We are back for our second gift guide of the series! Today’s gift guide focuses on recommendations for 1-2 year olds, a period that is filled with language growth! Around one, babies may have a couple of words. By 2, toddlers have about 200-1,000 words and have started to combine words together.
What a fun time in development! The gifts below include items that include cognitive, expressive and receptive language, gross, and fine motor skills. A brief description, including target vocabulary words or ways to encourage language skills, are listed below the link.
The following includes OWLS Therapy Amazon Affiliate links.
SLIDE
A slide is a fun way to incorporate movement into play. You can encourage verbal routines throughout the play, such as “1,2,3” or “ready, set, go!”
Coin Pig
A crowd favorite! Toddlers love putting the coins “in”, taking them “out”, putting music “on” and turning the pig “off”. While the pig does have a music function, the batteries can easily be removed, and it can used without music, too!
BUBBLES
Bubbles are a fun, no technology toy. They are very engaging and offer a variety of language opportunities, such as asking for help or directing for bubbles to be blown up or down. A great stocking stuffer!
MUSHIE
Perfect on-the-go snack container. The Mushie provides some independence while making it easy and mess-free for toddlers.
Tunnel
Tunnels offer great interactive play opportunities, such as hide-and-go seek! They engage the vestibular system and encourage gross motor skills. Plus, they’re easy to clean and put away until next time!
ANIMAL SWITCH GAME
This toy can be used for expressive and receptive language! Ask, “where’s the ____?” and encourage a point to the animal or telling the animal’s name. A toddler can express a variety of things with this toy, such as what button they’d like to activate or imitate a silly animal sound.
BALL PUSHER
This is a great puzzle for matching skills and early identification of common animals. The knobs make it easy for little ones’ emerging hand-eye coordination and gross and fine motor development!
Car Toy Track
Another toy to encourage verbal routines, such as “ready, set, go”, and loaded with action words (stop, go, push, crash). Great for cognitive development, fine motor skills and play skills.
Spin Again
A favorite and so engaging with different sizes, shapes and colors! This toy is loaded with core words, like: “stop”, “go”, “down”, “up”, “help”, “on” and so much more!
Stacking cups- Tobbles Neo
Stacking cups encourage fine motor and executive functioning skills. These cups create language opportunities to ask for help or for turn taking with other communication partners. They provide a tactile experience and can easily be wiped and sterilized.
BABY DOLLS
The perfect gift for pretend play! Dolls can help teach self-help skills, body parts, and following directions. Pick a doll without batteries and let the toddler do the talking!
Music Toy
Music can be used to sing songs and nursery rhymes, encourage imitation skills, sensory breaks, and more!
About the Author
Janene Besch
Director/Speech-Language Pathologist
Janene Besch, née Martin, holds a Master’s degree in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from San Diego State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego. Janene is a member of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology
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