I often find myself pulling books and toys from my own kids for my therapy kids. And as a person who doesn’t like stuff just for the sake of having stuff this is a good system. It really makes me think when I have to buy presents for my friends’ children - what are these things doing to foster growth of communication skills?
In this line of thought I’ve put together a list of 6 baby shower gifts to support speech and language development.
Books, all the books. I love books. I especially love Sandra Boynton’s board books. Their size and durability are great. Parents will love opening them at their baby shower because the pictures are cute and colorful and they are full of early concepts. These were some of the first books my own children could “read” themselves.
Toys with mirrors. The sensory input a baby gets from looking in a mirror is great for their visual perception skills. Mirrors can encourage a young baby to babble as they watch their reflection babble back. And using a mirror toy may keep a baby engaged in tummy time increasing their muscle development.
Toys without batteries. As a general rule in my therapy room you won’t find things that need batteries to operate. [in some cases I’ll use a cause-effect toy that may make a sound but spring loaded toys are great for this also] I want to encourage our explorers to make that car sound themselves, to use toys symbolically while using their imagination to fill in the sounds. And sometimes a good sabotage for a speech situation is to just remove the batteries and encourage a child to alert you to a problem when a button doesn’t work on a toy as expected.
Things that go. Cars, trucks, airplanes. These toys grow well with babies and toddlers. They encourage small and large motor skills and can be manipulated by small babies early on.
Experiences that can grow with new parents and baby. Consider memberships to activities in the family’s area. Giving a membership or even a single trip to a local museum, zoo, mommy and me class, or music lessons give families endless language opportunities.
Time. Offering to do something to give parents time to interact with their child in the first few months and meaning it is one of the best gifts you can provide.
Happy Shopping!