Holiday Gift Guide – Birth to 12 months
The holidays are just around the corner! With the busyness of the season, the OWLS Therapy team wants to help with your holiday shopping. These gift guides meet our SLP stamp of approval. The featured items encourage cognitive development, fine motor skills, social pragmatic skills, feeding development, and expressive and receptive language skills. And notice- about 95% of the items do not require a battery!
If your child receives services from a speech-language pathologist or other specialist, do not hesitate to ask them for more specific gift suggestions. They will be able to tailor their recommendations based on their individual needs.
The first gift guide will feature items recommended for babies from birth to 12 months of age. Enjoy and happy shopping!
The following includes OWLS Therapy Amazon Affiliate links
Trip trap chair
This wonderful high chair will grow with your child. Proper positioning during mealtime is so important for breathing, safety, focus while eating, and hand-to-mouth coordination. A child should be sitting in the 90-90-90 position: 90 degrees at hips, knees, and ankles.
Water play mat
A play mat with sensory experiences and cause-and-effect learnin
PQ chews
Safe teether for proprioceptive input and sensory exploration with the jaw and tongue.
Puzzle
This is a great puzzle for matching skills and early identification of common animals. The knobs make it easy for little ones’ emerging hand-eye coordination and gross and fine motor development!
Mirror
Mirrors are great to incorporate into tummy time. Making funny faces in the mirror is a great way to socialize and engage with your baby!
EZPZ plate
EZPZ plates are non-slip and microwave and dishwasher safe. They help promote self-feeding skills and fine motor development. Making mealtime enjoyable with this fun, brightly colored plate!
EZPZ cup
A great transition from bottle to open-mouth cup. Open-mouth cups support healthy oral, swallowing and speech development. Because this cup is small in size, it makes it easier for baby to hold and angle. No sippy cups here!
Num num spoons
Perfect spoons to help develop self-feeding skills! Easy for little ones’ hands to grab and texturized spoon surface to sooth gums.
Peek-a-boo book
The Peek-A-Boo book offers high contrast pictures for babies’ attention and connection with everyday objects. This book is easy to pack on the go and offers crinkle-filled sounds for a multisensory experience!
Ball Drop
An interactive toy to teach object permeance and early problem-solving skills.
Drip Drop Cups
A great toy for problem-solving skills and turn-taking!
About the Author
Janene Besch
Director/Speech-Language Pathologist
Janene Besch, née Martin, holds a Master’s degree in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from San Diego State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego. Janene is a member of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology
Read more >
More Stories
Blog
What’s the Deal with Dyslexia?
Is your preschooler having difficulty with rhyming and learning letter sounds? Is your kindergartener getting frustrated while learning to read? It may be time to consult the literacy experts and dive into a discussion about dyslexia!
It’s All Connected: Language and Learning
Oh the pressure of parenthood. You are constantly told that EVERY decision you make will impact your child for the rest of their lives. Sounds scary right?! Well, what if I told you that you have an opportunity to gain information and take action to lay a foundation for lifelong learning?
Pets Are Paw-some Speech Buddies
We all love our pets. They are the backbone of our families and give us that soothing cuddle at the end of a long day. BUT have you ever thought about how pets can also contribute to your child’s speech and language development?
Engaging Minds: The Power of Sensory Bins.
Discover the magic of sensory bins for kids! Engage their senses, boost cognitive development, and enhance language skills through fun play. Create beach or zoo-themed bins and watch them learn and explore! Sensational summer awaits! Contact us for expert support.
Summer is a time of fun, sunshine, and opportunities for continued learning and exploration. For parents that may be less familiar with the educational impact of a long break, the “summer slide” is the term used to describe the …
The world is our playground! Play is critical to language development and presents children with an extraordinary amount of learning opportunities.
National Donut Day is June 2nd. Here is a fun craft to celebrate while working on speech skills!
Communication: Beyond the Basics of Speech and Hearing
As a parent, it can be frustrating to guess what your child wants or needs, especially when you have a never-ending to-do list on top of it all. And what is every parent’s thought during this stressful whirlwind of tantrums and tirades? “JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!”
After 10 years of serving Northern Virginia, we are proud to announce the addition of OWLS Therapy in Philadelphia’s Main Line!
Picture this: You are sitting in the doctor’s office filling out a questionnaire about your child’s development and whether or not they are showing signs of autism.