Holiday Gift Ideas that Support Speech and Language Skills
Have you found that shopping for that special little someone in your life seems to get more and more overwhelming each year? Whether it’s scrolling through Amazon, wandering the aisles of Target, or asking for advice from friends and family, the choices seem endless (and some of the “must-have!” toys are expensive, hard to find, or just… not that great).
Don’t worry! I’ve done the work for you. This guide has some great ideas for gifts, broken down by age group (although many of these toys would be appropriate in multiple age groups!). These items are tried and true favorites from speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, and will help support your child’s speech, language, and play development.
You may notice that these toys are pretty low-tech and battery-free, and that’s by design! While high-tech toys can be great in moderation, taking a break from electronic toys that light up, make noise, and move on their own will encourage your child to use their imagination while they’re playing, as well as facilitate engagement with others.
Ideas for Babies (0-2)
Maracas
Shaking maracas with you can help teach baby about cause-and-effect as well as to develop early imitation, fine/gross motor, and turn-taking skills.
These can be purchased from Amazon here
Tummy Time Mirror
Tummy time (the time your baby spends during the day while awake and on their stomach) is very important for your baby’s motor, sensory, and visual development. Encourage your baby to participate in tummy time with fun activities like this mirror!
This one can be purchased from Amazon here
Pop-Up Doors Toy
Pop-up toys like this are great for helping your baby develop fine motor skills, sustained and joint attention, and an understanding of cause-and-effect.
This one can be purchased from Amazon here
Stacking Cups
The possibilities are endless! Stack them up, knock them down, pour water from them in the bathtub, “drink” from them in early pretend-play schemes, wear them as a hat… and have fun!
This set can be purchased from Amazon here
Melissa & Doug Pop Blocs Farm Animals
These little farm animal pop-together toys are so cute and a great cognitive activity for older babies. They will work on using both hands together, problem-solving, and early vocabulary development with these toys.
You can find them on Amazon here
(For more ideas for babies, check out my previous blog post here with baby shower gift ideas)
Ideas for Toddlers (2-3)
Ball Pit
Ball pits provide great sensory input, help your child develop their gross motor skills, can help with color recognition… and are just tons of fun! (Consider buying an extra bag of balls if you want it extra-full.)
This one can be purchased from Amazon here
Pretend Play Food Set
Play food sets help your child develop their imagination, pretend play, and vocabulary. Add in the cutting feature like this one, and you can also address fine motor skills and problem solving!
This set can be purchased from Amazon here
Puzzle
Puzzles address fine motor skills, problem solving, vocabulary, and more.
This one can be purchased from Amazon here
Ball Tower
Ball tower toys can address fine and gross motor skills, cause-and-effect, turn-taking, and sustained and joint attention.
This one can be found on Amazon here
Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
As the name suggests, this toy will address fine motor skills through a toddler-loved activity (putting things in and taking things out). You can also develop color recognition, counting, and sorting with Spike.
You can find Spike on Amazon here
Ideas for Preschoolers (3-5)
AquaDoodle
This classic toy allows for mess-free drawing and pre-writing practice for your little one -- and the way the doodles from the water pen “erase” is magical fun!
You can find it on Amazon here
Car Toys (like this set)
Car toys are great to develop pretend play, fine and gross motor skills, cause and effect, and joint/sustained attention. I like this particular set because of all of the fun play options!
You can find this set on Amazon here
Magnet Tiles
These are fun for the whole family! Your child will be building their fine motor skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities as they play.
You can find this set on Amazon here
Play-Doh Set (like this one)
You pretty much can’t go wrong with preschoolers and Play-Doh! Sets like this encourage sharing, creative thinking, fine motor skills, and pretend play.
You can find this set on Amazon here
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
A great early introduction to winning/losing and turn-taking, this cute game also supports fine motor skill development, understanding of colors, and strategic thinking.
You can find it on Amazon here
Ideas for Early-Elementary Kids (5-7)
Building Toys (like these Bristle Blocks)
Building activities like these blocks help your child develop longer spans of attention and concentration, improve their fine motor skills, and encourage creativity. Legos are also great for this age group!
This set can be purchased from Amazon here
Doctor Set
Kids of all ages love this Critter Clinic! It’s great for pretend play, developing empathy, problem solving, negotiating, and more.
You can find it on Amazon here
Hoot Owl Hoot game
This cooperative game can support your child’s ability to use simple strategies, take turns, engage in shared decision making, and use creative problem solving.
It can be purchased on Amazon here
Reusable Sticker Scenes
These reusable sticker scenes are adorable, engaging, elicit the use of fine motor skills, vocabulary development, and creativity — and can keep kids quietly occupied for a long time!
You can find this set on Amazon here
Zingo! Game
This fast-paced, engaging bingo game supports children’s early reading and vocabulary skills, as well as turn-taking, fine motor, and polite winning/losing abilities.
You can find it on Amazon here
Ideas for Bigger Kids (8+)
Crafting Set
Successfully completing a craft requires fine motor skills, the ability to follow directions, creativity, and self-advocacy (asking for help) if needed.
This set can be found on Amazon here
Battleship game
A classic game that encourages strategic thinking, spatial awareness, refinement of fine motor skills, and calm winning/losing.
You can find it on Amazon here
Fort-Building Set
Your big kid will be working on reading and following directions, fine and gross motor skills, and creative thinking, (and maybe self-advocacy skills if they need to ask for help!) while they’re making their fort.
You can find this one on Amazon here
Card Games (like Exploding Kittens)
This card game is silly, easy-to-learn, fast-paced, and fun for big kids and adults. There is definitely some strategic thinking involved!
You can find Exploding Kittens on Amazon here
Science Kit
Keep your kiddo curious! These science experiments are great for making predictions, building confidence, following directions, and building knowledge.
This one can be found here
Other Great Gift Ideas (Any Age)
Books related to the child’s interests
Journals and diaries
Items that encourage outdoor play
Items that encourage participation in cooking (like kid-safe knives, a fun-colored cooking utensil set, apron, etc.)
“Experience” gifts (like gift certificates to a museum or for afternoon tea)
