Let’s talk toys. When it comes to shopping for toys or owning toys in your home if you have children, there are tons of choices out there. As a mom, there are toys I have loved for my children and some I have noticed are not so great. Additionally, I am always consulting with parents about toys and activities that promote language development. So I thought I would go ahead and share some of the toys I love as a mom and a speech-language pathologist.

First of all, I’m not going to get too technical about child development. This post is really just scratching the surface. If you have concerns that your child may be behind in his/her communication skills, be sure to refer your child for early intervention services (under 3) or special education services (3 years +) and/or talk to your pediatrician.

This is just a list of toys I have come across whether I purchased them myself, they were gifted to us, or they were hand-me-downs. I’m sure there are so many others that I don’t know about. And this is just my personal opinion. If you have suggestions, please leave a comment! I’ll let you know ahead of time, this post mentions toys by Melissa and Doug a lot. This is not sponsored by them. I just think they have the best toys.

In this post, I’d like to make some toy suggestions from birth to 5 years old and discuss some strategies for how to play with your child.

The post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Traditional Toys versus Electronic Toys

Before I make toy suggestions, I might mention toys to maybe avoid (pictured below). I’m referring to electronic toys where you might hit a button and a robotic voice talks about colors, numbers, shapes, etc. While I don’t think these toys do any harm, I just question if the child is really learning and if they are the best choice.

Picture was taken at Centsible Moms Consignment Sale in Fayette County, PA, a great place to find deals on toys.

There is research out there indicating traditional toys support language development more than electronic toys. We definitely own some toys with batteries. But I’ll admit batteries annoy me at times and they can be expensive.

Plus, I’m more concerned if a child can communicate basic needs (e.g. “I want milk”) before they can recite some academic skills (colors, shapes, letters, etc.) that they will learn later.

No Tech Travel Toys for Toddlers

First, I have an entirely separate post called No Tech Travel Toys for Toddlers where I list toys that really come in handy during travel. I’m not opposed to technology. I just try some no-tech options before I immediately opt for screentime. Plus let’s face it, sometimes batteries run out or there’s no wifi. It’s always good to be prepared!

Children’s Books With Exclamatory Words

I also have a separate post about Children’s Books with Exclamatory Words (e.g. yay, whee, vroom, baa, etc.). Children might imitate or produce exclamatory words or sounds before other kinds of words (e.g. moo before cow). In this separate post, I listed books that feature exclamatory words.

Baby Toys

Now starting with the beginning of life, I’m not going to list a ton of baby toys here. I’d probably recommend toys babies can safely explore with their hands and mouths safely (e.g. rattles and teether toys). Don’t forget you can be the toy too by smiling and making silly noises and faces and playing games like clapping and peek-a-boo. Early on, the goal is for the child to be interested, attentive, and responsive to their surroundings.

Cause-and-Effect Toys

In my practice as a speech-language pathologist, I typically start with cause-and-effect toys and activities initially. Learning cause and effect helps a child understand that his/her actions can cause something to happen (e.g. when a child pushes over a stack of blocks, it falls over). This kind of play helps develop important skills for communication that might come before they actually say words, skills like attending to a task, and joint attention. In terms of language development, we might see some vocalizations and babbling which is great. A side note, I think cause-and-effect toys are good gifts for a baby’s first birthday.

I have introduced cause-and-effect toys and play at a few months old and typically a child can demonstrate an understanding of cause and effect by 18 months of age. But, I also suggest starting with cause-and-effect toys and play for children who are demonstrating delays and/or maybe having trouble playing with playing appropriately with toys and following directions, even if a child is 2-3+ years of age.

Before I list some of my favorite cause-and-effect toys, I’d like to share that you may not need a toy. You might be able to use simple actions or use items around the house. For example, tap a wooden spoon on some Tupperware, playfully open and close a door, turn the lights on and off, send a ball down the stairs, etc.

Tips to Build Communication Skills in Play

I learned a lot of these strategies from Laura Mize with teachmetotalk.com. This is a great resource to check out if you want to learn more.

  • Model clear and simple language with repetition. Use repetition by playing with the toy or performing an action over and over (as long as the child is attending) and model very simple language (e.g. “ball, ball, ball go!” versus “hey look over here the ball is going down”).
  • Check in for comprehension. Before we can expect a child use words, they have to understand the words first. Throughout play, be sure to check in for understanding by having a child retrieve, show you, or point to a named item (e.g. get ball, where’s car).
  • Begin to offer choices. See if the child can look at two items presented at a choice (e.g. ball or car?). Can the child scan both items and make a selection by reaching, pointing, or imitating a sound or word? Offering choices is a great habit to get into to promote imitation of words and to even maybe help with meltdowns, giving the child some say in the activity.
  • Create opportunities for communication. As playfully as you can, or as the child tolerates, try to control the objects instead of just handing them all of the toys. Then, the child can learn to come to you to make requests for what they want.
  • Use the setup and the clean-up of the toy to build communication skills. Don’t just give the child all the toys. Try to hang on to them so the child makes requests. Then use clean up to check in for comprehension (e.g. clean up cow). Having the child participate in the set up and clean up can also help the child learn to play with one toy at a time and improve attention to the activity.

Here’s a list of cause-and-effect toys I love:

Ball and Hammer Toy

Ball and hammer toys are easily my favorite cause-and-effect toy. I love them so much that I own three of them.

Pull Back Cars

Any kind will do! There are lots of options out there. We just happen to have these Melissa and Doug Pull Back Cars. These go really far on the floor and the kids get a kick out of them. Build anticipation in your voice (e.g. ready…set…maybe your child will gesture or say go- go!!!). Have your child try to request (help, more, again) to make them go again if they can’t figure it out on their own.

Playskool Poppin’ Pals

This classic Playskool Poppin’ Pals Pop Up Activity is a great cause-and-effect activity for early language learners. Some of the language I model includes: down down down, up up up, pop! boo! peek a boo! hide, (introducing the vocabulary) night night lion, hi bear, bye bear, lion up, etc. The kids always need help popping the pink one, a great time to try to get the child to request “help.”

Jack in the Box

This Fisher-Price Spin and Surprise Lion is basically a Jack in the Box. It’s great for babies because they don’t need the fine motor skills to crank the handle on the traditional Jack in the Box. They just run their hand along the front wheel and it pops up. I am modeling simple language again here with repetition (e.g. pop! up! boo! peek a boo! down, hide, shh, yay).

Playskool Busy Ball Popper

I have a love/hate relationship with the Playskool Busy Ball Popper. What I don’t like about it, is that it requires, and frankly loves 4 D batteries. It’s also a little on the loud side without an adjustable volume. But what I love about this toy is that it is undeniably enticing. The child presses the fun button and the balls pop up, sometimes out of the toy, making it fun to chase down, and then the balls go back down the ramp. I also love that the on/off switch is in the back. So I like that I can creat communication opportunities by subtly turning the toy off in the back so I can target words like more, ball, help, etc

The Playskool Chase ‘n Go Ball Popper and Playskool Elefun Busy Ball Popper are similar toys that I have come across but don’t currently own.

Wooden Car Ramp Toy

This Wooden Car Ramp Toy is another great basic toy. The cars are a little on the small side for any little ones that like to put objects in their mouths. But when closely monitored, I like to target some basic communication with this repetitive action of sending the cars down the ramp (e.g. ready, set, go! down, up, car, whee, etc.).You can create a similar effect with household objects by sending a car down a cookie sheet, a slide at home or the playground, cardboard, or a lid to a large rubber container.

Sports Phlat Ball

I don’t really use this Goliath Phlat Ball the way it’s intended. I think it’s meant to be passed outside as a disc and then it pops into a ball. Mine actually came with lights and sound that I removed. I simply push it down or help the child push the ball down into a flat disc. There is a suction cup in the middle and then the ball pops up (maybe a foot or so off the ground if I had to guess). A word of caution that tiny fingers can get caught in the slots. But it’s a great toy to target words like ball, pop, up, push, help, more, etc.

Bubbles

You can’t go wrong with bubbles! Any bubbles will do. Tip – Don’t just keep blowing them over and over. After a round of bubbles has popped, wait quietly and see if your child initiates communication in some way instead of immediately anticipating that they want more. This is a great way to create opportunities for them to use their communication skills.

If it seems like the bubbles are popping too fast before your child can get to them, check out these Touchable Bubbles. Touchable bubbles are sort of like dissolvable gel where the bubbles stay in the air longer.

Toddler Musical Instruments

Toddler Musical Instruments are another simple great cause-and-effect toy. There are lots of options out there. I like to expand this to following directions (e.g. go, go, go stop!, shake (noisemaker) up, shake down) offering choices (e.g. drum or shaker?), and using sounds and exclamations (e.g. whee!, boom!, etc.)

Blocks

Any kind of block will do. We happen to have these Melissa and Doug blocks. But in terms of cause-and-effect, I would set a few up and knock them down over and over while modeling verbal routines like up, up, up, boom! and offering choices.

Bowling Set

Similar to blocks, bowling sets are fun to set up and knock down repetitively. We happen to have this Melissa and Doug bowling set. If you don’t have a bowling set, you can use household objects like plastic water bottles.

Some other cause-and-effect toys that I don’t own but would be interested in:

Toys to Increase Vocabulary

As a child begins to attend and understand play with cause-and-effect toys, hopefully establishing some back and forth and beginning to communicate a few words, I then like to move on to increasing a child’s vocabulary. This involves both making sure a child understands words (e.g. show me cow, where’s your nose, get car, etc.) and then imitating words and using words independently.

This includes and is not limited to nouns (e.g. family members, items in a child’s environment, animals, foods, body parts, etc), verbs (e.g. eat, drink, go, jump, sleep, etc.), descriptors (e.g. big, small, hot, cold, etc.), and location words (e.g. on, off, up, down, in, out, etc.). As a child begins to understand and use these words, we can also begin to model expanding these words to word combinations (e.g. cow eat, big ball, car go), and phrases and sentences (e.g. car go fast, I want red car).

Some of this play may get a little more complicated requiring a longer attention span and may introduce some imagination beyond cause-and-effect toys and activities. So if a child has difficulty playing appropriately with these toys, I would just suggest stepping back to cause-and-effect toys and activities.

See “Tips to Build Communication Skills in Play” above under the title “Cause-and-Effect Toys.” to use the same strategies to build communication in play with these types of toys.

Here is a list of my favorite toys that I like to suggest that help increase a child’s vocabulary.

Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Wooden Barn

A barn and farm set is a classic toy. What I like about this Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Wooden Barn one compared to others I found is that it’s simple, durable, and reasonably priced. The wooden backdrop is plain and not very distracting. The animals are realistic. I’ve misplaced a few animals and it’s easy to go pick up a few other realistic-looking animals at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or farm stores like Tractor Supply. I like to model the noises the animals make and the names of the animals. Then, some of the games we play with the barn are knock-knock/peek-a-boo on the front door, having the animals climb the ladder and go to sleep, and pretending to eat targeting words and phrases (e.g. cow sleep, the horse is eating grass, etc).

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is another great classic toy. This toy is incredibly helpful to teach body parts and clothing items. It’s also helpful to expand to phrases with colors (e.g. green shoes, blue shoes, etc).

Play Food

Play food is another great way to teach a variety of foods and kitchen items. Having a play kitchen is a wonderful bonus, but is not necessary. There are tons of play food options out there. Any regular play food set will do. But, my kids have definitely enjoyed a set of Cutting Pretend Food which allows a child to cut the food in half. We’ve also made good use of Cookware Dishes and Utensils.

There are lots of other toys involving food that are great ideas such as a tea set, ice cream counter, pizza set, cookie baking set, restaurant set, sandwich-making set, and more.

Puzzles

Puzzles are another classic toys to help teach vocabulary. There are so many types out there. I’ll mention a few I like that I’ve come across.

Melissa and Doug Knob Puzzles – Knob puzzles are great first puzzles. I can’t find the farm knob puzzle I have online right now. I really like it, but the one listed is similar. I also like these simpler ones with fewer pieces (shapes and barn, fish and pets).

Melissa and Doug Magnetic Wooden Puzzle Set (Fish and Bugs) – My kids love catching the pieces with a magnet.

Sound puzzles and puzzles with doors can up the fun factor on puzzles too.

Nesting Block Sets

There are lots of good nesting and blocking sets out there, many of which have great pictures of vocabulary on the sides. This Topanifarm Nest and Stack Blocks Set offers lots of opportunities to model vocabulary.

I also have something similar to these Melissa and Doug Nesting Toys – Buildings and Vehicles.

Other sets I would be interested in include Melissa and Doug Nesting and Sorting Barns and Animals and Melissa and Doug Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Toys.

Activity Mats

I have something similar to this Foam Car Rug Interlocking Puzzle. I really like it because it comes apart for easy storage and the scene is loaded with vocabulary. I like to try to see if the child can drive different kinds of cars to different items on the map (e.g. drive the bus to the school).

I would also be interested in Melissa and Doug Road Rug Play Set and Barnyard Farm Activity Play Mat.

Melissa and Doug Take-Along Tabletop Activities

Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tabletop Activities are great for building vocabulary and travel. I often pack this toy for our destination on road trips because it folds up nicely and is self-storing. We enjoy the Take Along Farm and I would also be interested in the Take Along Around Town version.

Melissa and Doug Magnetic Play Sets

Melissa and Doug have a lot of wonderful magnetic games offering opportunities to increase vocabulary. We own this Melissa and Doug Magnetic Dress-Up Dolls Pretend Play Set. The toy is self-storing and can be played on its own. But it’s also fun to put pieces on the fridge or on a cookie sheet (maybe even for travel in the car). Some other magnetic toys I’d be interested to build vocabulary include Magnetic Dress-Up Dolls Occupation, Animal Magnets, and Magnetic Matching Picture Game with Scenes.

Melissa and Doug Doctor’s Kit

This Melissa and Doug Doctor’s Kit Play Set is also a hit in our house. I’m not so worried that the child is learning words like stethoscope and blood pressure (bonus if they do). But this doctor’s kit is a great way to teach body parts. The kids enjoy playing doctor and enjoy looking for body parts on me, themselves, dolls, stuffed animals, barbies, and more.

Melissa and Doug Reusable Stickers

I love these Reusable Stickers by Melissa and Doug. With a variety of scenes, there is tons of vocabulary to target. Not only the nouns themselves (e.g. elephant, giraffe, etc), but location words (e.g. the alligator is beside the rock), descriptors (e.g. the big blue hippo, etc).

My kids have abused these stickers and crinkled them and they retain their shape.

This toy is also listed on another post of mine No Tech Travel Toys for Toddlers. We pack these a lot for travel in the car and for our destination.

The only way I keep my sanity with this toy is by storing them in an 11×14 portfolio book. You can find a portfolio book at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

Melissa and Doug Sticker Pads Set

Melissa and Doug Sticker Pad Sets are another opportunity to target tons of vocabulary and are also listed on No Tech Travel Toys for Toddlers because these always come with us on road trips.

First 100 Words

First 100 offers some nice options to teach vocabulary with realistic pictures. We have the First 100 Words Book which we have used so much it’s falling apart, and the First 100 Words Activity Game where I’ve pretty much hidden a bunch of pictures and had my kids go find them and name the picture or answer questions (e.g. find something we eat).

I would be interested in the First 100 Words Matching Game.

Matching Games

If a child can begin to attend to longer activities, maybe on their way to table activities and board games, matching games are another great activity to teach vocabulary. We have something similar to this alphabet-matching game. But as mentioned before, I’d be interested in the First 100 Words Matching Game.

I also have this Lakeshore What’s Inside Box, but didn’t have a picture. You can make a homemade version with a cardboard box and toys and objects around the house.

Some other toys to increase vocabulary that I don’t own but would be interested in:

Early Board Games

After a child is communicating a decent amount of vocabulary maybe a few hundred words and is beginning to combine words together in phrases or short sentences, and can maybe attend to a toy for at least 10 minutes or so, I like to introduce what I call early board games.

When I think of the first board games I played as a child, traditional board games like Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Trouble, and Candyland come to mind. These games are great, but I think there is a group of simpler toys good for an interim time period before we get into a lot of counting and longer games.

My goal for early board games is for a child to sit and play for a longer period of time with one toy, to begin to learn or to continue to improve turn-taking skills, and to use phrases and sentences in functional social interactions. I often simplify the game. If there is a die I likely won’t use it and instead I just offer a choice (e.g. do you want red sword or green sword). And I like to encourage the child to use the vocabulary they have in functional ways (e.g. requests – red please, I want blue fish, my turn, etc., or comments – it popped high, red goes in, etc.).

Often times in these games, the child doesn’t even understand winning versus losing. Rather we are playing a cooperative game together until something really fun happens. But the nice thing about these games is that we can incorporate the more complex skills (e.g. rolling the die, counting, understanding winning versus losing) back into these games as the child grows and understands more.

Here is a list of my favorite early board games that I have come across:

Crocodile Teeth Toys Game

Take turns pushing down on the Crocodile Teeth. Careful! You don’t know when the Crocodile will snap.

There’s also a dinosaur variation of this game.

Elefun

To play Elefun, load butterflies into the elephant’s trunk. Then, turn it on and watch the elephant blow the butterflies out and fly while the kids try to catch the butterflies in their nets. FYI my Elefun goes through C batteries fairly quickly.

Let’s Go Fishin’

Let’s Go Fishin’ is a fun game to take turns while trying to catch fish as they rotate around with their mouths opening and closing.

Melissa and Doug Fishing Game

The Melissa and Doug Fishing Game is a great opportunity to practice turn-taking and word combinations (e.g. red fish, big fish, etc.) while catching fish with a magnetic fishing pole.

Matching Games

Also listed above under Toys to Increase Vocabulary, matching games are also a great early board game. There are tons out there to pick from.

I’m interested in the First 100 Matching Game because I think these realistic pictures are good for teaching vocabulary.

Monkeying Around

Monkeying Around is a game where you take turns hanging some monkeys from a magnetized tree. But be careful, at some point the tree can fall and the monkeys will fall into the alligators. I think you spin a spinner to tell you how many or what kind of monkeys (big or small) to hang from a tree. But I like to simplify the game by having the child make choices or imitate and use phrases/sentences (e.g. blue monkey, I want red monkey, my turn, etc.).

Pop the Pig

To play Pop the Pig, take turns rolling the die, feeding a pig some food, and pushing down on his head while watching his belly grow. You never know when he’s going to pop! The food has numbers on it to practice counting. But, I like to simplify the game by just taking turns and talking about the color of the food.

Pop-Up Pirate!

Pop-Up Pirate! is a game where you take turns sliding swords into a barrel until the pirate pops!

Shark Bite

In Shark Bite, players take turns fishing for fish in the shark’s bite. Be careful, you never know when he’s. going to bite! You can roll the die to see how many you need to catch, or you can simply take turns as you describe which fish you are catching.

Suspend Junior

In the Melissa and Doug Junior Suspend Game, add colorful pieces to a hanging piece without knocking it over. There is a spinner to tell you what to hang or you can have the child request colors or pick without looking while describing which piece he/she is placing.

Here’s a list of other board games I don’t own but I’m interested in:

This post is in the works and I’ll be adding more toy suggestions. So stop back! In the meantime, what are your toys for children?