LITTLE SPEECH LIFE

EARLY EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE!

The amount of toys I have saved on Amazon is ENDLESS! Making a top 5 list was HARD! However, this is only the beginning!

Today’s TOP 5 will be for early expressive language!

The number one thing I like to keep in mind for toys in this group is…OPEN ENDED!

You are modeling so many things during this time (think 0-3) including, COLORS, NUMBERS, CATEGORIES, PREPOSITIONS, WH QUESTIONS, CORE VOCABULARY, VERBS, SEQUENCING, NARRATIVE LANGUAGE AND IMAGINATIVE PLAY!

THEREFORE, you need toys that are FLEXIBLE!

When you have open ended toys, such as the ones below, you or the child creates the narrative. It allows room for imagination! The majority of the time, I don’t actually use the toys as they are intended because, let’s be honest, rote, literal play is not always the most fun and fizzles out quickly.

Additionally, kids are CREATIVE! Follow that! Follow their lead and keep them interested by adding a plot twist, new vocabulary, toy animals, and big sound effects; better yet, combine some of these toys together! Make the trains park in the car garages! Pop the bubbles with the trains! Add animals to the train set like they are going to the zoo! Put the trains or cars in the clinic as if they are at the mechanic! The opportunities are endless! Let the kiddo play as they may and FOLLOW THEIR LEAD while modeling language throughout; CAR IN, BLUE CAR, TRAIN IS FAST, TRAIN IS SLOW etc.

So…without further ado, here are my top 5 favorite open ended toys (with similar options) that I use every single day. 🙂

*Affiliate Links Provided.

1. Duplos/legos
   • https://amzn.to/4bbJ2qs
   • https://amzn.to/3UgVvCf
   • https://amzn.to/3UltnOm
2. Critter Clinic
   • https://amzn.to/3xVbM8B
   • https://amzn.to/44j3Cmq
   • https://amzn.to/3JEvFDk
3. Car Garages
   • https://amzn.to/3UCNIQT
   • https://amzn.to/3JDgISc
   • https://amzn.to/3UA0QGh
4. Train Set
   • https://amzn.to/4aUcNMP
   • https://amzn.to/4aYwva7
   • https://amzn.to/44j3Cmq
5. Magnetiles/Bristle Blocks
   • https://amzn.to/3Qp4ccO
   • https://amzn.to/4aRIXIR
   • https://amzn.to/4dgnWca

BONUS: BUBBLES! Bubbles are amazing for working on opposites BIG/LITTLE, and UP/DOWN. They also assist with modeling for early speech such as B, P, M, T, D in words such as BUBBLE, POP, BIG, TINY, DOWN, MORE. But the best of all is CONNECTION! They are interactive, fun, exciting, and support sensory needs! My favorites are FUBBLES (linked)! They are no spill, so the kids can use them too and you can work on turn taking skills as well!