Welcome to the second edition of the Toy of the Week: 5 Ways to Play series. There are so many ways to use toys, games, and regular household items (more than just their original intended use) to teach and elicit lots of language. I chose the Flower Garden Playset as my second toy of the week. This set has been a fantastic, engaging activity for both in person and teletherapy sessions. Below are some ideas for using this playset and eliciting some great language! If you have more ideas, please share in the comments.
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you make a purchase using my link, I may make a small commission.
Same or Different? This activity gives lots of opportunities for teaching and using same or different. There are multiple flowers that are the same color however they are different shapes. You can ask your child if they want a flower that looks the same as yours or if 2 flowers shown are the same or different. Stack some tall and some short. Talk about how they are alike and how they are different.
Spring Theme! This set is perfect for using with a spring theme. Read a spring themed book then pull this set out to play. You can discuss the parts of the flower and what they need to live and grow. Such a great spring vocabulary opportunity.
Requesting. When you're working with little ones, this set allows for lots of opportunities for requesting. Don't just hand them the flowers, have them ask you for the ones they want. Let themes for more, don't just offer more. Take it a step further- the box is see through. Don't just open it, wait for them to ask you to open the box (whether thats tapping on the box or using words/signs to request)
Build a garden over Teletherapy. If you are an SLP or teacher using distance learning, these flowers make a fun activity to use digitally. It works best if you have a doc cam or OSMO set up, but it's not necessary. Have your students tell you what to add to create the flower garden. This is a great way for them to use descriptive words, too.
All good toys can be used in more than one way. These are just 5 examples. I would love to hear your ideas or ways that you would use them in therapy!
