My Favorite Toys for Encouraging Language

To kick off summer, I thought I would share some of my favorite toys to encourage language in toddlers and young children. A lot of my friends and family members have started that next big phase in their lives…kids. This means I have had my far share of showers, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthday parties. I had to take a crash course at first about what parents and kids wanted, but after a few I found some things I really liked.

1. Legos

A classic. These great building blocks are great for encouraging language. They allow your child to use their imagination and share their creativity. Ask your little what they made and they will walk you through every little bit.

2. Squigz

These are like Legos but are a fun shape, use suctions cups to stick and stay, and will not feel like a porcupine if you step on one ( if you have ever stepped on a Lego you know what I mean ).  I really like these for younger children 1 to 4. They can be great for older kids too,  and the lack of sharp edges tends to be ideal. These are great to encourage language during those times when it can be a little dull, like bath time.   These guys will stick to your tub and offer lots of chances for asking questions and following directions, as well as, prompting lots of time to talk about what they are building.

3. Goldieblox

Encouraging language isn’t just for boys. These are fairly new to the market but awesome! Goldiblox is marketed towards girls ( but I have seen many a little brother getting in on the fun ) to get them interested in building and engineering. Goldiblox is the main character who encounters problems and must build her solutions. Each set comes with a story to engage kids and give them some background. This also offers for lots of language opportunities! How did they like the story? Who is their favorite character? How are they going to build the machine? And so on.

What do you like to use to encourage some chatter in youngsters?