Playing with Potatohead

Potatohead is a toy that you can work on many goals. There’s identifying body parts. You can put out two pieces and have them choose between them. Or hold up a piece and have them name it. You can hold up a piece and point to the body part on yourself or on them.

Requesting is a big goal to work on as well. Especially if they tend to just point and whine. You can work on just saying or signing “more” for more pieces. As they get older you can work on the carrier phrase “I want”. I usually start with “want eyes” or “want more”. Once they have the 2 word phrases down, add the “I”.

You can use the pieces to work on colors, if you have multiple sets like I do. Like blue or green shoes, red or blue noses. Those are the ones I have. Besides naming colors, it would also work on expanding their utterances. So instead of just saying “shoes”, try “blue shoes”.

If you have the pieces for Mr and Mrs Potatohead you can work on gender, boy/girl, he/she. That is for a child with skills closer to a 3 year old. They may begin with referring to it as the mommy and daddy Potatoes. I've had a kid that said "mommy mouth" for Mrs Potatohead's lipstick lips.

Some goals that people don't think of to work on with Potatohead is using action words.  Ask them to make Potatohead jump, sing, sleep. You can also work on pretend play. Making sleeping sounds, snoring. I use the microphone to sing "Lalala". You can use it to sing any sounds "bababa, bobobo, deedeedee." Kids usually like it and find it funny. You can make the Potatohead sleep or eat and work on using the verb form, enidng with -ing "Sleeping, eating". You can ask them what is Potato doing? or tell them "Potato is sleeping."

 If you have two Potatoheads they can talk to each other. You can work on some social skills, saying "hi/bye", having a conversation if you're working on something specific.

You can work on the concept of one, with give me one arm or one ear. Also the concept of all, put all the pieces away. You can say “pull, push, on, off” as you take the pieces on and off. The kids always like it more when you're overly dramatic "puuuulllllll, puuuussssshhhhhh." They find it funny when pulling it and it pops out and they fall back a little.

Play, have fun and take it day by day.