Opening presents is a fun, exciting activity that happens during special times of the year. Primarily, the holidays and birthdays. Check out some of the below strategies to incorporate in your present-opening festivities to promote language development for your kids. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for an easy-to-print 1 page handout to keep at home.
Give Choices
- Hold up two gifts that your child can open.
- Describe the choices for them to pick from. After they pick, reiterate the description for them to hear and learn new describing words
- Do you want the BIG present or the LITTLE present
- Letting kids pick, gives an increased sense of control, leading to more excitement
- After opening presents, your kids may want to play with every single toy and cause a big mess. Instead, offer choices of two toys for them to pick.
- ** Offer choices strategically **
- If you know you are saving one special present for the end, don’t offer it until you want them to pick it!
- On the other hand, if you really want your child to play with a specific toy, offer it with a lesser preferred toy
Make Consistent Routines
Routines are something that happens every single time you do something in the same exact way no matter what. Children love and thrive off of consistency. Include pauses (5 full seconds) to let your child have a turn within a routine once they know what to expect.
- Shake each present while saying “shake, shake shake”
- After a few repetitions of this, before you go to shake it, add a pause and see if they take a turn by going to shake it or making a verbalization
- Model “open” before and while opening each gift
- Label each toy when you see what it is.
- DRAMATIC GASP BLOCKS!
- Make a fun clean up game between presents
- Crumble up wrapping paper and tissue paper into balls and throw them into a garbage bag
- Model Ready, Set, Go each time and cheer when it goes in!
- Crumble up wrapping paper and tissue paper into balls and throw them into a garbage bag
Follow Directions
Give your child a special job of being the Present Passer. You can tell them which gift goes to who and they will feel in control and special with this extra attention. (Meanwhile, we are really working on following directions and improving that receptive language)
- Go get the big red present!
- Can you find the round present with Santa?
- Give it to Grandpa!
One Page Handout
More Language Strategies
Looking for more language strategies to include in your daily routines at home to help your baby’s language develop?