Playonwords.com Presents Their Spring 2023 PAL Awards - Best Toys, Games and Media that Spark Language Development Through Play
PHILADELPHIA (PRWEB) June 23, 2023 -- Play is the one of the most powerful activities a child can do. When children play, they’re experimenting, problem solving, storytelling, collaborating and learning through each experience. Play is a fundamental aspect of childhood that supports children’s holistic development, including cognitive, physical, social, emotional and creative domains. In a post pandemic world, parents and caregivers have become even more attuned to their children’s Mental Emotional and Social Health (MESH). Play allows children to build these critical MESH skills through perseverance, storytelling, and connection.
Drawing children and adults to play together becomes more natural when toys and games are incorporated. Building and nurturing these relationships with our kiddos and being a “safety net” becomes our highest priority as they navigate moments without us. Friendship conflicts, competition and comparisons, acceptance and tolerance, and building their authentic selves becomes so important in these early developmental years.
Play encourages self-awareness and self-regulation. During play, children use their imaginations, take risks, negotiate for turns with peers, and practice important language and conversation skills. It’s these critical experiences that help our children build confidence, self-management, and relationship skills that lead to responsible decision making.
The PAL Award continues to seek out the best toys and games that foster learning through play and encourage language development, flexible thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Playonwords.com helps toy brands and consumers alike see the strategic value of language learning in play through its helping to build vocabulary, foster cooperation, express emotion, kindle creativity and expand descriptive and problem solving capacities. The PAL Award on the internet, packaging and in print media differentiates brands who know the marketplace now demands products that are not only fun, but also infused with learning potential. The gold seal with three smiley faces tells customers that more than great entertainment is to be found on the box, book cover or app license.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT: Erika’s experience in pediatric speech-language therapy has given her an eye for the best products to build attention, vocabulary and concepts through play, preparing children for their first sounds, words and sentences. Whether they’re building cities with tracks and roads, exploring water play in the bath, understanding turn-taking during gameplay, or using multi-sensory play through movement, sounds, and touch, kids learn essential early language skills.
- 3-in-1 Tummy Time to Toddler Piano by VTech
- 65th Anniversary Train by BRIO
- Big City Builders by Ravensburger
- Bottle Buddies by Finturely
- Best Dressed Banana by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Catch ’N’ Sprinkle Fishing Set by Yookidoo
- Design & Drill Rivet Pop Workshop by Educational Resources
- Learn With Me Animal Farm & Space Rocket by The Learning Journey International
- Jump Jump Joey by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Party Time Bingo by The Speak Boutique
- Take Me With You Zebra by VTech
- See-Touch-Hear Sloth Ball by VTech
- Urban Gymotion Lay to Sit-Up Play by Yookidoo
- Water Seesaw with Boat by PLAYMOBIL
READING AND WRITING: As children grow older, literacy becomes a focus in academics. Learning their first functional words and phrases, rhyming words, creating new words during gameplay, using a magic mat that allows for tons of writing practice, and learning fun facts on your favorite themes, all pick up essential skills to advance reading and writing.
- Bear's Dress & Discover Book by VTech
- Disney Word Around by ThinkFun
- Learning Fun Totes Alphabet & Numbers by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Lights ’N’ Music Baby Book by Yookidoo
- Oh So Fun! Fairy Chalk Set by MindWare
- Outdoor Easel by Mondo Llama
- Scissors Skill Activity Kit by Crayola
- Tapple 10 by USAopoly
- Wixels by Crayola
LANGUAGE STRUCTURE, CRITICAL THINKING AND REASONING: These outstanding products can build language structure, critical thinking and reasoning, often teaching vocabulary, concepts or grammar while delivering fun. Following directions to wow an audience with magic, seek and find puzzles that glow in the dark, exercising MESH skills through problem solving and flexible thinking to promote resilience and innovation.
- Ancient Hidden City by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Cranium 25th Anniversary Game by Funko Games
- Cranium Big Brain Detective Game by Funko Games
- Explore STEM with Marie Curie & Explore STEM with Ada Lovelace by MindWare
- FreeFall by ThinkFun
- Fruit Colors Learning Smoothie by LeapFrog
- Hocus Pocus Magic Show by MindWare
- Match It! Tangrams by The Learning Journey International
- Mish Mash by USAopoly
- My First Castle Panic by Fireside Games
- Play It! Space Crusade by The Learning Journey International
- Team Digger by SimplyFun
- Twizzle Twisting Tile Logic Puzzle by MindWare
- VR Oceans by Abacus Brands
STORY-TELLING / PRETEND PLAY: Whether creating prehistoric stories about dinosaurs, creating conversation at the horse stables, or listening to dynamic tales of your favorite characters from an audio-box, children enter the world of pretend, making their own stories with plenty of flexible props to guide their imagination. Oral story-telling precedes writing as kids learn the steps to create a good narrative.
- Animated “Alora the Unicorn” by Baby GUND
- Antarctic Expedition by Schleich
- DinoMazing Egg Decorator by Hey Buddy Hey Pal
- Dino Super Dome by Winston & Olive
- Floating Figures by SwimWays
- Gabby Girl’s Purr-ific Pool Playset by Spin Master
- Lakeside Riding Center by Schleich
- Oggs & Erggs Character Packs by Squaregles
- Panda’s Bamboo House by Hape
- Rain Showers Splash Tub by Step2
- Spill-Proof Washable Paint Kit by Crayola
- Submarine Spray Station by Yookidoo
- Sustainably Soft Plush by Baby GUND
- Switch & Go Hatch & Roar Eggs by VTech
- Toniebox Audio Player by tonies
- Tree House Play World by Bababoo and friends
- What’s the Story? by The Speak Boutique
SOCIAL LANGUAGE: Complementary to pretend play, social language blossoms when children play with toys and games hat encourage extended social interactions. Naming, and recognizing emotions in oneself and others by exploring “Egg-spressions”, taking turns during gameplay, or exploring the outdoors with a friend, children understand and manage their emotions, leading to stronger EQ's.
- Atomic Power Popper with Sticky Target by HogWild
- Baby Spring Float by SwimWays
- Big Feelings Pineapple Deluxe Set by Learning Resources
- BIZYBOO by Vango Toys
- EggXpress Yourself by Battat
- Eye Spy Card Game by Hapinest
- Fluffy Weight
- Hullabaloo by Funko Games
- Mindful Maze Garden Pack by hand2mind
- Launch ’N’ Race by Funko Games
- Shark Rocket by SwimWays
- Sonic Bounce Ball by Aerobie
- Swim Trainer Life Jacket by SwimWays
- Zoom-O High Flying Turbo Disc Launcher by Blip Toys
ABOUT PLAYONWORDS.COM
Playonwords.com is fueled by well-respected speech-language pathologist, Erika Cardamone. Her 17 years championing language rich play, lead reviewer for the PAL Award, popular blog, and insightful tips to parents set her apart as the leading advocate for the language component in toys.
Over 10,000 hours working directly with children has shown her that a unique set of the best toys, games and books have the capability to develop language while delivering great play.
Studies show:
> Kids with highest IQs at three, had the most words at one and two
> Language learning is cumulative – early words => early sentences => language & reading
> Most kids maintain their verbal advantage through childhood
> Creative pretend play that sparks story-telling can advance future literacy
Erika hopes that parents will recognize the PAL Award to identify unique toys, games and books that through their design, quality and character, encourage play that advances language. PAL winners in the hands of kids, spark fun and creative play with lots of talk. Such toys, recognized on the basis of her child development expertise, are complemented by practical coaching in her blog, showing parents, caregivers and teachers how to get the most from toys, games and books to build language and underlying cognitive skills.
Erika Cardamone, Play On Words, http://playonwords.come, 1 2032284438, [email protected]
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