There are three toy sets used for the ESI.  Each of these toy sets are to be presented one at a time for two minutes.

Toys were screened and selected based on their ability to engage children’s interest and evoke interactions with peers and adults. Additionally important criteria for selecting these toys included safety, common availability in child care settings, and suitability for use by children six months to 3.5 years. Additionally, we rejected toys that met these criteria, but too often evoked sitting and exploration rather than play and interaction.

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Toy Set #1:  Books

There should be 3 or 4 books presented that children can pick from to explore and look at during the ESI assessment.  These books should have more pictures than words and provide children the opportunity to interact with the play partner.  The play partner should not read the books to the children word for word, but rather use the books as a way to encourage social interaction and conversation.

Toy Set #2:  Blocks and Balls

The blocks can be purchased in bulk with 40-130 foam rubber blocks or various sizes, colors, and shapes.  Using these blocks, children can build structures with they can then knock down with a ball (purchased separately), or other block.

Add at least 3 balls of similar size (small) to the blocks.  Ensure that the balls can be easily cleaned with antiseptic wipes and that they are large enough to avoid a choking hazard.

These toys can be a great way encourage social interaction between adults and peers with building blocks and throwing the balls.

Toy Set #3:  Bubbles

The bubbles can be purchased easily from many stores or through a link (see below).  The bubbles do not need to be any special type or size of bottle.

See the ESI administration instructions (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) for additional information, including recommendations on how to use these toys during an observation and modify them for children with sensory impairments.

ESI Toy Purchasing Information

All of these toys can be purchased at online stores such as Amazon. The tables below contain links to the toys in various online stores. Alternatively, you may go to one of the online stores listed in the table below and type the name of the toy into the store’s “search” field. While other stores may also sell these toys, these were the most popular stores that had them in stock as of our last check. If you have problems finding them at the stores listed, search for them via Google or via Shopping.com by typing the toy’s name into the website’s search fields.

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