We’re excited to share our Fall PAL Awards–Best Toys, Games and Media that Spark Language Development Through Play.

I continue to be fascinated by the impact parents’ play with kids has on language development, a concept reinforced by recent research. What parents say and how they talk during play can make a difference. By simply using a strategy called “Toy Talk” where parents talk about the toys and give the toy a name, they up their grammatical models to their child and improve the growth trajectories of certain areas of their child’s language development. Toys are the tools for a child’s play which is why I’ve spent my career calling out the toys with the best language learning potential and coaching parents on how to play with their child to maximize learning.

Check out our winners and add them to your holiday shopping list because kids, parents and educators think they are great!