Gift Ideas For The Medically Complex Child in Your Life
Deciding what to buy a kid for a holiday or birthday can be a big task – wondering if they already have a certain toy, or if it’s something that will interest them. For a child with medical needs, the decision might be affected by whether they will be able to enjoy the gift depending on their mobility or use it often.
We’ve done some digging and found items that can give the medically complex child in your life a toy that looks just like them or add some flair that shows off their personality to their medical supplies.
Do you have any gift ideas up your sleeve for children with medical needs? We’d love to hear what they are!
Dolls and stuffed animals with medical accessories
If you know a kiddo who loves playing with dolls or stuffed animals, the vision of them opening a gift to find someone who is sporting the same medical equipment as them is a heartwarming idea. Luckily, there are a few websites where you can find companies that make specialty dolls and animals featuring everything from trachs and g-tubes to hearing aids or wheelchairs.
Here are a few we found:
- Adaptive Equipment for Dolls with Special Needs
Find a collection of accessories including a seeing-eye dog, a hearing aid, a walker, and more, all at once. Dolls are sold separately. - A collection of stereotype-busting toys found on Toys Like Me
There are so many great options – Tinkerbell with a cochlear implant, a monkey with hearing aids, or a ‘wheelchair party’ set. - Special Friends is an Etsy shop dedicated to making friends just like your little ones. They offer many sweet baby and toddler dolls with special needs including G-Tube, NG-Tube, Down Syndrome, and more.
Books featuring kids just like them
Earlier this fall, we compiled a list of books that are inclusive of the different needs – whether physical or mental – that kids have. There are a number of books out there that encourage children to accept their peers regardless of their differences, and a number of books that simply tell stories that involve kids with all types of abilities and needs.
Kids will love seeing books with other kids that look just like them, and you can buy them for kids who don’t have any medical needs too – encouraging inclusion and acceptance.
Have you found any books that you’ve loved? Share it with us!
Custom accessories that show their personality
Medical supplies don’t have to make it harder for your child’s personality to shine through – with all of the personalized accessories you can order, let them show off their favorite colors, animals, and superhero strength with these fun accessories.
- Carry your oxygen tank in style with covers, backpack, and handbag options.
- There are a few good options here – whether you’re looking for some more ‘mature’ options, or want to give the kiddo in your life the chance to have Batman on their trach tie, there’s something for everyone!
Feeding tube stickers- Does your kiddo have a nasal feeding tube? Dress up their retention tape with some cute fish, monsters, monkeys, and more.
- Is your kiddo an athlete or animal lover? Adorn their IV pole with a clip-on decoration (or 3!) that can let their personality shine through.
- If your kiddo has a g-tube, you can skip the gauze and give them a Button Buddy to wear around their button instead – you can check out the different styles they currently have available.
- You already know what a superhero the child you’re shopping for is – let them show the rest of the world with these custom superhero capes! You pick out the color, emblem, and letter, and they ship it right to you.
Clothing to make their every day easier and comfier
When a child has medical accessories and supplies, it can be hard to find clothing that makes accessing these locations efficient when providing cares.
KozieClothes is committed to serving the unique need for stylish, fun, and therapeutic clothing and products for the Pediatric Special Needs community and makes medical clothing for children that focuses on needing to access a g-tube or utilize a pulse oximeter with socks on a breeze – making life more simple for caregivers and kids alike.
They also make sensory items including weighted blankets and vests, pocket weights, and compression clothing.
Target has also launched adaptive clothing options as a part of their Cat & Jack line. Their pieces range from tagless options to hidden features including openings around the stomach to allow abdomen access for feeding tubes and pants without back pockets for those who use a wheelchair.
Toys that make medical needs fun
Toys that encourage kids to talk about or act out medical cares can help them express their feelings while also having fun as they play with a hospital toy or use a fake stethoscope. Our clinical social worker, Monica Handlos, just got this children’s hospital set for her play therapy room!
We also love these Learning Resources pretend and play doctor’s sets that include all the pieces of equipment your child could need to play doctor with you.
Adaptive Equipment for Exploring
Firefly’s focus is on ‘special needs family participation’ and offers a range of products for kids with special needs including a mobility device, the Upsee, allowing children with mobility impairment to stand with the help of an adult or their Scooot which allows children to engage in a number of different ways including scooting, riding, crawling and pushing. Added bonus: see if their products could be covered by
your insurance.
Toys
FatBrain has a wide selection of toys. Their section specifically for special needs families features the ability to sort by medical diagnosis or developmental goals and their products are grouped by parent input and include comprehensive reviews so you find the best toy or activity to match your individual child’s needs.
Originally published: December 9, 2016
Showing 2 comments
My daughter has special needs and the whole seizure doll is very rude to be on the shelf..
Hi Sarah, sorry this list wasn’t helpful for you. Please feel free to add ideas that you and your daughter have enjoyed in the past. We’d love to grow this list for future years.