sign: PLAY! Tips on How to Sign While PLAYING

Last Saturday I had class online for quite a chunk of time and I'm very happy to say Lil was able to PLAY by herself with all her toys (OK - this is only one picture with one toy, but class was in session - I couldn't take tons of pic! In this picture she's playing games with the dog on the couch!). Just goes to show she's growing up! PLAYING is a great time to model some signs with your little one. 




Depending on what toys they are playing with you have tons of options!  Lil has musical toys, animal toys, blocks, puzzles, books... You can imagine all the potential to sign there!

PLAY

Some Tips:

1. Pop-up toys and Jack-in-the-Box toys are fun & repetitive.  While playing, consider signs WHERE, MORE, OPEN, CLOSE, GO, and/or the relevant animal signs.
2. Very simple games or toys allow for simple MY TURN and YOUR TURN (e.g. musical toys, a shape sorter, something that requires different pieces.) 
3. Vehicles such as airplanes, cars, trucks, and trains are entertaining because they can move, may make sounds, and can be manipulated many different ways for play.  Drive or fly them FAST or SLOW, make them STOP, GO,
   & CRASH, or hide them in a tunnel, under a blanket, etc.  Ride-on toys are also useful here. 
4. Puzzles and shape sorters provide opportunities to use signs such as IN,OUT, WHERE, HELP, and color / animal signs (if they are on the toy).
5. Blocks, stacking cups, and nesting cubes are fun for building towers and knocking them down, using the signs BUILD, MORE, UP, DOWN, and FALL.  Cups can be used to hide and find small objects with signs WHERE? Large blocks can be used to play peek-a-boo, encouraging the signs WHERE, MOMMY, BABY.
6. Tea Party Time with mommy, dolls, and stuffed animals!  Sign MORE, DRINK, EAT, ALL DONE. 

These are only some ideas we have :) More to come soon for older babies. 

What ideas do you have? What play time routines do you use sign? 

Or want to use sign?!

Compliments of Sign2Me