As SLPs we are often asked “what kinds of toys should I buy for my child?“. Thankfully, we are experts in play and how language, speech, communication, and cognition can be incorporated into play. Here are some suggestions for points to ponder when looking to buy toys for your child(ren).
1. What could I talk about with my child while we play with this toy/game? If you can’t come up with many things, it may not be the best.
2. Does this encourage pretend play? Blocks can be built into houses and cities, a toy vacuum can be used to pretend you are cleaning house, a doctors kit is also great to have to work on pretend play.
3. Does playing with this toy encourage or discourage me sitting beside my child and talking? Some toys these days have SO many lights and sounds that it may be overwhelming for children. While those toys can seem entertaining, the great thing about less flashy toys is that you can guide the language of the play.
4. Will this toy/game be able to grow with my child and their development? Obviously the same toys that a child uses at 14 months may not be of interest to him at 8 years old, but check out this example. A simple memory game can be great for young children learning vocabulary to look at and label pictures. As the child grows they can learn to play memory from a small moving to larger set. Then they can use the same pictures to sort into categories. See? The opportunities are endless and suddenly one toy becomes so purposeful and has many uses.
Here are some great sights for toy shopping. Don’t forget to check out the Amazon store on our home page with some of our favorite toys. www.jonesslp.com
