When it comes to speech therapy for toddlers, incorporating playtime and imitation into the process is not only effective but also incredibly fun. At our home, we’ve discovered that play-based speech therapy activities, games, and books have been instrumental in helping our toddler develop essential language skills. In this blog post, we’ll share some of our toddler’s all-time favorite speech therapy playtime activities, games, and books, and explain how they’ve made a significant difference in our child’s speech development journey.

Before I share our current favorites, I wanted to mention a missing link that I recently discovered when it comes to our child’s speech development. That is the key of imitation. This has been a game changer for our family! If you want to learn more about this key, head over to my YouTube channel to watch my video on Speech Therapy.

Now let’s jump into my toddler’s favorite games, activities, and books!

Puzzles with a Twist

One of the first speech therapy activities our toddler fell in love with is solving puzzles with a twist. We started with basic wooden puzzles featuring animals, shapes, and colors. As our child’s skills advanced, we introduced puzzles that required naming the objects and making simple sentences. This activity not only improved vocabulary but also enhanced problem-solving abilities. Here are our favorites!

Colorful Multiple Shape Puzzle

This is the best option for introducing toddlers to the concept of puzzles. It’s simple and not overwhelming, unlike the larger peg puzzles.

Interactive Animal Puzzle

I LOVE this puzzle for speech development because our toddler will use animal sounds while “feeding” all of the animals. It’s perfect for working on vociliztion.

Matching Eggs Game

This is another great option and a unique twist on a shape puzzle. Our toddler’s top September favorite!

Storytime with a Purpose

Storytime is a cherished part of any toddler’s day, but we took it a step further by selecting books that encourage interaction and participation. Books with repetitive phrases, vibrant illustrations, rhythming sentences, and engaging stories have been fantastic for our toddler’s speech development. We pause and ask questions, encouraging our little one to respond, which has improved comprehension and communication skills.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

This is my toddler’s #1 pick that she chooses for her bedtime routine. It has a simple rhythming text which makes it catchy, easy to memorize, and gives her the ability to interact with the story.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Another rhythming type book that includes bright and fun illustrations!

That’s not my elephant

If you’re not familiar with the Usborne That’s No My… books, then you should definitely give them a try! They are our top pick for an interactive sensory book!

Bunny Roo, I Love You 

This picture book is absolutely darling. It’s playfully sweet and It’s one of my personal mama favorites!

Sensory Play with Letters

Sensory play is not only entertaining but also highly educational for toddlers. We set up a sensory bin filled with materials like colored rice, kinetic sand, or water beads, and buried foam letters inside. Our toddler loves digging for letters, naming them, and even trying to spell simple words. This hands-on approach has made learning the alphabet a delightful experience.

Kinetic Sand

One of our favorite ways to use Kinetic Sand is by hiding little toy animals or letters in it. When our toddler goes on a “treasure hunt” to find all the different animals she will make the animals sounds as she finds them and/or the letter sounds.

Water Bead Exploration Set

Similar to the kinetic sand, we hide little things in a bin of water beads for her to discover!

Pompoms

PomPoms are another favorite multi-purpose activity! My toddler will count with them, say her colors, do crafts, etc.

Favorite Games and Activites!

Speech therapy playtime doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be an enjoyable and enriching experience for both parents and toddlers! By integrating these favorite games, activities, and books into our daily routine, we’ve witnessed remarkable progress in our child’s speech and language development. Let’s finish up with our favorite games and activities that have helped our toddler’s speech development.

Magnetic Wooden Dress-up Dolls

These dolls have probably been the #1 thing we have used that boosts early language skills. Simple words like ‘on’ and ‘off’ were mastered by using this set!

Mrs.Potato Head

This is similar to the dress up dolls. You get to practice putting things ‘on’ and taking things ‘off’.

Fashion Ballerina Doll- Minnie Mouse

Another great way to add new vocabulary through play. Dress, bows, shoes, purse, all new words our toddler learned while playing with this set!

Matching & Sorting 

This is such a fun activity that our little one LOVES! Great for beginning animal sound practice.

Fisher-Price Little People Big Yellow Bus

My toddler loves singing, so this is one of her favorite ways to bring ‘Wheels on the Bus’ into action!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of our speech therapy favorites!

Remember that every child is unique, so it’s essential to tailor these activities to your toddler’s specific needs and interests. Through the power of play, you can help your toddler unlock their full potential and embark on a fulfilling speech development journey!

You might enjoy my latest YT video!