Toy Guide 2022

Christmas is coming! In our house, that means Grandpa, Nana and Papa, aunts and uncles, cousins and, of course, Santa ;) needs gift ideas for our kids. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I’m somewhat picky about the toys and activities that we have at our house….because not all toys are created equal! We asked all of the therapists at our clinic for their top recommendations for toys for various age groups. As you will see below, we all have different favorite toys! However, the one thing that is consistent among all of the toys…no batteries (because the more the toy does, the less your child is required to do)! Does this mean that we don’t have any toys with batteries in our home? Of course not - however, when given the option or an alternative that doesn’t have batteries, you bet this Mama will always go with that one! (Magically some of our toys that start with batteries that of course eventually die, end up not getting replacement batteries….and my kids still have just as much fun, they just end up using their imagination or communicating more when using it!)

Ages 1-3 years: bubbles, peek-a-boo games (e.g., farm blocks and animals, Learning Resources peek-a-boo farm), Mr. Potato Head, pretend farm, cork blocks, piggy bank, baby doll, car ramp, cause and effect toys (e.g., pop-up pals, stacking cups), balls

Ages 3-5 years: baby dolls, play kitchen, toy cars, puzzles, critter cottage, kinetic sand, car ramp, playdough, hammer and balls toy, hide and seek toys (e.g., Critter Clinic), toys that focus on developing pretend play skills (e.g., baby dolls and crib/food, stuffed animals and vet set, pretend doctor set), dress up clothes/costumes, wooden blocks

Ages 5-7 years: games (Uno, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game, Avocado Smash, Pop the Pig, Jumping Jack, Headbanz), Legos, imaginative play, Melissa and Doug ice cream scooping set, Nugget play couch (there are also cheaper knockoff versions), kids charades game

Ages 7-9: board games (e.g., Life, Ticket to Ride, Pictionary, Clue), Jenga, Headbanz, marble run, Crocodile Dentist, slime, Magnatiles, Legos, Nugget play couch

(Side note: Books are ALWAYS a top choices for us too for every age!)

Not all of our kids like the same toys, and that’s okay! However, my 3 kids who are veeeery different in their likes and personalities, almost *almost* choose to play with the toys in our house that involve building (legos, Nugget Pillows, wooden blocks), imaginative play, and movement!

If you have any questions about your child’s feeding, speech, language, social, fluency or social skills, feel free to reach out to co-owners Liz or Kate *any time* with questions! We are always happy to share our knowledge and offer our professional advice. (314-312-3268 or speechspotstl@gmail.com).