Speech-language pathologists are frequently asked for toy recommendations. As professionals, we often think about what we can do with the toy, not what the toy can actually do.
You might have asked, or be asking – how does a toy receive a SLP’s stamp of approval? Today we are sharing just that! Read further to learn the 5 things an SLP looks for when recommending a toy:
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1.) Bye to Batteries
This may be number one in any SLP toy criteria book! Often, battery operated toys do not encourage cognitive, speech, or language development in the same way that non-battery-operated toys do. Toys should foster active play and typically we find toys without batteries encourage these skills. For example, without batteries, the child is having to make the sound themselves. This leads to more experiences with vocal and sound play. For example, a doll house does not need to make sounds for the doorbell, the sink, etc. We want the child to make the noises, not the toy!
There are certainly toy exceptions. Your child may have a highly-preferred battery-operated toy, and this is okay! Overall, consider reducing the number of battery-operated toys or simply try the toy without the batteries.
Here are some non-battery-operated toys we love:
Doll House
Service Station Parking Garage
Farm House
1) Consider colors
Understanding color is essential to your little one’s development. It is known that color impacts mood, learning and behavior. While high-contrast black-and-white toys are best for babies’ eyesight development, exposure to colors is critical for children. Understanding color aids in cognitive development, specifically visual perception, which is an important pre-reading skill.
*While we emphasize the importance of color, be mindful of visually overwhelming a child. At times, toys can be overstimulating (there can be many colors, noises, different sizes, and pieces to toys) leading to more distraction or negative play experiences. One way to reduce this is to have a limited amount of toys out at once.*
Blocks
SpinAgain
Squiggs
3) Open-ended
Toys should foster imagination! Children should be encouraged to participate in pretend play and imaginative play. This means, there is no beginning and end to a toy. For example, Magnatiles can turn into a castle or playdough mounds can be made into cookies! There is no “right” way to play with these items- just simply learning through play. The child is free to create their own thoughts around the toy and use it in endless play schemas.
Below are some open-ended toy items we recommend:
Play Doh
Magna-Tiles
Silicone Stacking Rainbow
4) Durable and Movement Based
This is a must! Research shows that movement and sensory-based activities (involves any of the senses, such as touch or smell) help overall brain function. Movement has shown to help attention, mood, memory, and cognitive processing speed. In addition to all the brain benefits, kids play hard and generally enjoy movement, so our toys should match that!
Musical instrument
Tunnel
Kinetic Sand
5) Skip “Educational” Marketed Toys
There is a big push for “Educational” toys. These toys often reinforce learning letters, numbers, and colors at very, very young ages. While these toys can be fun, be mindful that not all of your child’s toys focus on the memorization of these skills. For example, if your child loves colors, incorporate them into the play routine. You can reinforce colors while providing multiple experiences during play, rather than a structured toy that only focuses on this skill. Some ways to do this could be:
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When playing with pretend food, have your child take your “order”, such as, “I’ll have a red apple and green grapes, please.”
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Describe items when building Mr. Potato head, such as, “Yours has a red hat and mine has a blue hat!”
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Get their baby doll dressed for the day. Ask your child, “Does your baby want a pink shirt or a green shirt?”
Below are some toys focused on play, rather than educational skills:
Baby Doll
Mr. Potato Head
Play kitchen with pretend food
Remember, learning through play is what it’s all about. While we have a list of “criteria” for toys, it is the interactions that happen during play that matter most. This is where the magic happens!
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