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2020 Holiday Shopping Guide

A little something for all ages!

 

The 2020 holiday season is upon us. Can you believe it? When the world seemingly slowed down and came to an abrupt halt in March, I was sure that the year would never end. And yet, here we are in November.


With Black Friday advertisements infiltrating inboxes and mailboxes, I figured now would be the perfect time to put together a guide for your holiday shopping.


There are 3 lists this year, which include my top 10 must-have toys to support speech and language skills, top 5 budget-friendly gifts, and we end with the ultimate gift list. Enjoy browsing around and let me know what you think!


 


"HOW DO I KNOW WHAT'S BEST?"


The number one question this year continues to be, "What is the best toy for language development?" The 2020 list was generated with that question in mind. But to answer the question - books are the best gift for language. See my overview under the books section for more information.


When shopping for gifts, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Less is more. In order to encourage speech and language development, you'll want to pick toys that don't do all of the talking for your child.

  2. When in doubt, buy a book.

  3. If you're out of ideas, consider gifting money towards a savings account or donating to a foundation in a person's name and then giving a smaller gift.

  4. Gift cards are not thoughtless gifts and can be great for families with growing children (think clothes and shoes). Plus they're handy for when you're just not sure what the child is interested in these days.

  5. Consider subscriptions for the year (see suggestions below).


 

TOP 10 MUST-HAVE GIFTS

TO SUPPORT SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SKILLS - 2020


This Is essentially a list of my go-to therapy toys. All of these are perfect for engaging in play and supporting communication.

  1. Books

  2. Barn and animal set

  3. Blocks, including nesting and stacking

  4. Play kitchen and play food

  5. Water table/Sand table

  6. Bubbles

  7. Balls

  8. Vehicles

  9. Play-Doh

  10. Puzzles

 

TOP 5 BUDGET-FRIENDLY GIFTS


This is a year like no other and for many families money has been hard to come by. This list was developed with you in mind. You do not need to spend an arm and a leg to get the perfect gifts to support speech and language skills. Be sure to check out local thrift shops or Facebook Marketplace to check out toys that others are either selling or giving away for free.


  1. Books - how about taking someone to get a library card and making a weekly or monthly trip to get some books. It's free!

  2. Art supplies - think paper, crayons, glue, and markers. Many different brands and items can be found in the dollar bin at Target or at the dollar store. You can even print free coloring pages and put together your own coloring book.

  3. Bubbles - pop! blow! wow! up! down! - so much language can be produced and encouraged with bubbles. You can even make your own solution!

  4. Balls - bounce, push, roll, throw, catch, up, down - just like bubbles, playing with balls can support speech and language development while working on play skills.

  5. Microphone - who doesn't love to sing? Microphones are great for play, but are a fantastic tool to use to encourage children to speak. Take turns talking with the microphone and make silly sounds.


 

THE ULTIMATE GIFT LIST


Looking for the ultimate compilation of gifts? You're in luck! All of the items on this list are fantastic for supporting speech and language skills.


BOOKS

  • Books in general are a fantastic option and always my top pick for gifts.

  • Research suggests that books that are repetitive in nature are excellent for stimulating language development.

  • There is so much that you can do with a book! Not only can you read the story and work on your child's attention and vocabulary development, but you can ask questions, have them identify pictures, create your own story with the pictures, encourage verbal expression by having your child imitate sounds and words, or have them fill in the end of the sentence (great during those repetitive books so they know what to expect.).

  • Reading is a life skill. Give the gift of reading early on. No one is too young or too old to receive a book!

  • For older children/teenagers, choose an area of interest and go from there. The library is a great place to start. Chat with the librarian for some ideas!

  • Pair a book with an experience. Where does the story take place? Are you near that area? Go on a road trip!

  • Turn your phone into a story time projector with Moonlite Storybooks.

  • Looking to support diverse communities? Check out these retailers! Brave + Kind Bookshop, Cafe con Libros, Loyalty Bookstores, The Lit. Bar, Semicolon Bookstore. Consider searching by state here for more options!


SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscription boxes are very popular. They take the guess work out of figuring out if a toy, book, or activity is suitable for a particular age group. This list arranges options by age and the prices vary.


TOYS

Remember the first tip from above: LESS IS MORE. Toys that do all of the work for your child don't allow for as many opportunities for your child to communicate (request, comment) and problem solve.


GAMES

  • Candy Land

  • Busytown Eye Found It

  • Hungry, Hungry Hippos

  • Chutes and Ladders

  • Hi-Ho Cherry-o

  • Pop the Pig

  • Cariboo

  • Count Your Chickens

  • Mr. Bucket

  • Spontuneous - The Song Game

  • Pictionary

  • Jenga

  • Connect4

  • Guess Who?

  • Qwirkle

  • Ravensburger Labyrinth

  • Twister

  • Simon

  • Bop-It

  • Hot Potato

  • Spot It!

  • Clue

  • Monopoly

  • Memory Games

  • Sequencing Games

  • I Spy Books

  • Logic Puzzles



ACTIVITIES

Activities are a great way to spend time together. For zoos, aquariums, and museums, consider an annual membership or just go for a day trip. This year, keep in mind social distancing guidelines.


STEM

Science and technology toys are truly not to be skipped. My advice for items that use screen time is to interact with your child as you play! This is a way to encourage communication and learning at the same time. Tablets should always be used with parental controls that have a timer. Tablets should be used for a maximum of 1 hour per day. My recommendation is 30 minutes maximum for ages 5 and under.


 


Don't forget to check out my Amazon Lists!



 


COMMUNICATE ANEW WISHES YOU A SAFE AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON







Happy shopping and happy gifting!







 

DISCLAIMER:

  • COMMUNICATE ANEW HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED COMPANIES.

  • THIS LIST IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND BASED ON PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND EXPERIENCE ONLY.

  • ALL ITEMS ARE RECOMMENDATIONS.

  • USING ANY ITEM ON THIS LIST DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR CHILD WILL START SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN, NOR DOES IT REPLACE THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND RECOMMENDATION OF YOUR OWN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.

  • IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR CHILD'S SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, CONSULT WITH A LICENSED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.

  • PLEASE USE YOUR DISCRETION WHEN PURCHASING GIFTS AND CONSIDER THE AGE OF THE PERSON YOU ARE SHOPPING FOR.

  • NO TOY OR ACTIVITY CAN REPLACE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONE.


 


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Newtown, CT 06482

Information shared on this website is for the sole purpose of education and should no be used as medical advice. For specific medical advice, please speak with a health care provider in your area.

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