toys and kids: DIY Language Magnets

I made these for my son when he was very young - before he could talk. They are great for increasing vocabulary, promoting language development, strengthening communication skills, and decreasing frustration for children who are not yet talking. I initially put them on my fridge and let my son explore them. We talked about the pictures (I only started with a few at a time) and related them to the real thing when we could. Eventually I used them as a way to let him make choices at meal and snack time (when he wanted to) - great for instilling self-worth and giving them "control" over their choices (empowering them) at a young age. I would set a few aside at meal/snack time and ask him to pick what he would like to eat. He loved them.

(For older children they can also be used for sorting, categorizing, etc.)

All you need are MAGNET SHEETS from Office Max (and a computer and printer).

You google for pictures you want, copy them into a word document, print, and cut them out.

After so many requests for our food magnets and grocery lists we decided to make them accessible to you. We created a document (13 pages) that includes:

Benefits to your child (infant, toddler, beyond toddler)

Directions for both magnets and velcro (for those of you without magnetic refrigerator)

2 pages of fruit

1 1/2 pages of veggies

1 page of common foods

2 types of grocery lists

Click on button below for an instant download
Total Cost is $3.50