General Speech and Language Suggestions During Clean-Up and a Digital Activity by playTOK: Toy Box (Boom CardsSM).
I like to incorporate everyday routines into the digital activities during speech and language therapy. By using relatable, familiar activities, we can gauge a child’s current vocabulary and sentence use. Or, we can use it to explore their auditory and receptive language skills. One of the most common and relatable activities is “cleaning up”. By coaching parents to involve their children actively in taking out the toys AND putting away the toys, we offer them multiple opportunities to model vocabulary and highlight any necessary speech sounds. In fact, many of the words we are modeling are highly important to children — it’s what they are interested in! As a side note, it’s also important to remember to curate the toy box and rotate among different toys/activities included.
HOME Clean-Up Suggestions:
- Make it a game by including fun sounds or “slam dunks” to put away toys.
- Model and repeat vocabulary instead. Avoid putting your child on the spot and pressuring them to copy your words. If you say the word and use an expectant pause, they may naturally imitate you over time.
- Highlight and emphasize key speech sounds, face-to-face if possible. Follow recommendations by your speech-language pathologist.
- Stretch out key words and emphasize the syllables. Alternatively, clap out the syllables (e.g. train, te-ddy-bear, sail-boat)
- Give choices (e.g., Do you want to put away the boat or the bear?).
- Increase the information-carrying words (e.g., Put the big/little bear away, put the red/blue train away)
- Increase the steps (e.g. First, put the ball away, then the boat)
As for real world practice, it is much better to have a family gather the toys they have and practice with real toys and real toy boxes, laundry baskets or hampers.
DIGITAL Activity for Speech and Language:
During speech and language therapy, we need tools that mimic real life but are quick and easy.
Toy Box is a digital no-prep activity that can be used during telepractice, in-centre on a tablet, or projected with a smartboard. playTOK creates various Boom CardsSM that are open-ended for use during speech and language therapy.
You can check out the video demo:
This Toy Box set includes 4 different types of activities:
1) Single Toys –
Various toys (1 top, 2 boats, 3 rocking horses, 4 trains, 5 blocks, 6 cars, 7 balls, 8 bears, 9 nutcrackers, 10 toys)
2) Mixed Toys – Different groups of toys to be cleaned up
3) Blocks – Stack the blocks (alphabet or plain)
4) Guessing Game – Can you guess which toy I’m describing?
TOY BOX Key Words and Phrases:
Key words: clean up, toys, put, away, in/out, on/off, above/below, in front, first/then/next/last, top, ball, boat, horse, train, car, blocks, bear, nutcracker
Key phrases: Clean up, Put the toy away, Put the ___ in/out/above/below/in front/behind , First ____ then ____
SUGGESTED TARGETS:
Audition -auditory memory, multisyllabic words, speech imitation
Expressive Language – Vocab, Sentence Structure (e.g., conjunction “and”)
Receptive Language – Receptive Vocab, Following multi-step directions with multiple information-carrying words
Social Language – Requesting, Taking Turns
Artic / Motor Speech – Carrier phrases such as “Put in”, “I see”, “Take out”
Fluency – Practice smooth speech while commenting or talking about toys.
Emergent Literacy – phonological awareness (initial/final sounds, syllables)
You can find Toy Box by playTOK on Boom LearningSM > here.

Reinforcers – Toy Box
For reinforcers with Toy Box theme, read this post Reinforcers – Toy Box (10, 20, 50, 100 trials) > here.
Read more about Christmas-themed activities in our other blog post“The Christmas Lights are Up!” > here.
The contents of this blog post are of my own opinion. The content and information contained are not meant to substitute professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your speech-language pathologist, physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your child’s condition.
*FULL DISCLOSURE: playTOK is an author of Boom CardsSM on Boom LearningSM (Boomlearning.com). In order to purchase and access materials, you will be required to create a Boom LearningSM account. I receive income from the purchases you make on Boom CardsSM and Boom CardsSM receives a commission. The images in my Boom CardsSM are created by, purchased and/or licensed to playTOK. Thank you for your support! You can read my full disclosure statement here.
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