Ho-ho-ho! Santa is packing up his bag with a few of my favorite toys to promote language development. Read on for some ideas and to find out how I use my favorite toys in therapy:
- Sprogs Felt Boards: Great for story telling and problem solving. The many felt pieces can be hard to manage for a small child, so consider hot glueing the accessories on to make it more manageable for small children. This toy comes in a set of four on Amazon, for endless fun in different scenarios.
- Hedbanz: Perfect for working on categorization and descriptive language in a fun and engaging way.
- Mastermind Kids: Can you break the code? Help your kids learn reasoning skills through the use of “if/then” language while playing.
- Never Forget a Face Matching Game: This twist on classic memory is filled with beautiful images of people from around the world. Introduce new vocabulary to children and teach planning and strategy during this fun game. The cards are very well made and durable.
- SET: This challenging game works on cognitive flexibility by identifying different ways that cards can be grouped in to a “set.” This game offers beginner and more challenging rules, so you can play with the whole family. Have your child explain similarities and differences in items within a “set” to work on language skills while playing.
There are so many ways to improve language within play-based activities. If you see me playing a game with your child in therapy, please ask me the purpose of the game. I’d love to show you how I am incorporating your child’s goals without them even knowing they are working!
I’m hoping that Santa brings me some new games that I can share with all of my clients in the New Year!
