Talk More, Play More: The Best Toys for Boosting Your Child’s Speech

Did you know that the toys your child plays with can shape their speech and language development? Research shows that traditional, open-ended toys encourage more conversation and creativity than flashy electronic ones. As a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, I’ve seen firsthand how the right toys can transform playtime into a powerful learning experience!

Here’s how you can use play to boost your child’s communication skills—one toy at a time!

1. Blocks & Building Sets 🏗️

✔️ Speech Skills: Prepositions (on, under, next to), following directions, problem-solving
✔️ How to Play:

• Give your child simple instructions: “Put the red block on top!”

• Ask questions: “What are you building?”

• Use descriptive words: “Wow, that’s a tall, blue tower!”

✨ SLP Tip: Narrate what you’re doing—this builds vocabulary and sentence structure!

2. Dolls, Action Figures & Stuffed Animals 🧸

✔️ Speech Skills: Storytelling, social interaction, emotions
✔️ How to Play:

• Have dolls “talk” to each other: “Hi! Want to play?”

• Practice emotions: “Oh no, Teddy is sad. What should we do?”

• Make up pretend stories together!

✨ SLP Tip: Encourage back-and-forth conversation—even if you’re just making silly voices!

3. Play Kitchen & Food Sets 🍎

✔️ Speech Skills: Sequencing, categories, pretend play
✔️ How to Play:

• Pretend to cook: “First, we mix. Then, we bake!”

• Sort foods into categories: “Let’s put all the fruits together!”

• Take restaurant orders to encourage longer sentences

✨ SLP Tip: Exaggerate actions and words to keep your child engaged!

4. Cars, Trains & Trucks 🚗

✔️ Speech Skills: Action words, cause-and-effect, spatial concepts
✔️ How to Play:

• Describe movements: “The car is going FAST!”

• Ask open-ended questions: “Where should the train go next?”

• Use sound effects to encourage imitation (vroom, beep beep! 🚙)

✨ SLP Tip: Use fun sound effects to help kids practice early speech sounds!

Why Open-Ended Toys Work Best! 🎉

Studies show that electronic toys (like tablets and talking toys) can actually reduce the amount of conversation between parents and kids. Instead, traditional toys encourage more interaction, creativity, and language growth!

👉 Want a curated list of the best speech-friendly toys? Check out our Toy Recommendations!

Let’s Turn Playtime Into Talk Time!