You’ve probably noticed that as your toddler develops their use of language, they want to practice their new skills by speaking constantly and asking you to read their favourite book a hundred times a day! Our little one loves to learn and absorb language, so we as parents need to support them during this process in ways that are fun and exciting for our children and, of course, for us!

So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can support your toddler’s language development.

Activities and games

‘What’s in the Box’ game: Have a basket with real objects that your toddler can touch, feel, and explore as you name them. These objects might include fruits and vegetables. You can also use replica objects such as a small toy elephant or giraffe for your child to hold, as you name it. You can ask, “Can you find the orange?” so your child can find and pick out the orange.

Cause and effect activities: These are really important for little ones, as they can be used to help children learn to problem solve as well as take turns, learn to wait and watch, and are the first most well-developed play skills. They can also be used for sensor input, like banging a drum or shaking a maraca. Pop-up toys and ball drops are also very good examples of toys to use in play.

Peek-a-boo: This is a social game that involves interaction between you and your child. It encourages turn-taking, eye contact, and engagement, all of which are crucial for social and emotional development.

Ask your child to match objects to identical cards: This helps your toddler learn that a 2D picture is related to a 3D object. Your child can then match the picture with the object. If you’re feeling extra creative, it’s nice to take photos of the object yourself and print them out so the image is the same size as the object. Toddlers are fascinated with putting the object on top to “hide” the image underneath.

Once your child can match pictures with identical objects, you can then start helping them match similar cards with objects. For example, you can make a card with a picture of a truck that looks similar to the object of the truck but is different in size and colour. If you know your child has books with certain objects, you may want to ask, “Where else have you seen a bird that looks like this?” They can then go and get one of their favourite books and match the card with the picture in the book.

You can also use vocabulary cards with the words on the picture so your child can learn the names visually. You may want to use cards that are centred around a theme. e.g., vehicles, animal shapes, and so on. Make sure to include verbs and prepositions, not just nouns!

As well as using objects and cards to expand your child’s language skills, you can also read books out loud to your little one. Toddlers absolutely love books because they help them understand the world around them.

When choosing books, here’s what to look out for:

Books with realistic pictures. This will help your child immediately relate to what is in the book, as it’s something they witness in everyday life. Rather than having a book with only pictures of fantasy animals, such as a unicorn that flies, look for books with pictures of a horse in a field.

Texture of pages. Start your toddler with board books, and then as your child learns how to handle and turn pages properly, you can move on to paper books. Books with different materials to touch and lift-the-flap books are great fun for toddlers.

Eye-catching artwork. Children love bright colours and will better absorb the beauty of the artwork if the illustrations are interesting and beautiful.
Include the appropriate use of words with images. While young toddlers will use single words or simple sentences per page, older toddlers enjoy longer sentences and rhyming or poetry books.
Choose books that you enjoy! Remember, toddlers are perceptive and sensitive little things, so the more you enjoy reading, the more your toddler will too. Plus, when your toddler likes a book, they will want you to read it again and again, so choose a book that you want to read many times.
Books that support cultural diversity. Find books that reflect various races, nationalities, religions, and belief systems that are different from your own.

Now that we’ve explored vocabulary cards and books to help your little one expand their use of language, let’s look at how we can have actual conversations with our child.

Having conversations with your child

We, as parents, are our toddler’s primary source of language. The words we choose can help them develop good speech and language habits. Try to use words during every activity you share, such as getting dressed, going for a walk, or cooking dinner together.
Tell them the correct words for things you notice when you are out together. Have them repeat the names of animals, vegetables, vehicles, musical instruments, trees, and birds.

Pay attention when your child speaks. Look them in the eye and give them as long as they need to finish their sentences. If your child is becoming frustrated or having a difficult time saying something, you may need to help. Praise them for how hard they are working to try and use their speech. This will give them the confidence to persist.

Try to make time for moments of silence. Parents so often insist on giving our children feedback on everything they do. Pause to let your toddler evaluate for themselves what they have said in peace.

What language activities can my toddler do?

From Unii’s Toddler Speech Journey, we look at fun language activities for your child.