Budget Friendly Language & Play!

As a community based early intervention speech-language pathologist, I am always thinking of various ideas and ways to promote imaginary play and continuous language stimulation for the children I work with in the most natural way possible (using materials/objects in their home).  In addition, I continue to share my ideas and brainstorm with families to compile lists of favorite books, songs, observe play skills, etc. In the list below, you will find some creative play ideas, using materials that are right under your nose at home/in your kiddos' homes, or can be purchased for a small price.

Providers: Try suggesting some of these play ideas to your families. Reiterate that the activities costs little to no money, and will help their child expand on their play skills, while intensely stimulating growth in their communications skills.

Caregivers: Try creating your own game using materials from your home. If you believe, your children will believe and enjoy this, and you may even find them beginning to create their own game using objects you never imagined. Use your imagination, it can be a magical and heavily stimulating language learning experience if you only believe.

1. Music


Imagine this:

Have a concert, clap hands, stomp feet; choose interactive songs that require imitating gestures and or making faces, sing to your baby etc.

Keywords: music, sing, clap hands, wave hands, stomp feet, jump, touch head, tap legs, etc.

Some of my favorite children's music artists include Laurie Berkner & Raffi.

Music is a universal language that can be used with all ages :)

2. Books/Reading

Imagine this:

Photo Album/Book: make a photo album using construction paper and gluing and/or taping pictures of family member, objects in the home, American Sign Language
(ASL) baby signs, favorite toys, categorical items (bathroom toys/objects, clothes, foods, transition times, etc.)

***Pictures can be cut from child friendly/parenting magazines to glue on to construction or printer paper as well.

Sticker books: Have the child place their favorite character stickers, shapes, colors, animals, cars/trains, etc. on paper and staple together, hole punch and tie with yarn to make a book, etc.

Keywords: book, paper, glue, sticker, etc.

3. Boxes  

Imagine this: 

Pretend the box is a car, grocery cart, and/or house: push the box around, place items from around the house into the box, decorate the box with stickers and coloring, place a blanket and pillow in the box, etc.

Keywords: night night, box, vroom, beep, window, house, car, in, out, open, close, etc.

***A family I work with did this, and I commended them for being creative and resourceful, as well as thanked them for allowing me to share their idea

4. Toilet paper rolls/Pringles Container/Biscuit Container


Imagine this:

Binoculars/Telescope: pretend to look outside, play "I Spy", look for items in books, out of the window at home, when driving, etc.

Speaker phone/Telephone: pretend to make a phone call, call upstairs/downstairs and/or around the house to the family pet or family members, use this to make requests, label picture/objects, etc.

Keywords: I see, wow, look, come please, help please, more juice, hi, bye bye, all done, etc.

5. Tupperware 

Imagine this: 
Talk about the various  shapes and sizes of the tupperware, place objects in, out, on top, under, etc.
Keywords: circle, square, big, little, in, out, on top, under, etc.

Pretend to drive with the circular shaped tops or bottoms, making it your steering wheel
Keywords/Sounds: beep beep, car, drive, vroom, fast, slow, go, etc.

Make a train by lining up the tupperware and pushing them like a train
Keywords/Sounds: choo-choo, go, fast, slow, chug-a-chug, track, etc.

Have a concert; bang on the tupperware and sing songs, pretend they're instruments, etc.
Keywords/Sounds: drum, sing, music, bang, boom, la la la, etc.

Play Peek-a-boo: hide behind the tupperware and call the child's name or say "boo" or "I see you"
Keywords: I see you, boo, etc.


Feel free to leave more creative play ideas in the comments section or email me.                               Have a great weekend!!! :)