It’s the holidays and that means time for toy-buying. Something to consider is that the right toys can be a wonderful tool to help enrich a child’s language. As any parent can attest, a child’s skills change a lot during the preschool years. But no matter what his skill level, here are some classics that will both entertain and educate.
1. Reduce the batteries, increase the imagination! Some of the best toys for preschoolers are “open-ended,” such as blocks. For a three year-old, a set of blocks might be built into simple towers, but for a five year-old, these same blocks can become whole cities! Two of the best block sets that kids will play with for years are the large cardboard “bricks” by Melissa & Doug or the simple wooden blocks by Melissa & Doug.
2. It’s all about the drama: Dramatic play usually takes center-stage during the preschool years. By three years old, children start to put several steps of a dramatic play sequence together, and by five years old, they are able to plan and act out multi-step sequences with various characters. Dramatic play often includes a dress-up element and/or pretend items that represent something in real life. Some classic examples would be play food and a chef’s uniform or a cash register. Another example would be a babydoll set that includes a bottle and some other pretend baby items.
3. Little figures for big imaginations: Around three years-old, most children will start using little figures to create imaginary stories in their minds. Similar to dramatic play, three year-olds may have these figures start out with simple play sequences, while five year-olds may have a multi-step sequence with various figures playing out different actions. One classic example is a farm set. Some current sets rely on batteries to make the animal sounds. Remember to reduce the batteries and increase the imagination. It’s better for your child’s language development to let your child use his own voice to create his own animal sounds.
4. Puppet masters: Puppets, like little figures, give children a chance to increase their story-telling abilities. Three year-olds may manipulate puppets to say simple sentences and stories, while five year-olds may put together elaborate multi-sequence “plays” for family and friends to enjoy.
5. Little Van Goghs: Art supplies are a classic staple for children. Many children will enjoy making pictures or clay creations and then showing these masterpieces to family. During the big reveal is the perfect opportunity for your child to use his language skills to explain his inspiration. Three year olds creations will be simple and explanations short, while five year olds may have more elaborate creations with more elaborate explanations. Two classic suggestions include the no mess dot art and some mess play doh.
6. Come to your senses: Many children enjoy playing with sensory based activities. Water toys can be used in the bath while kinetic sand is the least messy and most sticky sand you can buy. While playing with these, children can be easily prompted to use descriptive language. One key tip is to remember that as preschoolers’ language and play abilities increase, they start to use more toys together. For example, a farm set may be used in kinetic sand to create “sticky mud” for the farm animals.
7. Ready, Set, Read! Books are a wonderful way to help enrich language. Reading some new and engaging stories together creates an opportunity to reinforce basic language knowledge and introduce new concepts.
Happy Shopping!
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