Here’s the toy list for recommended toys for Stage 4: Early Symbolic Play in Stages of Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers with Language Delays.

Remember… The only way babies learn what words mean (and to talk!) is by hearing you say the same key words over and over. As you play, pick one or two key words per toy and repeat those words many times each time you play. Examples are listed for each recommended toy and you can watch demonstrations of how to use the toy in podcast #469.

Our primary focuses for play here at Stage 4 are helping kids learn to…

1. Use tools
2. Use very familiar objects appropriately for early pretending

Here’s the list of Amazon links for each toy. Amazon recently changed how affiliates can display images on websites. For now, the short links are available.

Xylophone https://amzn.to/41hC9Qw

Xylophone Ball Combo https://amzn.to/48gSF5R

Turtle Tapper https://amzn.to/3TiymR1

Melissa and Doug Peg and Hammer https://amzn.to/473eF3a

Battat Ball and Hammer Toy https://amzn.to/473fwRq

Melissa and Doug Wooden Ball and Hammer https://amzn.to/47T4qQ4

Melissa and Doug Housework Set https://amzn.to/3TkqZZm

Leap Frog Vacuum https://amzn.to/48du2H1

TOYS WITH TOOLS

All music toys are great options, and here are my favorites for therapy.

Lollipop Drum https://amzn.to/47TnvkW

This is excellent for teaching a child to imitate your actions — beating the drum with the stick! Order more mallets if you’re working with more than one child or if turn taking evokes meltdowns! I love this toy for late talkers who are not imitating words yet. Begin with play sounds – paired with an action like, “Boom boom boom!” or “Bang bang bang!” for loud playing and “Tap tap tap” for soft playing. Other keys words to teach are… drum, stick, music, LOUD, and soft.

Extra Mallets https://amzn.to/48bZCot

Xylophone

Xylophone https://amzn.to/41hC9Qw

A xylophone is another great music toy which requires a tool — and gives a different “effect” than a drum. Here are two great options – a traditional one with sticks and a xylophone/ball and hammer toy combo. Both are great for teaching tool use and imitation! Target verbal routines and play sounds such as, “Tap tap tap” or “Boom boom boom” and “Whee!”

Peg and Hammer Toy

Obviously, hammers are a tool, but look for a child to understand that he’s using the hammer to accomplish a goal – not just bang on different surfaces! For this toy, a child hammers the pegs, but they don’t go all the way through in this Turtle Tapper toy. I like this feature so that you don’t lose the pegs. Kids who are in this stage of play can do this for a long time! They’re practicing eye hand coordination too. I’m including the more traditional version of this toy as well in case a child you’re working with LIKES hammering the pegs all the way through and then starting over! BUT the newer versions of this toy have bigger holes so the pegs fly through the holes with only a slight tap — which is great for kids with motor challenges, but not so great for kids who need to learn to persist through a tap or 2 to get the peg through the hole.

BALL AND HAMMER TOYS

The Battat Ball and Hammer toy just might be my favorite toy of all times. I include it in every list because it works for most kids, even if they’re not at Stage 4 yet and long past Stage 4! As we discussed in course # 465 , you can use this toy as a screener to determine what stage of play a child is in. If he’s in Stage 4 or above, he’ll use the hammer to pound the balls. If he’s still at Stage 3, a child will put the ball in the holes, but push the balls down with his hands. In stage 2, he will look at the ball, swat at it, mouth it, but he will need assistance to get the ball in the hole. At Stage 1, he just mouths the ball.

I used to work on turn taking a lot with this toy, but it’s still pretty unrealistic for kids at this level because they’re still using adults as helpers and cheerleaders. If a child doesn’t want to share the hammer with you, use a hammer from another toy so you can play together!

There are lots of potential key words to target for language in addition to ball and hammer! It’s great for teaching prepositions like in, out, down, up. I use it often with verbal routines with holistic phrases like, “I got it, I do it, Do it again, etc.”

HOUSEWORK TOYS

At this stage of play, toddlers are just beginning to pretend using very familiar routines they see everyday — taking a bath, eating, sleeping, and HOUSEWORK. In this earliest stage of pretending, they need life-like props. These toys are great options…

Model actions as you play together with the housework toys. I like singing songs to do this like, “This is the way we sweep the floor, sweep the floor, sweep the floor. This is the way we sleep the floor early in the morning.”

Electronic options can be fun too — even better if you can use the toy without the annoying music! I like this version that actually vacuums up the coins.

Please watch the podcast for ideas for using the toys at this stage, especially my idea for early pretending with The Pretend with Me Backpack. Assemble your items for teaching a child to begin to pretend to do very simple and familiar activities like eating, sleeping, and taking a bath. Check out the show for ideas!