In a Land of More, More, More…
With the holiday season upon us, how do we think about toys and language development? Can research help inform our purchases?
The holiday season is upon us! And that means, it’s shopping season. How many of us are running to Target post-bedtime or staying up late into the night on Amazon, trying to find those PERFECT presents for the little ones (and adults!) in your lives? We get it. We’re raising our hands right there with you too.
But in a land of more more more, we’re hoping to help decrease your stress (and susceptibility to marketing tactics!…gulp) this holiday season with some research-backed strategies to think about when toy shopping.
The amazing folks at The Informed SLP took the time to look into this topic and we want to share it with you! I wonder how much of it will surprise you?
Well, what does the research say?
Having fewer toys available at a time is associated with more joint engagement between the parent and child. Rather than buying more and more toys, consider rotating toys and having fewer out at once.
Toys that are less visually “busy” seem to encourage parents to use more specific vocabulary (such as object names instead of general words like “this, that”)
Traditional toys facilitate better quantity and quality of language input compared to electronic toys.
Electronic toys were associated with decreases in conversational turns, adult responsivity, and content-specific words during play sessions with typically developing children. Children also vocalized less during play with electronic toys.
Parents of autistic children talked less and had less lexical diversity with electronic toys versus traditional toys.
Both autistic and non-autistic children talked significantly less and used fewer different words when playing with electronic toys compared to traditional toys.
Wait, you’re speech-language pathologists. Don’t you love toys?!
Yes! We sure do! BUT, we want to remind you that they are USEFUL TOOLS for creating connection, engagement, and language modeling. They’re a helpful piece to the puzzle, not the whole party.
As The Informed SLP says, “the best toy is one that gives you lots to do and talk about, but doesn’t steal the spotlight.”
Now, how do we take this research-backed knowledge with us to Target or Amazon (or hopefully your local bookshops and toystores!)
Here are some questions to ask yourselves while shopping:
Do I need a toy? There are many other activities besides toy play that are great for language development! Consider how gross motor activities, daily routines, books, and outings (zoo, library, etc.) offer excellent opportunities for supporting language.
Outings and experiences can also make great gifts in lieu of toys!
What’s already around the house that could be used as a toy? Many household objects can serve as excellent toys if you get creative (e.g. salad spinners, cardboard boxes, sock puppets, pots and pans).
What purpose are you hoping for this toy to fulfill? Is it to keep your child occupied while you make dinner? Is it to encourage problem-solving skills? Is it to support language development? Toys can serve different, valid purposes, and that will affect what you’re looking for.
What types of things can you say and do while playing with this toy? All toys are not created equal in this regard. Take a moment to consider what you could name and what actions you could do with the toy. The more vocabulary and sentences you can model with the toy, the better it is for language, broadly. Consider these examples:
Fidget spinner toy (few labels, few actions)
Animal puzzle (many labels, just a few actions)
Farm set (many labels, many actions)
Will this be fun for my child at their current developmental level? That farm set may be amazing for modeling lots of language, but if the child is mainly engaged in cause and effect or combination play, it may be a non-starter. That being said, there often may be ways to play with toys at a variety of different play levels with some creativity.
Will it steal the show? The most important ingredient for language learning is an attuned communication partner who is modeling and expanding on the child’s communication. Make sure that whatever toy you use, the interaction between you and your child is center stage. And the best hack of all? Just don’t put in the batteries!
And if you love these ideas, but fall prey to glorious marketing strategies, take this amazing infographic that The Informed SLP made shopping with you so you don’t forget :)
If you go through this list and still want to buy something for those little loves in your life, GREAT! We have just the list(s) for you:
Not only does each item on this list check all of the Informed SLP’s boxes, they can all be played with in a variety of ways, for a variety of developmental levels, are non-electronic, and include fine- and gross-motor play.
AND: each toy on our Gift Guide and each book on our Book Gift Guide comes with a little manual for how to play with it, what language strategies to use, and what words to model.
