31/03/2023
Children absolutely adore playing with Pop the Pig and often ask to play with it repeatedly!
This toy is not only great on its own, but it becomes even more engaging when used with mini objects instead of the included burgers.
Parents can use this as an opportunity to teach vocabulary by naming the foods that the pig will eat.
Additionally, expanding the child's mean length of utterance (MLU) can be achieved by encouraging them to express what they want to eat or what the pig is currently eating.
Furthermore, parents can challenge their child's comprehension by asking "WH" questions such as what the pig wants to eat, who will give it to him (the child or someone else playing), and where to find the food the pig wants (e.g. beside, in front, behind, in, on, or under certain objects on the table).
Encouraging the child to sort the mini objects into categories such as fruits, vegetables, or sweets can also be a fun exercise.
Additionally, asking the child to feed the pig only edible items while throwing away non-edible items such as cars, bags, and umbrellas can be a great way to work on this skill.
To further enhance the activity, parents can use mini objects that have the phonemes or phonological patterns they are targeting, and add other target words to the mix (e.g. VC eat the egg, /t/ take the tomato, /k/ cut the acorn...).
These are just a few examples of how Pop the Pig can be used to promote learning and development in children.
