Playing with Diaper Boxes to Encourage Early Speech and Language Skills

Never let a good box go to waste!

My kids colored and decorated these old diaper boxes with stickers. Then they talked about where they were going and sang “Row Row Row Your Boat”. (Proud mom moment as they did this all on their own!)

I’m sharing play ideas because PLAY IS COMMUNICATION and it’s your child’s favorite form of communication.

Don’t throw those diaper boxes out… let your toddler push it around “push”, collect things in it “in”, or play hide n seek in it “peek-a-boo”!

Remember to flip it over also! That slit in the bottom of every diaper box is an instant mailbox! Slide in pieces of paper, pictures cut out from magazines, sturdy flashcards, or large plastic coins. Say “bye bye” to all of the disappearing items.

Large boxes can be houses, trucks, cars, shopping carts, dump trucks, mail trucks, boats, airplanes, etc. etc. Just give it to your child and watch the magic happen – the possibilities are endless.

The need to fill up boxes and dump them out can be a strong desire for toddlers.  Use that as your opportunity to pair tossing toys into a box (like basketball) with a “Clean Up” song!  Teaching them to put toys away in a song or as a game may be helpful in the future.

Target practice or just feel the need to throw/kick stuff?  An empty box makes a wonderful hoop or goal!  “SCOOOOOOORE!”

Cut the box open, lay it flat and now you have a large painting surface – get out the finger paint or paint brushes!

Follow your child’s lead and use simple language (2-3 word phrases) and meaningful sounds to encourage their creativity and play ideas.