Kami L. Sammetinger M.S., CF-SLP

Play is one of the best ways for kids to learn, which is why playtime is a great time to incorporate language learning. A common toy that works really well for language learning is a Potato Head!

How can you use a Potato Head?

A Potato Head is a very open-ended toy with a lot of options, which allows your kiddo to use their imagination while they play. When your child plays with a Potato Head, you have the opportunity to help them learn to label so many things, including:

• sizes
• colors
• shapes
• actions
• locations
• accessories
• occupations
• family members/animals

There are so many possibilities when it comes to this toy! This is also why it’s important to always offer options to your child when they play with this toy. Offering choices between two to three different options allows for independent expression, expressing choices, and focusing on choices.

What can we target?

From a speech-language pathologist’s point of view, we can target these areas when playing with a Potato Head:

• Requesting
• Examples: “More please” or “Help me”
• Body Parts
• This includes eyes, arms, ears, nose, etc.
• Labeling Objects
• Examples: glasses, hats, earrings, purses
• Offering Objects
• Example: “Do you want the blue hat or the purple hat?”
• Following Directions
• Adapt direction length to development level (2-step directions, 3-step directions, etc.)
• Imaginary Play Skills
• Expanding Expressions

We hope these tips help you find ways to include language learning in your child’s playtime! A Potato Head works great, but other toys that you have on hand can offer the same benefits, too. For more tips and tricks, check out our other blog posts!

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s speech development, please don’t hesitate to contact Hogg Therapy Associates! You can contact us by phone at 859-353-3666 or visit our website here.