Who doesn’t love bubbles? They’re cheap and easy and the ultimate year-round toy! Throw in some bubble guns/continuous blowers? I have one word for you: AMAZING! Kids absolutely adore the constant stream of hundreds of bubbles, and parents get a well-deserved break. We love bubble guns and blowers in our house!
But, if you’re working with your little one to boost their language skills, continuously blowing bubbles for your child (or having a toy that does it for you) means that your child doesn’t have to communicate what they want.
The good news is, you CAN help your toddler say more words with bubbles. Next time you want to play bubbles with your little one, try some of these tips:
- Screw the cap tightly on the bottle in between blowing the bubbles and wait. Doing this creates an opportunity for your child to communicate that they need help or want more. Encourage them to use words like “more,” “help,” “bubbles,” and “open” by modeling and repeating these words to them.
If your child gets frustrated with waiting, that’s okay. Don’t withhold the bubbles just to get them to say words. Model what you want to happen with words and gestures, and then open the bubbles back up and start blowing. You’re still giving them lots and lots of exposure to words.
- Model words BEFORE you blow. Words like “more,” “open,” “bubbles,” and “blow” are great ones to use.
- Model words AFTER you blow. You can talk about the size of the bubbles (big/small) as well as their shape (circle) and location (close/far away). Have fun with different ways to pop them (stomp, karate chop, clap, use an elephant trunk!), and you can even add fun sound effects (make a popping sound or animal sounds).
- Model words when you are FINISHED. Once all the bubbles have popped, and bubble time is over, you can repeat words like, “all gone,” “all done,” “top on,” and “close.”
Children learn best with LOTS of repetition and are more likely to imitate what is modeled for them. Even if your toddler doesn’t use words, though, they can still communicate with you using gestures (pointing at the bottle, holding the bubbles out to you) or vocalizations (babbles, screeching, other sounds). Encourage all forms of communication!
Remember to HAVE FUN! You and your toddler will both be much more relaxed if you are playing and enjoying your time together. Learning comes easier when you are having fun.
Want More Ideas for Play Time?
If you liked these tips for encouraging language development while playing with bubbles, I think you’ll love my YouTube series Talking with Toys. Whether your little one likes cars, dolls, dinosaurs, or Magnatiles, I have a ton of tips and fun ideas to help your toddler say more words while you have fun together. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, so you won’t miss new videos when I add to the series.
Worried About a Speech Delay?
Maybe you’ve already been trying some of these strategies and aren’t seeing the results you were hoping for. Now you’re wondering whether your toddler has a speech and language delay. I’ve been there. I know how it feels to worry that your child isn’t hitting milestones, so I’ve put together a YouTube video to give you some tools to help.
In the video, you’ll learn:
- What typical speech and language development looks like
- The top signs of speech and language delay to look out for
After watching the video, if you think you need some more help, sign up for my FREE workshop where I share my proven method to help your toddler say more words. You will learn:
- The five steps needed to get your toddler saying their first 50 words and beyond
- The three things you should STOP doing when trying to help your toddler talk and what to do instead
- Your family superpower to help you leverage teaching your toddler to talk without adding more to your already full plate!
I have helped thousands of families just like yours, and I can’t wait to hear how this method works for you and your little one!
You can do this! I’m rooting for you!
Melissa
