Language catalyzing PAL winning toys and games are powerful additions to a child’s tool box, since children learn through play, and language is integral to learning! Our 2023 Top 10’s include a number of great winners that inspire imagination and story-telling with engaging props from the farm with Schleich’s “Lakeside Riding Center,” exploring water outdoors with Step2’s “Rain Showers Splash Tub,” to retelling scenes of everyone’s favorite cat lover, Gabby Cat by Spin Master. Promoting children’s critical thinking is a strong theme throughout this year’s winners, often combined with STEM skills as children design and build magnetic marble runs with “Squaregles,” get virtually transported on stage with famous magicians with Abacus Brand’s “Penn & Teller Magic Lab,” and learn coding with “Team Digger” by SimplyFun. The toy industry continues to value new toys, games and books to promote literacy. Kids listen to stories from familiar characters with “Storypod” and take read sharing to a new level with “Moonlite Story Collections” to encourage narrative development and listening comprehension.
Erika’s expertise has been tapped by FOX6 News in Milwaukee, PHL17 in Philadelphia, WSYR in Syracuse, Honest Company Blog, and ASHAsphere (official blog of the American Speech Language Hearing Association).
For Erika, great play is not just about fun, or language development, it’s about going deep in both. Her expertise has been built on science and thousands of hours of client experience. Each set of Top 10’s represents a breadth of themes and genres, but they all have one thing in common – they are trusted lists of fun products that boost learning through play. Here are 2023’s Top 10 PAL Picks – See her reviews at http://www.playonwords.com
TOP 10 TOYS: INFANT
- Alora the Unicorn by Baby GUND
- Baby Spring Float by SwimWays
- Food Truck Playset by GUND
- Grandpa Kevin’s Updated Classics by Missing Piece Press
- Lolo’s Boat Bead Maze by Bababoo and friends
- Lights N Music Baby Book by Yookidoo
- See-Touch-Hear Slothball by VTech
- Sustainably Soft Baby Doll Collection by Baby GUND
- Take Me With You Zebra by VTech
- Urban Gymotion Lay to Sit-Up Play by Yookidoo
TOP 10 TOYS: TODDLER
- 1.2.3 & Disney Winnie & Piglet’s Tree House
- 65th Anniversary Train by BRIO
- EggXpress Yourself! by Battat
- Oh So Fun! Cleaning Cart by MindWare
- Rain Showers Splash Tub by Step2
- Rainy Ranch by Ravensburger
- Storypod by Craftie Fox
- Submarine Spray Station by Yookidoo
- Touch & Learn Wooden Activity Cube by LeapFrog
- Tree House Play World by Bababoo and friends
TOP 10 TOYS: PRESCHOOL
- Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart by LeapFrog
- Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Crane by Educational Insights
- Gabby’s Dollhouse Gabby Cat Friend Ship by Spin Master
- Gravitrax Junior Jungle Starter Set by Ravensburger
- Ice Cream Booth by Janod
- Kinetic Sand Deluxe Beach Castle by Spin Master
- Moonlite Story Collections
- My Baking Oven with Magic Cookies by Hape
- Panda’s Bamboo House by Hape
- Scribble Scrubbies Glow Lagoon by Crayola
TOP 10 GAMES: PRESCHOOL
- Best Dressed Banana by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Big City Builders by Ravensburger
- Cranium’s Hullabaloo by Funko Games
- Jump Jump Joey by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Logic! Case Starter Set by HABA
- Match It! Tangrams by The Learning Journey International
- My First Castle Panic by Fireside Games
- Pawvocados by Blue Orange Games
- Play It! Space Crusade by The Learning Journey International
- Safari Park Jr by Smart Games
TOP 10 TOYS: SCHOOL AGE
- Antarctic Expedition by Schleich
- Bumpas by Good Soul Brands
- Electronic Motors Catalyst by Tinkering Labs
- HD Coloring Kit by Crayola
- Home Grown Growing Kit by MindWare
- KEVA Design Woods by MindWare
- Lakeside Riding Center by Schleich
- Oggsmore Keep: A Castle Saga by Squaregles
- Penn & Teller Magic Lab Virtual Reality by Abacus Brands
- Yeti Yikes! Ski Mountain by Squaregles
TOP 10 GAMES: SCHOOL AGE
- Cranium’s 25th Anniversary Game by Funko Games
- Cranium’s Big Brain Detective Game by Funko Games
- Free Fall by ThinkFun
- Future Fans Football by Future Fans
- Gravity Maze Builder by ThinkFun
- Hedbanz Lightspeed by Spin Master
- Narwhal Waterfall by MindWare’s Peaceable Kingdom
- Tapple 10 by USAopoly
- Team Digger by SimplyFun
- Twizzle Twisting Logic Puzzle by MindWare
Each holiday season, millions are spent on kids’ toys, games and books. These PAL winners above are not only great fun but also encourage rich language development. This optimizes your toy purchases to build language while maintaining all the fun. Now’s the time to be intentional about your child’s toy chest, game drawer, bookshelf and tablet!
ABOUT PLAYONWORDS, LLC
Playonwords.com was founded by well-respected speech-language pathologist, Cardamone. Her 16 years championing language rich play, esteemed PAL Award, popular blog, and insightful tips to parents set her apart as the leading advocate for the language component in toys.
Thousands of 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 established 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 and caregivers how to get the most from toys, games and books to build language and underlying cognitive skills.
Media Contact
Erika Cardamone, Play On Words, 1 2032284438, [email protected], playonwords.com
SOURCE Play On Words
