With Christmas just around the corner, we are all thinking about what to get our little ones. I don’t know about you but I find stocking stuffers to be a bit challenging! Kids don’t always love getting socks and underwear in there and I don’t want to fill them up with candy either! So I thought I would expand on my list of 25+ Gift Ideas to Expand Speech (& Language) Skills in young children with some socking stuffer ideas that go beyond socks and candy and provide opportunities for speech and language development! Here they are, in no particular order. There are Amazon affiliate links in this post for your convenience. Thanks for your support!Â
1. Rattles/Small Clutch Toys
For babies, the best toys are small, safe rattles and clutch toys. As they explore these items, your baby will be working on developing the preverbal cognitive skills of object permanence, cause and effect and imitation. Not only that, but rattles and small clutch toys help build fine and gross motor skills and visual motor skills. As your baby plays, feel free to comment here and there about what they are doing and seeing, but also be sure to give them ample time for some independent quiet play with their new toys. This Croo-ak Clutching Toy
2. Toy Phone
Remember how I talked a lot in my 25 Gift Ideas post about how children like to play what they see? Children see us talking on the phone all the time and a toy phone provides your child opportunities for imitation, pretend play and speech and language use. We have one similar to the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Friendly Flip Phone  which is appropriate for ages 6 months and up. Toy phones are also great as they are played with from toddlers and up for years and years!
3. Microphone toy
I use these all the time in my therapy sessions! Some children who are hesitant to speak or practice speech are very motivated by these simple toys like the Magic Mic
4. Bubbles
Bubbles are a pediatric speech pathologist staple. Bubbles can be sued to elicit SO MUCH language! Check out this post from Becca at Child Talk about how amazing bubbles are for speech and language! My personal favorites are the Little Kids The Original No-Spill Bubble Tumbler as they really are no spill!
5. Finger Puppets
Puppets in general are used all the time by pediatric speech pathologists in therapy. Some children will feel more computable talking to a puppet or talking as a puppet. They area also great for pretend/imaginative play, imitation skills, vocabulary and more. Finger puppets are great small options for your child’s stocking! This 10pcs Velvet Animal Style Finger Puppets Set
6. Small Board Books
Small books make great stocking stuffers and books of course are so great for speech and language development! Just a few of our favorites: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
7. CD of Music
Music is a fantastic teaching tool for speech and language development and can help expand speech and language development in children with special needs. Whether you listen in the car or at home, I always recommend singing and listening to music to my clients. A great Album is Raffi Singable Songs for the Very Young. You can also make your own compilation of songs and burn it to a CD for your child to listen to!
8. Art Supplies
I talked in my 25 Gift Ideas post about how great arts and crafts can be for speech and language development. Why not throw some Crayola Crayons
9. Play Dough
Another speech pathologist staple! I talk all about the uses of Play-Doh for speech and language development in my  Best Toys Series part four. The little tubs area PERFECT for stocking stuffers!
10. Small Figurines/Animals
Great for filling the stocking are little characters or animals for small world pretend play! Little People
11. Card Games
Games are wonderful ways to build speech and language skills while bonding with your little ones!  Great for working on turn taking, deductive reasoning, memory and more. Some favorites here are Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Card Game, 
12. Small Balls
Babies and toddlers learn a lot about their world through touch. Provide your baby or toddler with opportunities to manipulate balls of different textures, sizes and colors with this Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set. I am actually getting this for Emory’s stocking this year! I go over the benefits of balls on speech and language in my Best Toys Series.
13. Bath Toys
One of the best times of day that your child is taking in lot’s of speech and language is during bath time. This is a time where you are often talking a lot to your little ones about what they see, feel and do. Providing some simple toys to manipulate and play with in the bath can help to expand on these language learning opportunities. Some suggestions are the Munchkin Five Sea Squirts, the
14. Small Pull/Push Toys
Push and pull toys are fantastic for fine and gross motor, visual motor and speech, language and cognitive skills. Some suggestions are the Pull-Along Snail from Plan Toy, the
15. Small Musical Instruments
Musical instruments are great for little and big hands. For little ones, they help build those listening and cognitive skills like cause and effect and for older children they provide opportunities for gross and fine motor development, singing, and listening. For little ones, I recommend the Handled Cage Bell from Hohner Kids
So now it is your turn…what stocking stuffer suggestions do you have that can help build speech and language skills in young children? What would you add to my list?
And be sure to check in tomorrow for my GAME recommendations!
What a great list, Katie! 🙂 I love that these toys are great for language development, but also pretend play and creativity. Thanks for sharing!
Since you asked for other ideas and suggestions, I would add wind-up toys to the list!