🌟 Top 10 Speech Therapy Toys for AAC + Language Growth
Perfect for SLPs, parents, and anyone who believes play is the best therapy.
These toys are engaging, durable, and ideal for modeling core vocabulary, expanding language, and sparking spontaneous communication across modalities.
Below is a structure for EACH toy in a ready-to-go therapy model, whether your client is working on receptive language, using AAC, or is a gestalt language processor, there are therapy ideas for everyone!
1. Stack and Spin Toy
⭐ What’s Awesome
This spinning toy grabs attention instantly and keeps little hands busy. The predictable “spin → stop → spin again” cycle is chef’s kiss for modeling core words, joint attention, turn-taking, and early commenting.
🎯 Language Goals You Can Target
Requesting actions (“spin,” “go,” “more”)
Turn-taking and waiting (“my turn/your turn”)
Commenting: “fast,” “slow,” “stop,” “look”
Directional concepts (“on,” “off,” “up,” “down”)
Early sentence building (“I want spin.” “Make it go!”)
🔤 Core Vocabulary to Model
go, stop, more, again, turn, look, fast, slow, help, on, off
✨ Potential Gestalts
Use the spin as a transition cue for gestalt kids:
“Ready… set… GO!”
“Here we goooo!”
“Spin it up!”
Let the child press the button or push the base as part of a co-regulated routine.
2. Hot Wheels Dinosaur Tracks
⭐ What’s Awesome
Cars + dinosaurs = unstoppable engagement. The track build adds problem-solving while the dino “chomp” moment gives natural opportunities for anticipation, comments, and emotional expressions.
🎯 Language Goals
Cause/effect ("car go," "dino eat")
Prepositions (“on, in, under, through”)
Emotional vocabulary (“uh-oh,” “scared,” “happy”)
Predictive language (“What will happen?”)
WH questions (where, what, who)
🔤 Core Words
go, stop, in, out, on, under, up, down, help, look, open
✨ Potential Gestalts
Create mini “rescue missions” with big dramatic narrations like:
“Oh no! He’s stuck!”
“We gotta go!”
“Let’s get out!”
3. Fubbles Bubbles
⭐ What’s Awesome
Indestructible bubble fun with minimal spills — meaning you spend more time teaching language and less time mopping floors. Great for outdoor, indoor, and sensory-avoidant kiddos who prefer distance.
🎯 Language Goals
Action words (“blow,” “pop,” “catch”)
Social routines (“your turn/my turn”)
Describing bubbles (“big, small, high, low”)
Requesting (“more,” “again,” “help”)
Expanding phrases (“I see bubble!” “Pop it!”)
🔤 Core Words
more, pop, big, little, help, again, look, up, down
✨ Potential Gestalts
Use bubbles as visual boundaries for movement tasks:
“Follow it!”
“Get it!”
“Bye bubbles!” (great for transitions)
4. Farm Animal Barns (Piece-By-Piece Style)
⭐ What’s Awesome
Individual barns = individual communication opportunities. Perfect for matching, hiding, categorizing, and dramatic play. The simple “open → animal → close” routine is AAC gold.
🎯 Language Goals
Spatial concepts (“in,” “out,” “behind”)
Categorization & labeling
Agent + action combinations (“cow eat,” “horse go”)
Requesting characters
Following 1–2 step directions
🔤 Core Words
open, close, in, out, here, there, want, look, help
✨ Potential Gestalts
Hide unexpected items inside the barns:
“What’s in there?!”
“No way!”
“Let’s see!”
Perfect for gestalt kids who thrive on surprise routines.
5. Critter Clinic
⭐ What’s Awesome
A classic SLP staple. Keys, locks, doors, and animals… what more do we need? Encourages symbolic play, problem solving, and genuine moments of “I did it!”
🎯 Language Goals
Pronouns (“I open,” “You help”)
Problem solving language (“Try this,” “Does it fit?”)
Verbs: open, close, fix, help
Emotional vocabulary (“hurt,” “all better”)
Multi-step sequences
🔤 Core Words
open, help, want, look, fix, all done, more, in, out
✨ Potential Gestalts
Give each animal a “voice” with a gestalt cue:
“Help me!”
“I need you!”
“All better now!”
6. Little People Preschool Playset- All Can Play
⭐ What’s Awesome
A preschool in a box — routines galore! Snack time, playground time, circle time… perfect for practicing school-related vocabulary and easing transitions for kids starting school. And it is SO INCLUSIVE!!! I love this one so much!
🎯 Language Goals
Scripts for daily routines
Pretend play sequences
Social language (“hi,” “bye,” “wait,” “share”)
Expanding utterances (“I want swing.” “Go inside!”)
Pronouns: he, she, they
🔤 Core Words
go, stop, eat, sit, play, help, wait, look, turn
✨ Potential Gestalts
Use the playset to rehearse school transitions with gestalt cues:
“Time to go!”
“We’re ready!”
“Let’s do it!”
7. Paw Patrol Figures (Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble)
Marshall 🔗 https://amzn.to/4rgdDvW
Chase 🔗 https://amzn.to/3XF6XcZ
Skye 🔗 https://amzn.to/3X3lvTH
Rubble 🔗 https://amzn.to/43D6vj8
⭐ What’s Awesome
High-interest, built-in pretend rescues. Short episodes = perfect for language scripts. Each character has predictable roles (helping, flying, digging), which supports early verb learning.
🎯 Language Goals
Action verbs (“fly,” “dig,” “help,” “go,” “save”)
Emotional language (“oh no,” “I’m stuck,” “yay”)
Requesting a specific character
Sequencing mini rescues
Commenting (“look,” “cool,” “fast!”)
🔤 Core Words
help, go, up, down, look, here, there, get, come
✨ Potential Gestalts
Use character catchphrases as AAC-friendly gestalts:
Marshall: “I’m fired up!”
Chase: “Chase is on the case!”
Skye: “Let’s take to the sky!”
Rubble: “Rubble on the double!”
8. Light-Up Spinning Tops
⭐ What’s Awesome
Visual + auditory + movement = sensory jackpot. Great for kids who need high-interest stimuli to stay engaged. Easy to start and stop for repetitive routines.
🎯 Language Goals
Requesting “more”
Color identification
Describing (bright, fast, loud, quiet)
Cause/effect
Spatial concepts: on/off
Joint attention: “Look! Wow!”
🔤 Core Words
more, look, go, stop, fast, slow, help, wow
✨ Potential Gestalts
Turn off the lights for “night time top time”:
“Let’s make it go!”
“Here it comes!”
“That’s cool!”
9. Balloon Car
⭐ What’s Awesome
You blow it up, let it go, and chaos ensues. Perfect for breath support, cause/effect, anticipation, and silly routines that get even reluctant talkers communicating.
🎯 Language Goals
Verbs: blow, go, stop, wait, pop
Predictive language
Early commenting
Requesting assistance
WH questions (“Where did it go?”)
Descriptions: big, little, fast, slow
🔤 Core Words
go, stop, more, help, wait, up, big, little
✨ Potential Gestalts
Make each launch dramatic:
“Ready… GO!”
“It’s coming!”
“Watch out!”
10. Sensory Floor Tiles
⭐ What’s Awesome
Perfect for movement-based learners. The shifting colors and stepping patterns pull kids into communication without forcing table-top tasks. The BEST game to play with these: The Floor Is Lava!
🎯 Language Goals
Locatives (“on,” “next to,” “in front”)
Requesting colors
Action words (“jump,” “step,” “press”)
Turn-taking
Problem-solving (“Which one first?”)
🔤 Core Words
on, off, go, stop, more, turn, look, here, there
✨ Potential Gestalts
Make a “floor obstacle course” with gestalt-style narration:
“Let’s do this!”
“Go that way!”
“We made it!”
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting AAC Adventure and the resources that help families and SLPs thrive!
