Zingo is one of my and the kids' favorite games! Elementary and even up to middle schoolers (and sometimes beyond) always ask me to play this game. What I love about Zingo is the simplicity. Basic turn taking skills, common objects, matching, sharing, talking, articulation, the possibilities are endless! 

How Zingo works is the chip slider gives two chips with pictures. Sometimes they match your card, sometimes they don't. If they don't you can put the chips back into the slider or give to a friend that has a match. The first one to complete their board shouts Zingo. You can play corners, rows, diagonal, etc.

Here's how I use it!
Expressive:

• Articulation of sounds
• Asking and telling "I got a ___ and a ____" or  "Does anyone need a ____?"
• Labeling "It's a ghost"
• Function of objects "What does a ghost say?" "what do you do with a bat?"
• Yes/No "Do you have a match?"

Receptive:

• Categories 
• Understanding part/whole concepts
• Understanding word associations
• Vocabulary
• People and places

Fine Motor:

• Pushing the chip into the tiny slot requires a bit of pressure and precision

Social:

• My turn/your turn
• Sharing (I don't have this chip, but you do)
• Waiting for our turn again
• Discussion of objects "I love cake! What's your favorite flavor? When is your birthday?"

This game costs about $20 and is worth every penny! Here's a link if you're interested.

I'll begin with one of my favorite toys to use with kids! This laugh and learn piggy bank is super cute and kids seem drawn to it! It has coins that fit inside a slot on the top of the pigs head, and if there are batteries and turned on, it will count as you insert the coins. I don't pay much attention to the counting though. I use this toy to get repetitions of targets in mostly. If I want the child to say 'in', which is one of the functional words we always work on first, this is perfect! I will hold up two coins and ask which one they want, sometimes I will ask them to take a color, or hold two in one hand vs. one in the other so they have to pick which has more, or which has one. 

You can touch the pigs nose and he will say some phrases and sing some songs. The nose is great for practicing saying nose, finding the child's own nose, turning things on, etc.

The key is, as you will notice will nearly every toy I review, to have the adult in complete control of the toy for the most part. If they can touch the nose, they won't be as motivated to say things like on and nose. Withholding it until you get an attempt is the key!

Modeling these targets is also important. Before you start having children use words and make requests, you have to model how to play with this and what you want them to do and say. Then you can move onto these targets and try controlling the toy, but at first, let the child play and model how to play with it; otherwise, they will likely get frustrated and end up mad at you and the toy.

Expressive

•     Verbal targets words: In, Open, colors, counting numbers, on, nose, pig, off
•     Verbal targets phrases: I want + single word [on, open, more]

Receptive Langauge

• Find the color
• More vs. less
• How many 
• Where is your nose? (body parts)

Fine Motor:

• Picking up the thin coin and fitting it in the slot is great for fine motor skills practice as well. 

This toy usually runs about $14. I will include a link here if you want to see more of it.