Play, Language & Toys: You Don’t Need More Toys to Build Communication
If you have ever looked around your living room and wondered, “How do we have this many toys?” you are definitely not alone.
As parents, caregivers, and therapists, it is easy to get caught in the idea that we need the right toy to teach language.
The talking toy. The educational toy. The toy with the alphabet, numbers, colors, buttons, lights, and approximately 47 different songs.
But here is something we talk about often at Brainstorm:
The toy is not the therapy.
The magic happens in the interaction around it.
This week, our Cafecito Tips are all about play, language, and toys—and how we can create more opportunities for communication without constantly buying something new.
A note about this week’s sponsor: This Cafecito Tips is sponsored by our local friends at The Toy Nest in Falls Church. The Toy Nest is a toy library, play space, and pre-loved toy store where families can borrow and rotate toys instead of continually purchasing new ones.
Play is already a language opportunity
Children learn a tremendous amount through play.
But that does not mean we need to turn playtime into a lesson.
If your child is pushing a car back and forth, you might simply say:
“Go!”
“Fast car!”
“Crash!”
If they are feeding a stuffed animal:
“Baby is hungry.”
“Yum!”
“More?”
You are giving your child language connected to something they already understand and care about.
Research on parent-supported language intervention consistently shows the importance of responsive caregiver interaction, including following the child’s interests, responding to communication attempts, and creating natural opportunities for back-and-forth interaction. ASHA
At Brainstorm, this is one of the reasons we love child-led play.
We do not need to interrupt what a child is interested in to teach language.
We can enter their world instead.
Let your child show you how the toy works
This one can be difficult for adults.
We know the puzzle pieces are supposed to go inside the puzzle.
We know the animals belong in the barn.
We know blocks are for building towers.
But your child may have another idea.
Maybe the animals need to ride in the dump truck.
Maybe every puzzle piece needs to become food for a dinosaur.
Maybe the blocks need to be lined up from one side of the room to the other.
Unless there is a safety concern, that is okay.
Instead of immediately demonstrating the “correct” way to use the toy, spend a few moments watching.
Imitate what your child is doing.
Add a sound.
Make a comment.
Then pause.
Sometimes the easiest way into a child’s communication is to stop directing the play and become part of it.
Connection before instruction.
Sometimes fewer toys really can be more
This does not mean you need to throw away half of the playroom.
But reducing what is available at one time may help some children settle into play.
A small experimental study involving 36 toddlers compared play when four toys versus sixteen toys were available. When fewer toys were present, the toddlers played with individual toys for longer periods and explored them in a greater variety of ways. PubMed
That is interesting, but we also want to keep the evidence in perspective.
This was one small study. It does not prove that children with fewer toys develop better language or that every child needs a minimalist playroom.
What it does suggest is something families can easily experiment with:
You do not have to make every toy available at the same time.
Try putting some away.
A few weeks later, bring them back.
Suddenly, that dinosaur that has been ignored since February may become the most exciting dinosaur in Northern Virginia.
And you did not have to buy anything new.
Toy rotation can keep play interesting without creating more clutter
This is where our collaboration with The Toy Nest made particular sense.
Their model works much like a library: children can experience different toys, games, and puzzles without every item permanently moving into the family’s home.
For families who enjoy variety, borrowing or rotating toys can offer something different without constantly adding to the toy collection.
But you can create the same principle at home.
Put several toys out of sight.
Rotate them.
Trade toys temporarily with another family.
Bring an old favorite back after it has been gone for a while.
Novelty does not always require new.
Sometimes it just requires not seeing the same 42 toys on the floor every single day.
The “best language toy” probably doesn’t exist
Parents sometimes ask us:
“What toy should I buy to help my child talk?”
Usually, our answer isn't one specific product.
Because almost anything can become a communication opportunity.
A cardboard box can become a car.
A laundry basket can become a boat.
A spoon can feed a stuffed animal.
A row of rocks can become a dinosaur family.
Traditional toys can certainly support interaction. In one study of parent-infant play, electronic toys were associated with fewer adult words, fewer conversational turns, and fewer parental responses compared with books and traditional toys. PubMed
Another study found children—including autistic children—produced fewer utterances and fewer different words while playing with electronic toys than with traditional toys. PubMed
That does not mean electronic toys are bad or need to disappear.
It simply reminds us that the toy should not be doing all of the talking.
If the toy lights up, sings, asks the questions, gives the answers, and tells everyone what to do next, there may be fewer natural opportunities for the people in the room to communicate with each other.
So what should I actually do while we play?
You do not need to narrate every second.
You do not need to ask constant questions.
And you definitely do not need to turn yourself into your child’s therapist at home.
Try this instead:
Watch first. Notice what your child is interested in.
Join. Play alongside them rather than immediately changing their activity.
Comment. Add simple words, sounds or phrases connected to what is happening.
Imitate. Copy an action, sound or playful idea.
Pause. Give your child space to communicate back in whatever way works for them—words, sounds, gestures, signs, AAC, facial expressions or actions.
Then keep playing.
That is enough.
And yes—this works in Spanish too
Or Korean.
Or Arabic.
Or whatever languages belong to your family.
Play does not need to happen in English to support communication.
Use the language that lets you be playful, silly, connected, and fully yourself.
Sing the songs your family actually sings.
Use the funny expressions your grandmother uses.
Make the animal sounds that come naturally in your language.
A rich interaction in your home language is still a rich language-learning experience.
For bilingual children, we want to support their whole communication system, not replace one language with another.
The takeaway
You do not need the newest toy.
You do not need a perfectly organized Montessori shelf.
You do not need to create a “language activity” every afternoon.
Sometimes you just need:
one toy, one interested child, one available adult…and a little room for connection.
This week’s Cafecito Tip reminder:
The toy is the tool. The relationship is where the learning happens.
And if rotating toys makes that process easier—and keeps a few things out of the landfill and off your living-room floor—we are definitely here for that too.
Until next time!
Your Friendly Local Speech Therapist,
Irene Gutiérrez
Bilingual Speech and Language Pathologist
Founder, Brainstorm Speech Therapy
References & Additional Resources
Dauch, C., Imwalle, M., Ocasio, B., & Metz, A. E. (2018). The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play. Infant Behavior and Development, 50, 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005. PubMed
Roberts, M. Y., & Kaiser, A. P. (2011). The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(3), 180–199. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2011/10-0055). ASHA Publications
Sosa, A. V. (2016). Association of the type of toy used during play with the quantity and quality of parent-infant communication. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(2), 132–137. PubMed
Venker, C. E., & Johnson, J. R. (2022). Electronic toys decrease the quantity and lexical diversity of spoken language produced by children with autism spectrum disorder and age-matched children with typical development.
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