Top 10 Toys for EI & Preschool

Although it has been a couple years since I have worked in an EI/Preschool setting, many people have been questioning and requesting ideas for this age group.  I felt the following toys were a great asset to my speech toy collection.  Every now and then, I take out one of these toys to use with younger elementary students.  I hope it helps!

1.  Adapted Penguin Race

Great for:

·         Visual tracking

·         Concepts up and down

·         Concepts top and bottom

·         Joint attention

2.  No-Spill Bubble Tumbler Minis

Can get a group set, stores bubbles and NO SPILL!  Easy clean up!

Great for:

·         Oral motor activities

·         /p/ popping sounds

·         Requesting more
Check it out here!!

3.  Sound Shape Sorter

Sort and be reinforced with sound!

Great for:

·         Concepts in, out, up, down

·         Requesting more

·         Requesting “give me”

·         Basic turn taking

·         Cause/Effect

Check it out here!

4.    Piggy Bank

Great for:

·         Fine motor skills

·         Turn taking

·         “Give me”

·         Eliciting /p/, /b/, /m/, or /k/.

Check it out here!

5.  Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds: Swirlin' Surprise Gumball Machine

***ALL TIME FAVORITE!!!***

Great for:

·         Concepts in, out, up, down

·         Turn taking

·         Cause/effect

·         Identifying objects and labeling

·         Eliciting sounds /b/ and /m/

·         Basic requesting: “give me” “more”

·         Ready, set, go!

·         Joint attention

Check it out here!

6.    Farm Sound Blocks

Great for:
·         Cause effect
·         Concepts: in, out, on, off
·         Basic requesting: “give me” “more”
·         Turn taking
·         Joint attention
·         Animal vocabulary: lamb, horse, dog, pig, cow and rooster.
·         Hide and seek

Check it out here!

7.   Shake & Stack Vehicles - Stacking Fire truck Animals

Great for:

·         Cause/effect

·         Concepts “on” “off” “go” “stop”

·         Vehicles vocabulary

·         Joint attention

·         Turn taking

·         Basic requesting “give me” “my turn” “more”

Check it out!

8.    Stack and nest

Great for:

·         Concepts: up, down, top, bottom, on, off

·         Basic requesting

·         Turn taking

·         Joint attention

·         Early problem solving

Check it out here!
9.    My first peg board

Easier than a regular peg board for grip. 

Great for:

·         Concepts: in, on, next, up, down, off

·         Basic requesting

·         Turn taking

·         Problem solving

·         Fine motor skills

·         Learning colors and counting
Check it out here!

10.  Can’t afford these toys?  Create a simple sensory bin!  Go to the dollar store and get a bin then just get something for inside!  Get some: rice or beans from the grocery store, sand from the beach, or pour water!  Then all you need is some plastic cups, spoons, maybe a shovel, and some mini animals and creatures from the dollar store to hide and play with.

Great for:

·         Hide and seek

·         Joint attention

·         Verbs/actions/basic directives: mix, pour, fill, hide, find, see, etc.

·         Concepts: in, out, under, over, top, bottom, on, off, full, empty, wet, dry

·         Fine motor skills

·         Pretend play skills
Since I have not used one in a while, I had to find an example: