Top 5 Speech Therapy Toys for Toddlers
BUBBLES
Target words/phrases: Pop, Wee, Ready Set…(pause)…GO!, Wow, Open, Up, More, Bubble, Sticky
Tip: Get creative. You can “kick” the bubbles, “chase” the bubbles, or even “dance” in the bubbles! Use big, silly actions.
My favorite Non-Spill bubbles: Fubbles!
RING STACKERS
Target words: On, Off, Down, Help, Spin, Fall, Fast, Slow
Tip: Try not to focus just on the “color” of the rings. Learning colors will come in time. For now, we want kids to learn functional communication, which often means starting with location words and action words.
BOOKS
Target words: Point out objects that you see in the books, tell the people and animals in the books “hi” or “bye” as you turn the pages, say “open” and “shut”/”the end” at the beginning and end of the book
Tip: Focus on talking about the pictures instead of reading the actual words. Most toddlers won’t typically sit through an entire book, but they can learn to love books through first enjoying looking at the pictures.
Best first books: I love touch and feel books so that kids can get a tactile-auditory-visual experience!
VEHICLES
Target words/phrases: Choo Choo, Beep, Vroom, WeoWeo, Ready Set…(pause)...Go!, Boom, Fast, Slow, Crash, Push
Tip: Focus on naming the sounds the vehicles make and make it fun and silly!
Best first vehicles: These friction-powered cars drive SO smooth! Bonus points to these vehicles because my son gives some BOMB massages with these wheels.
STUFFED ANIMALS
Target words: Eat, Drink, Run, Dancing, Walk, Sleep, animal sounds (ex. neigh, moo,), singing Old McDonald
Tip: Using stuffed animals or even little action figures are PERFECT for modeling everyday functional words. Have the toys do everyday activities that your child does, such as eating, sleeping, or even having a little dance party!
Use any stuffed animal or action figure that your child loves. I love using hand puppets!
REMEMBER: YOU are the best “toy”. Literally nothing can replace the magic that your child will feel when you interact with them in a fun and silly way. These are just a few toys that I have found the majority of kids I work with, and my own two-year old son, absolutely love!
