The holidays are upon us! Spending time together and giving gifts is all part of the fun. This is a time of year when many of our therapists are asked for toy or game recommendations. Recently, our team of experts shared some of their favorite board games on our Instagram page. These suggestions are not only fun, they can be used to support a wide range of developmental skills; all while spending quality time with your child. If you ask us, it sounds like a win-win this holiday season. Follow us on Facebook for even more great ideas, or subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest information on child development.
If game night at your house tends to create more conflict than fun, try playing games that promote cooperation and working together rather than games that are competitive. Dr. Lindsey Pallas, a psychologist at our Midtown office, recommends these two games for joining forces and working together as a team.
- Outfoxed
- Bandito
Working memory skills can be tough for some kids. Keeping in mind all of the steps in a multi-step math problem, remembering morning routines, listening to the teacher while taking notes, are just some of the ways children use working memory skills in their day to day lives. This game is a simple and fun way to practice this important skill.
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Lisa Peterson, CCC/SLP shared some fantastic ideas for your next game night. The games below give your child an opportunity to develop and practice a number of language skills.
- Outburst Junior
- Scattergories Junior
- Blurt!
- Hedbanz
- Apples to Apples Junior
- Guess Who?
- Guesstures
- Rory’s Story Cubes
- Bananagrams
- Pictionary Junior
- Taboo Junior
- Sequence Letters
- Catch Phrase
Games that require taking turns at quick pace are practical to use with repetitive articulation drills. These games are perfect for practicing skills learned in speech therapy at home.
- Connect Four
- Zingo
- Chutes & Ladders
- Jenga
- Uno
