Toy Spotlight: Melissa and Doug Sandwich Stacking Game

by | Feb 26, 2016 | Fine motor activities, Gross Motor, Occupational Therapy, Play, Speech & Language, Toys

February Toy Spotlight: Melissa and Doug Sandwich Stacking Game

sandwich game

Photo from amazon.com

This toy includes the following materials:
-Bread gloves
-Sandwich stacking pieces
-Sandwich cards

4 Ways to Play:

  1. Race/relay
    Set up the sandwich pieces on opposite sides of the room. An adult or peer can shout out a sandwich piece for the child to gather. The child can then log roll, jump, use a hoppity ball, or do an animal walk to gather the piece. Make the activity more challenging by increasing the number of pieces for the child to gather at a time and increase the movement required. The cards can be incorporated to sequence each piece in a specific order. This activity provides an organizing, movement based activity that addresses following directions, visual perceptual skills, and cooperative play skills.

  2. Scavenger hunt
    Hide the sandwich pieces throughout a safe space for the child to search and find. This can be a great opportunity for the child to practice visual attention by searching and scanning. Concepts of “hot versus cold” can be incorporated to help the child problem solve and locate the sandwich piece.

  3. Pretend play
    Use the sandwich pieces for pretend play. Take turns with the child playing “chef” in the kitchen. The pieces can be used to simulate a meal time, emphasizing meal prep, setting the table, eating and conversational exchange during meal time. Some children also like to pretend they are at a restaurant, where they cook and serve the meal to their customers. Pretend play is an excellent opportunity for children to act out play themes in a creative manner that can improve social skill development, executive functioning skills, and motor skill development.

  4. Play catch
    Take turns being the “chef”. The child sits on one side of the room, and the adult or peer sits on the other. Children can ask for the pieces they need with words or sentences, depending on their language level (e.g., “Tomato.” “Jelly.” or “I need tomato.” or “May I have some tomato, please?”). Toss the piece the child needs, and let him/her “catch” it on the velcro bread glove. Once the sandwich is complete, you can take turns “eating” it, or offer it to others while working on asking questions (ex: “Do you want a sandwich?”) or answering questions (ex: “What toppings does it have?”).

Blog post by Katie Woolard, MS, OTR/L and Kelly Jones, MA, CCC-SLP