Stroller walk language fun!
It’s summer and warm, which means lots of time for strollers walks! While we all love to have that moment of peace while our littles stare off into the world, there are times we also need to keep them preoccupied while we walk! A stroller walk is a perfect time to build language and interact with your child!
Emerging and new talkers
If your little one is just learning to talk, pick a few, single words and use them over and over throughout your walk!
Examples of words you can use:
“Go!”
“Stop!”
“Bird!”
“Tree!”
“Dog!”
You can make a game of it too! Stop the stroller suddenly and say, “Stop!” Then say, “Go!” and start moving. Do this a few times and see if your baby will vocalize or say a word to direct you when to stop/go! Babies LOVE realizing that they have the power to make the stroller stop and go!
You can also label! I like to say to my child, “Let’s look for dogs!” Every time I see a dog, I stop the stroller, point, and say, “dog!” Then I say, “Can you help me?” Sometimes my child may point, but other times they use words!
You can also use stroller walks to encourage gestures! Show your baby how to point! “Look, a dog!” (Point to the dog).
These casual language games feel very natural when out for a walk, and it’s a great way to talk about what your child sees and what interests them.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova
Talkers that are putting words together
If your baby or toddler is already using words (at least 50), put words together to talk about what you see!
Examples:
“I see a car!”
“Big tree!”
“Red truck!“
“A dog! The dog says, “woof!
“Fast bike!”
By putting words together, while talking about what you and your child see, you are helping them take words they know and combine them! You are also helping them learn new words to use with vocabulary that they already have.
What do you love to do while out on walks with your little one? Let us know in the comments below!
