Charlotte Speech Therapy

As the holidays approach, I am often asked by parents for ideas about what kinds of toys would be helpful for their children.  There are many new toys such as electronic learning toys and video games that are available; however, the best toys to promote your child's speech and language development are toys that encourage turn taking and interaction.  Examples of toys that encourage interaction include:

• Mr. Potato Head
• Puzzles
• Blocks
• Books
• Play sets (i.e. Fisher Price - Farm set or house set)
• Cars with toy garage
• Kitchen play set with toy foods
• Dress up clothes
• Board games

For additional ideas, Toys "R" Us makes a special catalog called the "Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids".  The catalog is available in the store by request or online.  All of the toys in the catalog are newer and popular toys that are available for purchase in the store. A great feature of the catalog is that it breaks down skills by index (e.g. Language, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Tactile, Visual, Social Skills, etc.) and specifies which skills can be addressed with a particular toy.  The catalog includes toys for different age groups and abilities.  It is a great resource for parents that want to find toys to encourage their child's development. 

Keep in mind that while there are many new toys that do lots of exciting things, it doesn't necessarily mean that those toys are the best if you want to work on your child's speech and language or other developmental skills.  If you have a question about whether a particular toy would be helpful for your child, ask a pediatric speech therapist, physical therapist or occupational therapist for input!