9 Eid Gift Ideas for Kids with Autism & Related Disorders
It’s that time of year again when autism parents and families in Qatar start to panic. What should I buy my kids for Eid this year and more importantly, where can I find them in Qatar?
With the month ending and the last 10 days of Ramadan filling our nights, we are pressed for time with getting everything ready for Eid. But now with Sensory Souk in the neighborhood, you’ve got a 1-stop shop for all of the kids on your list.
Here are some general tips to keep in mind when buying toys for autistic children (adapted from Autism Parent Magazine):
- Determine what the child loves, then consider his/her age, cognitive level, and motor skills.
- Ask the parents what sensory inputs their child enjoys or avoids. Ask if he/she has a special hobby or interest. Common interests include building or engineering activities, drawing, animals, and trains.
- Choose gifts that will provide the child with real-life experiences.
- Buy gifts the child can use at school and will aid him/her in coping with his/her sensory needs.
- You might also consider buying a calming gift to help children cope with high-stress holiday periods or summer travel.
- Gifts that help social skills are a wonderful option to enhance a child’s therapies.
With these guidelines in place, here are some ideas we've come up with:
1. Stressed out?... Restless fingers? 
Our amazing fidgets are perfect for kids who like to fidget. These playful little toys are perfect for squeezing, squishing, bouncing, tossing, twisting and turning. While they promote a sense of calm, reduce stress and can increase focus they're also a lot of fun, relatively small (travels well) and quiet! With over 20 different ones to choose from, you can find something for everyone on your list.
Fidget Toys: 7 QR and up
2. Fan of Numbers and Letters 
These Word Racer and Math Noodlers are pretty perfect for kids who like numbers and words. Word Racer game build word recognition skills and social skills. Math Noodlers concept include additional, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, measurements, graphing, money and time. We recently met a young man on the spectrum that, mid-conversation, shared his love for the number 4 and his disdain for the number 7! For kiddos who appreciate numbers and letters, a math or word game would be fun (and educational!).
Educational Games: 120 QR and up
3. Nurture your Mini Picasso
Bend and twist these assorted Wax Craft Sticks to create fun designs! There's no right or wrong way to use these so there's always a successful outcome which is always a great thing! Ideal for little hands, these wax-coated craft sticks are a fun activity kids can use to express their creativity.
Wikki Stix: from 5 QR
4. Who loves Messy Play?! 
Slimes and putties are great for sensory-seekers and tactile learners. They love to explore the different textures of these tubs of ooey, gooey goodness! For kids who like to dabble in this sphere of fun, but don't like their slime too gooey, our discovery putties are perfect as they come in several different levels of resistance PLUS they're great for fine motor skill development. Stretch, mold and pull the putty until you find all the hidden objects--and then hide the pieces all over again! Versatile therapy tool, fidget, and travel toy for imaginative play. Supports speech, color recognition, math and language activities.
Slimes & Putties: 10 QR & up
5. Space Explorers! 
Whether they're seeking, hiding, exercising their muscles and joints, or pretending they're a "bat boy", this Space Explorer is a fun gift for any kid--on the spectrum, or not! Made of lycra, this is light, stretches an incredible amount and travels easily making it a great sensory break tool for long airplane journeys.
Space Explorer Sack: 135 QR and up
6. Kids who need a little support while traveling: Sensory Travel Kit 
This kit supports kids who struggle with plane trips, or car trips, or become anxious when traveling. This selection of resources support self regulation and includes Dino Bite Chew Necklace- an oral fidget to build oral strength, mobility and control. Our noise reduction headphone help minimize noise and maximize concentration. The Vibrating Cushion can calm kids who need more sensory feedback or help train hypersensitive kids to tolerate more sensations.
Sensory Travel Kit: 290 QR
7. Sensory Break Travel Bags: Dinos, Mermaid, Pirates and Unicorns, Oh My!
These Sensory Travel Bags are great for party favors, to use at your Iftar party or for your little one to take to on the plane for the flight home this summer. We have 6 different bags with different putties, fidgets, and toys inside.
Sensory Travel Bags: 33 QR and up
8. Sensory Souk Gift Voucher 
Still not sure what to get? How about the gift of choice?!
Present buying just got easier! On some occasions knowing what to buy someone can be a bit of a headache, and with so many options available it can often be difficult to pick the right one - so why not let them choose that perfect gift themselves? Buy our gift vouchers and let the lucky recipient choose their own experience.
Sensory Souk Gift Voucher: 15 QR and up
9. Real World Experience
If giving gifts is not your thing on Eid, or you want to gift a real-world experience like going to the movies and buying their own popcorn, how about giving money in these swanky, shiny "Happy Eid" envelopes? Available for a limited time at Sensory Souk!
Happy Eid Money Envelopes: 10 QR for pack of 2
All of the products listed above are in stock in Qatar at Sensory Souk. And to help you cut down on your preparation time, we're offering FREE Eid gift wrap with each purchase (while supplies last).
Sensory Souk has a great selection of gifts and goodies to make this Eid more festive and fun for all kids! Visit us today in Royal Plaza on Al Sadd St., 1st Floor Next to Mosafer.
- Raana Smith
