, there are different types of swings for different ages, weights, and special needs. For my child, the basic sensory swing is perfect as he is young, lighter in weight, and doesn't have special physical needs that would prevent him from playing.

Unless you are prepared to buy a base, the steel door insert is the best option for attaching your swing safely indoors.

While this is more of an expensive investment, it is a lifelong investment. The steel frame can be used for exercising as your children get older (or for yourself!), and it is extremely durable so you never have to worry about the swing falling.

FREE Crafts

Low on money? No big deal. Check out these easy, but play time consuming crafts that will keep your child engaged and excited!

1. Soda Bottle Tornado

This is first because I made one of these and my child became obsessive with it until the water had completely drained out and it was just beads and duct tape left. For at least two weeks I did not have to worry about down time or boredom.

Easiest version: Two 2-Liter Soda Bottles, duct tape. (Make it better with nail glue, hot glue gun, rubber hose stopper)

Fill one of the bottles with water about 3/4 of the way full. (Remember, the more water, the heavier it is for your child to flip.)

For a fun visual effect throw glitter or beads into the water.

Simply line up the open mouths of each soda bottle. Start with one piece of duct tape about two inches long and seal it with your nails as best as you can as you apply it around the two bottle ends. (Now would be when you use the glue gun or nail glue if you have it as extra sealant UNDER the tape.)

Wrap with duct tape like crazy. Forwards, backwards, layer it!

Most likely, this will leak. So go crazy with the duct tape.

Flip it so the water is on top and gently shake it back and forth until the tornado appears.

Once your child gets the hang of it you should get at least a short amount of quiet time! If you have extra hardware laying around and want to make a more "professional" tornado, there are easy to follow guides on YouTube.

2. Pretend Binoculars

Save your empty toilet paper rolls. Once you have at least four, grab the duct tape! It's important to make at least 2 pairs so that your child has someone to play with. Remember to model how to play for them.

Take two toilet paper rolls and gently wrap them with duct tape until you can no longer see the roll on the outside (should only take about three wraps).

Play! My kids loved putting their binoculars up at the same time and looking at each other through them. If you have an only child, its your turn to play too!

3. Talking Tube

Now it's time for those paper towel rolls. The more you have the better, but at least 3 will make it fun.

Tape as many ends together as you have. Model how to talk through the tube while the other person puts their ear up to the tube.

Have fun with the silly screams and giggly conversations!

Build a fort and talk through the fort walls for more fun!

4. Endless Car/ Marble Tracks

If you already own anything that can roll (a ball, cars, trucks, marbles) then you can make an endless track in your house.

If you have stairs, start upstairs and use gravity to make this work. Use anything from toilet paper tubes, to foil, cardboard boxes, books, literally anything that will guide a rolling object in the right direction. Try to get it to go down the stairs and into at least 2 rooms. Make use of tables and counter tops!

No stairs? Try starting somewhere high up like on top of the fridge. You don't need much of an incline to get the ball rolling so slowly make your way to the ground and it will still be fun!

If you only have something larger like a basketball or soccer ball, do the same thing, but go outside!

5. Balloon Games

One balloon created 2 hours of fun with my boys. First, blow it up without tying it. Have your child put your hand on the side of the balloon as you let it slowly deflate.

Next, use that same balloon, but now after blowing it up, yell "Ready, set go!" and let it loose so it zooms around the room as the air lets out. The kids will scream and run. It also takes time for them to find the balloon after it lands.

The final balloon stage (when you notice the zooming around is getting old) is blowing it up and tying it to play living room beach ball.

In closing...

Regardless of how much money we have to spend on our hyperactive Beasties this year, as long as we create a fun and safe atmosphere for them to play in, they will have good memories of this 2020 Holiday Season. Happy Holidays to you all!