The holiday season is upon us! If you’re a parent in need of gift ideas for your little one, read on because we’ve got you covered. The toy and product suggestions listed below have been carefully selected for their ability to target important developmental skills. When used effectively, and in partnership with your speech therapist, these toys can be a great way to help your child meet their developmental milestones.
Infants
- Teethers – Teethers not only can provide pain relief while babies are growing teeth, but they can also help to develop jaw strength, can encourage babies to learn how to chew, and help with oral motor skill development.
- High Contrast Books – Books provide repeated and predictable exposure to words, helping babies learn the rhythm of language and associate meaning to pictures. Listening to stories activates the areas of the baby’s brain responsible for language processing and can prepare them to learn new words and concepts. We particularly love high-contrast books for infants because they aid in the development of the visual system and promote brain growth.
- Rattles – Rattles help babies with early communication skills by facilitating interaction with caregivers through turn-taking and join attention. The baby watches his caregivers shake the rattle, and then through imitation will learn how to complete the action. Not only does this encourage early developing social skills, but also helps them understand cause and effect (I shake the rattle and it makes a sound), provides auditory stimulation to practice listening skills, and allows them to practice object-sound association.
Older Babies & Young Toddlers
- Piggy Bank Toy: We love this toy to work on requesting, imitating actions, imitating animal noises and labeling/teaching body parts (eyes, nose, mouth).
- Puzzles: Puzzles are a fun way to strengthen cognitive skills and facilitate language development! Not only do they introduce new vocabulary, but they also encourage problem-solving, can help with following directions, and can work on matching skills. We particularly love the puzzle that is linked as it has sound input that encourages kids to listen to and use some early developing sounds.
- Interactive Books: Interactive books are a fun way to get your child involved in reading! Not only do they allow opportunities for participation, but they predictable themes that help your child understand language and anticipate sequences. This book is great for targeting commonly used words like “open” and “more” and can be expanded to introduce descriptive words and prepositions!
- Ball Drop – These are great for learning cause and effect, learning new action words (hit, push, go) and practicing predictable verbal routines (ready, set, go!). It’s also a great opportunity to use exclamatory words such as boom, wow, uh-oh, and yay!
- Melissa and Doug Stacking Blocks – We love this toy for so many reasons!! Not only do the work on improving fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and perseverance, but these blocks in particular can help kids practice color matching, number recognition, and understanding of prepositions (on top, in, out).
Older Toddlers
- Balloon pump toy – This toy supports a range of strategies to build communication skills. It allows for the use of verbal routines like “Ready, set, go!”, “Put it on,” and “Take it off,” which help establish predictable language patterns. It’s also fantastic for introducing and expanding vocabulary, with words like pump, on/off, up, fly, fast/slow, big/small, and even colors. You can also use it when targeting following directions or to encourage turn-taking, which is important for developing social skills! Just make sure to supervise your child around the little balloons.
- Animal Surprise Boxes – This toy is a great tool for language development as it encourages the use of gestures and actions—such as knocking on the door, feeding the animals, or putting them to sleep—which helps children connect language with movement. It’s also ideal for incorporating songs and fingerplay that highlight animal names and sounds. You can model verbs and action words like knock, feed, sleep, open, close, hi, and bye, while expanding vocabulary with animal names, sounds, and objects.
- Pretend Play Food Toys – Pretend play food toys provide opportunities for children to engage in imaginative play, which can help them practice and develop their communication skills. It gives toddlers opportunities to use language to narrate their actions, describe the food they are “cooking” or “serving,” and interact with pretend customers or fellow playmates. Additionally, pretend play food toys can help children expand their vocabulary as they learn the names of different foods, kitchen tools, and cooking techniques.
- What Do Animals Eat For Food? Book – We love to use this adorable book with our toddlers. Not only does it introduce new vocabulary and follow a repetitive structure that encourages children to predict and anticipate the sequence, but it also encourages children to try new foods! Exploring these themes away from the table can help children to have an open-mindedness when it comes to mealtimes.
- Magnetic Mix and Match Animals – This toy encourages problem-solving, matching, and creative thinking. Your child can use the pieces to make 4 different animals or can create their own creature. It’s a great way to learn about different parts, practice following directions, and work on understanding spatial and size concepts.
- Baby Doll – Baby dolls are one of our favorite ways to encourage children to use their imagination and create stories about caring and interaction with the doll. They can practice their language skills, practice perspective-taking, and work on functional vocabulary related to their everyday life (feeding, changing, bathing, etc.)!
For suggestions on creative ways to use these toys with your baby or toddler, consult with your pediatric speech therapist or reach out to us to see how we can help.
