Let's Play the LSL Way

Let’s Play the LSL Way: Playground Fun

Playgrounds are active places to grow your child’s brain for listening and talking. Get started with the Let’s Play the LSL Way ideas for your Busy Baby, Terrific Toddler, or Playful Preschooler.

Almost from the start, babies like a change of scenery as they explore the world around them. Your baby in your arms can enjoy the fresh air, sights, and sounds of the playground with kids playing, the whoosh of water from the sprinkler, and the squeak of the swings. Until your little one is toddling on their own two feet, try some of these LSL outdoor baby games and let the fun begin.

Sing and sway. Hold your baby in your arms and sing your favorite tunes while rocking back and forth to the rhythm. “You are My Sunshine” is a good sunny-day song. Try a slow song, then a fast song. Your busy baby will love bouncing gently up and down in your arms while hearing the sound of your voice and enjoying the fresh air.

Where are you? Does your playground have a tube or tunnel? When it’s empty, try placing your baby on their tummy just inside the tunnel where they can glimpse through the entrance. Play “peekaboo” by having daddy or a friend pop around the other side and peek. To get crawlers moving, place your busy baby at one end of the tube while someone calls from the other end. “Listen! I hear your name. Grandma is calling your child’s name.” Try sitting in the tunnel with your little one on your lap and sing a song. Your voice will sound delightful as it reverberates in the tube.

Swing! Once your baby has fairly good head control and can sit up with support (for most little ones, around six months old), they will be ready to try the bucket-shaped swings. Stand in front of the swing, rather than pushing from the back and take it slow. Your baby will love seeing your smiling face. Try singing “Swinging, swinging to and fro. Swinging, swinging (your name) loves it so!”

Toddlers are delightfully curious, so follow your child’s lead by talking about and playing with whatever has their attention, whether it is digging in the sand or hanging from monkey bars. Other times, give your toddler the power of choice. “Do you want to swing or climb up up up the ladder?” Encourage your toddler to use the words they can like “push,” “more,” or “push me.” Then, expand and model more language such as “Push me please.” Here are playground LSL Tips to try with your toddler.

Talk about action verbs. “You’re climbing the ladder! Up, up, up. Climb higher! You’re up on top!” Young children need a variety of different types of words in their beginning vocabulary—not just nouns! Give your child the opportunity to hear lots of action words at the playground: climb, jump, spin, run, hop, ride, sit, hang, stop, go, and play. Model the verbs by actually doing the actions. Can your child tell you what they are doing?

Be descriptive. While at the swings, talk with your toddler about holding on tightly, being pushed, swinging high and low, fast and slow. Much like a sports announcer, describe the play-by-play. Talk out loud about what you see at the playground, like the playhouse, the drinking fountain, or even a bench.

Expand location concepts. “Where are you” is a fun playground game. Play hide and seek. Hide “under” the slide. Use location words as you play - in, on, under, next to, beside, behind, and other places. Talk about hiding on top of the slide, under the bridge, or in the sandbox.

Four and five-year-olds are learning to cooperate with others during play. Swings and slides encourage preschoolers to learn to take turns while decks and bridges encourage group and pretend play. The goal of the LSL approach is for your child with hearing loss to develop listening and spoken language skills just like their hearing friends. Developing social skills during play is vital for your child’s LSL journey.

Research also tells us that preschoolers who hear at least 40 million words in the first four years of life develop early conversational skills, learn to read on time, perform better in school, and have more communication opportunities in the future. The playground is a word-rich environment, so use these LSL suggestions with your preschooler to expand their language skills.

Be social. Take time to pre-teach social rules that take place on the playground. Does your child say, “My turn” or “Can I have a turn?” when playing? Practice greetings and posing questions like, “Do you want to play?” or “What’s your name?” Model listening to the other children and how to reply. Encourage social games like playing catch, jumping rope, chase games, hide & go seek, and exploring nature.

Talk about details. Help your preschooler with hearing loss meet the 40 million word goal! One way is to think ahead and model new vocabulary and concepts to your child. If you are swinging, talk about high/low, slow/fast, big/ little, and quiet/creaky. Describe the slides as bumpy/smooth,long/short, or straight/curvy. Talk about crawling through the tunnel, under a bridge, and going across the monkey bars.

Listen and do. Use your preschooler’s new vocabulary with a fun game. You could say, “On your mark, get set, go!” and give listening directions to follow. “Go down the slide,” or “Go down the blue bumpy slide.” For more mature listeners, “Touch the bridge and climb up the ladder.” Take turns and encourage your preschooler to use their words to tell you directions to follow.