Christmas Gift Toy Recommendations

Christmas is coming! In our house, that means Grandpa, Nana and Papa, aunts and uncles, cousins and, of course, Santa need 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! Occassionaly some of our toys with batteries end up not getting replacement batteries and my kids still have just as much fun by using their imagination!

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

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

Ages 5-7 years: games (examples: Uno, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Avocado Smash, Pop the Pig, Jumping Jack, Headbanz), Legos, imaginative play, Melissa and Doug ice cream scooping set, Nugget-type play couch, 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

Books are ALWAYS a top choices for us too for every age!

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

If you have any questions about your child’s speech, language, social, fluency, motor, or social skills, feel free to reach out to us anytime with questions! We are always happy to share our knowledge and offer our professional advice. (314-626-4761 or speechspotstl@gmail.com).