Sensory Seekers Love Loud Toys!
My blind grandson LOVES loud toys. When I say LOUD, I mean loud. When it comes to music and noise he is definitely a sensory seeker.
Patrick has been completely blind since birth and he has other special needs, but that boy loves electronic toys that make sound, especially music.
He has never been interested in noise makers like play musical instruments or rainmakers. Maybe that don’t make enough noise.
Dog Guitar
His favorite toy that plays music is the B. Toys Interactive Dog Guitar – Woofer. 
It is definitely his loudest toy!
He is mostly non-verbal, but when he asks for “guitar” everyone in the family knows exactly what he wants, and we’re prepared to listen to loud silly songs for hours on end.
The guitar has a volume control, but he likes it on high. It plays twenty fun kids’ songs, but his favorite is “This Old Man”. It also plays nine silly dog songs that “Woof” to the tune. There is also a cool electric mode, but he seems like prefer the classic sound.
On a scale of one to ten for loud toys for sensory seekers, this Dog Guitar is an ELEVEN.
It was a sad day a few years ago when “guitar” stopped working. Fortunately, after posting on Facebook, my brother found one at Target, and a friend gave us a hand-me-down. Now we have one at my house too.
Buy a Kids Karaoke Machine
This could be a fun toy for the whole family. Patrick went through two Singing Machine SML625BTBK Bluetooth Karaoke Machines. He listened to music and stories on the CD player.
My daughter had to hide the microphone though. Even though he is non verbal, he likes to sing, but the volume was THROUGH THE ROOF. Like I said before, it didn’t take him long to find the volume button and he wanted it on HIGH, all the time.
Leap Frog Radio
For a small toy, this is pretty loud for someone who is seeking sensory input. It has a 2 level volume control, but even the smallest fingers can move the button easily.
It has an English and Spanish version with “pages” that flip. When the pages are flipped it makes a cool noise. Sometimes Patrick will flip the pages repeatedly just to hear that noise.
When you push the buttons, it sings a song and says the word that’s on the picture. The compact size and handle make it great for taking with you when you’re on the go.
Leap Frog Touch Magic
This toy sings, talks, and plays musical instruments when you tap the surface. It asks 
questions about which instruments are playing and you hit the one that you hear.
Since my grandson is blind, he just hits the top to make it talk. He thinks it’s hilarious. Silly boy! The Learning Bus by Leap Frog is very similar.
If I had to rate this toy just on noise level, it’s not too bad. When you add it to the mix of three or four other toys playing at the same time, it has some odd sounds.
VTech Teaching Turtle
Interactive toys are so much fun for Patrick. He loves to push ALL THE BUTTONS over and over and over and over! He doesn’t wait for it to stop talking before he hits another button or spins a wheel to make new noises.
All of VTech’s toys are great and come with a volume adjustment. Patrick can’t brush his teeth by himself, but he can figure out how to turn up the volume on a new toy in 30 seconds FLAT!
The VTech Teaching Turtle has 4 modes including Spanish. The counting buttons go to 20 and light up. The wheels spin to teach colors and musical instruments.
It amazes me the toys that keep Patrick’s attention. We have tons of electronic toys. Some were gifts, some are hand me downs, and some are thrift store bargains. He will often play with a toy for a few hours or a day, and then lose interest. Buy he has some toys that he has asked for every day for years.
Electronics for Playing Games and Music
Patrick has a Kids Edition Kindle Fire that he uses for listening to music and audio books. 
The soft sturdy case makes it durable for kids to use, and he hasn’t figure out how to work the volume control yet.
He also has an old iPhone that was my daughter’s. She set it up with iTunes and Audible. His play list has a wide variety of music. He LOVES Back Street Boys, but he also enjoys Bobby Darrin and Missy Elliott.
On Audible he likes The Magic Treehouse and Beezus and Ramona.
There’s no cell service hooked to the phone. He only needs WIFI. He hasn’t figured out how to adjust the volume on it yet, and you will often see it pressed to his ear so it’s as louder.
Choosing Toys For Sensory Seekers
A few things to keep in mind when choose loud toys for sensory seekers. For kids who need other types of sensory input, Mama OT has compiled a list of more sensory toys.
- Stock up on batteries! Some musical toys take as many as 8 batteries at a time. A favorite toy with dead batteries can cause a meltdown.
- Loud toys cause headaches. Whew! Our family has learned to tune out the noise for the most part, but there are times when you can’t take any more drum sounds, woofing dogs, or counting to 20. I hate to take toys away from Patrick, because I don’t want him to think he’s being punished. Sometimes, he doesn’t mind moving to another room. Sitting outside with loud toys is a great option too. Toys don’t seem near as loud when you’re in the great outdoors.
- If your child has a favorite noise maker, you might want to invest in a back up. It’s so sad when toys stop working, and you can’t find a replacement.
Buy Loud Toys For Gifts
Yes, loud toys can be annoying, but to a sensory seeker it is soothing. It’s hard for us to understand, because the sound of a blender, mixer, or drill can cause a melt down, but three loud toys playing at the same time make them happy.
You might also be interested in these posts:
Disciplining Special Needs Kids
Taking A Break From Your Special Needs Kids
Why You Need A Special Needs Tribe
