Children acquire language in stages, through interaction with the adults and children in their lives. In addition to being regularly spoken to by people, babies can pick up additional language through television, radio, books, and toys. Although learning how to talk is something that comes mostly effortlessly [1] as babies and toddlers hear more and more words, we've compiled a list of chatty toys that can help them to acquire more words through repetition, songs, and games.
Keep scrolling for the playthings that may help to teach your little ones new words, pronunciation skills, and more.
Baby Musical TV Remote Control
Along with its bright colours and many sounds, the Baby Musical TV Remote Control [3] ($13) also says numbers zero through nine in English, Spanish, and French, which gives babies 6 months and up the first tools to begin pronouncing those words (and counting!) themselves.
LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
The LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book [4] ($16) introduces babies 18 months old and up to more than 100 age-appropriate words chosen by learning experts.
Sesame Street Rock and Rhyme Elmo
The Sesame Street Rock and Rhyme Elmo [5] ($24) has 14 phrases and five songs that he cycles through, introducing kids to various words — in both English and Spanish!
Musical Turtle Toy
This adorable Musical Turtle Toy [6] ($29) has four play modes that allow kids to sing songs, make patterns, count numbers, and learn letters along with their turtle. It comes with a built-in bilingual feature so kids can learn pronunciations in both English and Spanish.
VTech Touch & Teach Word Book
This VTech Touch & Teach Word Book [7] ($22) teaches kids more than 100 words through its 12 detailed and touch-sensitive pages.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy
The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy [8] ($14, also available in a pastel version [9]) isn't just super cute and cuddly — it has more than 75 sounds and songs that introduce 100 first words like parts of the body, shapes, and numbers.
LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone
The LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone [10] ($18) has more than 15 activities that encourage imaginative play and teach kids basic conversational skills.
ThinkFun Zingo Sight Words
Toddlers and little kids can practice reading and speaking sight words through ThinkFun Zingo Sight Words [11] ($22). The game encourages prereaders and early readers to recognise some of the most common words, bridging reading a word mentally with verbal pronunciation.
Rhyming Fun-to-Know Puzzles
These 24 two-sided Rhyming Fun-to-Know Puzzles [12] ($10) help kids learn common vocabulary words through pictures and teaches the concept of rhyming.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Learning Home
Babies can have 360-degree fun with the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Learning Home [13] ($129), which has three "Smart Stages" learning levels in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Its more than 200 songs, sounds, and phrases will introduce kids to colours, shapes, numbers, the alphabet, and so much more.