Pretend Play
Playskool Mr Potato Head Classic
The original build-a-face friend, with 13 mix-and-match parts: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, feet, hat and that famous moustache. Body parts are core early vocabulary, and no toy teaches them more playfully — especially when the nose ends up where an ear should be.
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This toy stars in:
How to Use This Toy for Talking
Let your child explore first — follow their lead. Watch what they look at, copy what they do, and add words to their ideas rather than directing the play. Then weave in the goals below for your child's level. A few minutes of shared, chatty play beats a long structured session every time.
Speech Goals by Level
Pick your child's level — not sure? Read the level guide. Each level shows goals for understanding (receptive language — what your child takes in) and using words (expressive language — what they say). Understanding usually comes first, so it's completely normal for the two to be at different levels. And every card has a step down and a step up — meet your child where they are on the day.
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Bronze · First Words
Understanding · receptive
- Point to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms and feet when named
- Follow 'Put the nose ON'
- Find the matching part on their own body: 'Where's YOUR nose?'
Using words · expressive
- Name parts: 'eye!', 'nose!', 'ear!'
- Say 'on!' and 'off!' as pieces go in and out
- Say 'uh-oh!' when a part falls off
- Say 'silly!' when the face goes wrong
Key concepts
- Body parts
- On/off
- In/out
- Silly
Finding it tricky? Drop all demands. Just play side by side and say the words for them — hearing words with zero pressure to speak is still powerful learning.
Too easy? If they copy words easily and use lots on their own, peek at Silver: take their word and add one of yours ('pop!' becomes 'big pop!').
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Silver · Phrases
Understanding · receptive
- Follow 2-step directions: 'Take the hat off AND put the ears on'
- Understand 'he' and 'his': 'Where are HIS shoes?'
Using words · expressive
- 'His nose!'
- 'Hat on!'
- 'Two eyes!'
- 'That's wrong!'
- 'He needs feet!'
Language structures
- Possessive pronoun + noun (his ear)
- Number + noun (two arms)
- Verb + preposition (put on, take off)
Finding it tricky? Step back to the Bronze single words. Say their word, then add just ONE more ('ball' → 'big ball') — no need for them to repeat it.
Too easy? If two-word phrases are flowing, start modelling the Gold sentences during play and leave a pause — many children will surprise you.
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Gold · Sentences & Stories
Sentences to model · expressive
- 'I put his eyes on top and his hat on the bottom — that's so silly!'
- 'He can't walk because he doesn't have any feet'
- 'First I'll do the eyes, then the nose, then the mouth'
Higher language
- Explaining what parts do: 'He needs ears so he can hear'
- Describing a finished creation: 'My potato has an angry face and a fancy hat'
- Giving instructions: 'YOU close your eyes, and guess which part I took away!'
- Absurdity talk: 'A nose can't go there — that's where his arm goes!'
Finding it tricky? Shrink your sentences back to the Silver phrases and slow right down — long sentences are harder to process in the middle of exciting play.
Too easy? Move into storytelling: ask 'what happened?' after play, retell it together, or explore the final bands of the Talking Journey.
Julia's Parent Tip
Deliberately get it wrong. Hold the ear up to the mouth hole and say, confused, 'Is this... his MOUTH?' Wait. The urge to correct a grown-up is one of the strongest talking triggers there is — most children can't resist shouting 'Nooo, that's his EAR!'
Ready to turn this toy into talk time?
Grab it on Amazon, then come back to this page during play — the goals work best with the toy in hand.
