Our top five tips for encouraging language when playing with toys

Talking to their toys is a wonderful stage in your toddler’s development. It starts around now and evolves over many years, and for some, it never stops! Embracing this time in your toddler’s life can help them become comfortable with storytelling, sharing ideas and acting out narratives with their safest and most trusted friends: their toys. Here are some ideas for encouraging this type of play and supporting your toddler’s early language skills.  

1) Take time for imaginative play

Imaginative play with toys can take many different forms. There are several activities your toddler might engage in, such as chatting with toys, organising a picnic for them, using puppets, and pretending to use a phone. When your toddler talks to their toys, a lot of things can happen. They may be remembering the day or experimenting with new ideas; whatever they are doing at the time has meaning for them. 

Stand back and give them time to explore their ideas – you might cry happy tears as you watch them play. 

2) Release your inner child 

Join in! When your toddler is chatting to their toys, show them how to use different voices to bring their characters to life. If you're playing different parts, change your accent – your toddler will love it! 

3) Be a storyteller and experience the world! 

Read books to your toddler, make up imaginative stories, and try to do this in lots of places if you can. All of these experiences will help them develop their language skills and stimulate their imaginative play. 

When your toddler is familiar with a book, include the storyline while they play with toys. This will help them understand they can use ideas from different places, and not just rely on you for thoughts and ideas. 

4) Ask thoughtful questions 

Be mindful about asking questions just for the sake of it. If you feel it is right to, ask question such as: 

Tell me about....... 

How did you...... 

What would happen if....... 

I wonder........ 

5) Get outdoors 

Playing with and talking to toys doesn’t have to only happen inside – you can encourage it in the garden, at the park, anywhere really. Providing rich experiences for your toddler broadens both language and imaginative skills.