The holiday season is here and parents may be wondering which toys they can buy for their child that also support their development. The best toys to support your child’s speech and language development are traditional, timeless toys that do not make noises or talk for your child. When a toy talks to a child, parents talk less, which causes the child to be less engaged and therefore vocalize less. Ditching the batteries and getting back to the basics is key. Less is more when it comes to choosing toys that are developmentally appropriate for your child.
Here is a list of non-tech toys that are favorites amongst speech-language pathologists to boost a child’s communication and social interaction:
Traditional, timeless toys
Traditional toys are open-ended and can be used in a variety of ways to increase communication, social interactions, and play skills.
Simple, turn-taking games
Simple, turn-taking games teach children how to engage in back-and-forth interactions with others.
Books
Reading to your children is essential for developing early literacy skills and vocabulary.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Cause-and-effect toys
Cause-and-effect toys are great for beginning communicators to get them involved and engaged. The cool effects will get your child asking for “more”!
Building blocks and puzzles
Building blocks and puzzles develop early problem-solving skills. Label items in puzzles to increase your child’s vocabulary.
Blue Bird Day—the first therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program in the nation—fosters socialization, sensory regulation, and pre-academic learning in children ages 2-7 years. Our compassionate therapists practice a relationship-based and family-centered approach, provide parent training, and collaborate on goals and individualized intensive treatment plans for your child.
We believe in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary team approach to therapy. A team of occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, developmental therapists, behavioral therapists, physical therapists, and therapeutic assistants are created for each child to ensure child and family are fully supported and the best possible results are achieved.
Options for individualized, group and virtual therapy sessions are available as well.
Want to learn more or you have a specific question? Feel free to connect with us here!
