Toys Are My Love Language

At Pip Speak, our sessions are full of FUN – and therapy. When I open up my treasure trove of games and toys (not to mention my mental filing cabinet of world-famous, rib-tickling Speech Therapist Nerd puns and Knock-Knock jokes), my younger clients might be forgiven for thinking of their time with me as more of a play-date than intensive speech language therapy, and here’s why:

I LOVE TOYS! I love things that can be Lost and Found. I love having my young clients build things ON TOP of other things and hiding things UNDER or AROUND other things, and I love shapes and colours and sizes and numbers. I love toys that come from the toy store, from neighbors, from garage sales, and even cast-off pieces of toys and games that can be used to make newer, weirder toys that bring on the giggles.

I love using toys and books in new and creative ways in order to draw out the best from my clients. Over the years, I have learned and come up with multiple inspired ways to incorporate off-the-shelf products in my SLP practice. Likewise, I want to educate parents and caregivers on specific ways to incorporate toys into their speech and language mentoring outside of sessions at the Nest.

Many of the forthcoming blog posts are going to describe specific products that I use in my speech therapy practice so that you can feel at ease replicating my techniques on your own time. If it helps you to use the same products as me, great! If not, I hope that my blog can supply you with some inspiration and courage to use the materials that make you and your kid happy.

I see my toys and games as a way of attracting my younger clients’ interest and cooperation—which is the vital first step towards trust and progress. Progress, that is, towards growth in general, not just their speech and language skills. Parents and caregivers, I see you! You (and I!) can use a little play, too, sometimes. My hope is that the tips for thinking outside the box with the toys, books, and ideas, in this blog will kickstart families to think holistically in all aspects of communication.