The holidays are the perfect time to combine play, learning, and communication! At iRehab, we love recommending gifts that not only bring joy but also help kids practice speech, language, social skills, and functional abilities. Whether your child is working on articulation, vocabulary, sentence building, or turn-taking, these toys and games are fun and therapeutic.
🐧 Penguin Slide
A cute, engaging game that encourages turn-taking, problem-solving, and fine motor skills. Kids can practice words, phrases, or counting while guiding penguins down the slide — perfect for family game nights or at-home speech practice.
🕵️ “Hankman” Hangman Game
A twist on a classic game! Supports spelling, vocabulary, letter recognition, and early literacy skills. It’s fun, interactive, and helps boost confidence in language and communication.
🏀 Dunkable Basketball Hoop for Door
Active play builds motor planning, coordination, and expressive language skills. Children can call out numbers, colors, or actions during play — making speech practice natural and playful.
🏓 Dude Perfect Table Roll Game
A mini table game that promotes hand-eye coordination, turn-taking, and social interaction. Kids can practice phrases, requests, and counting words while having fun.
🌀 Spinner Stacker
This game teaches direction-following, spatial concepts, and descriptive language. Use it to practice words like “left,” “right,” “top,” and “bottom” — while stacking, spinning, and taking turns.
🍕 Pizza and Ice Cream Pretend Play Sets
Pretend play is excellent for sentence formation, social language, and sequencing skills. Kids can model language like:
- “I want two scoops of ice cream, please.”
- “First we roll the dough, then add the sauce.”
- “Let’s take turns being the server and the customer!”
📚 Would You Rather Kids Book
A fantastic conversation starter! Great for critical thinking, expressing opinions, and forming complete sentences. Encourages social communication and flexible thinking during reading or family discussions.
🍳 Learning Resources Oven Toy
This pretend oven promotes sequencing, vocabulary, and imaginative play. Kids can “bake” while practicing instructions, new words, and social language with siblings or caregivers.
🎈 Bluey Keepy Uppy Motorized Balloon Character
A high-energy game that encourages gross motor skills, coordination, and verbal interaction. Children can shout out instructions, cheer, and use language during play — all while being active.
🎲 Uno No Mercy
A fun card game for turn-taking, strategy, and social language. Perfect for older children or teens, Uno No Mercy encourages kids to use phrases, negotiate, and practice patience during gameplay.
🦊 Outfoxed Classic Game
A cooperative detective game that builds deductive reasoning, questioning skills, and social interaction. Children can practice asking and answering questions, sequencing clues, and sharing ideas as a team.
🎄 Tips for Making Playtime Speech-Friendly
- Model language – narrate actions and have your child repeat or expand phrases.
- Encourage turn-taking – promotes social communication and patience.
- Add descriptive words – colors, numbers, actions, and emotions turn play into learning.
- Celebrate attempts – praise all attempts at words, sentences, and conversation.
These gifts aren’t just fun — they’re tools for learning, connection, and confidence. Play can reinforce speech clarity, vocabulary, social skills, and functional communication in a natural, joyful way.
📞 Call 248.252.6064 or 📧 email marcia@irehabservices.com to learn more about ways to incorporate play into your child’s speech therapy journey — in-person or via telehealth!
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