TinyStepper
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Wooden Spoon Talking Stick

A wooden spoon becomes a 'talking stick' — only the holder speaks, and you must wait for the spoon to be handed over. Builds clean turn-taking and removes interruption pressure.

Activity details

2y–4y8 minslowindoorWooden Spoons

Instructions

Get ready
  • Find a wooden spoon. Hold it up: 'This is our talking spoon today.'
  • Explain the rule: 'The person holding the spoon talks. Everyone else just listens.'
  1. Find a wooden spoon. Hold it up: 'This is our talking spoon today.'
  2. Explain the rule: 'The person holding the spoon talks. Everyone else just listens.'
  3. You go first. Hold the spoon and say one short thing — 'I had toast for breakfast.'
  4. Hand the spoon to your child. Wait calmly while they take it.
  5. They speak. You stay completely silent. Just listen with your face.
  6. When they finish, they hand the spoon back. Take your turn slowly.
  7. Pass the spoon back and forth, three or four turns each.
  8. Put the spoon away. Tell your child: 'The talking spoon lives in this drawer. We'll get it out again tomorrow.'

Parent tip

Set out wooden spoons before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Relaxed child lying on a floor cushion with blanket and pinwheel in a cosy calm corner

What success looks like

A few quiet minutes together without pressure. If your child relaxes even slightly, that’s self-regulation building.

Pick up a wooden spoon and tell your child it's now a talking stick. Only the person holding the spoon may speak — everyone else listens. When the talker is finished, they pass the spoon to the next person, who then speaks. The clear physical handover removes the messy interruption-and-reply rhythm that makes disfluency worse, and it gives your child a moment to gather their thoughts before they start to speak. Turn-taking is one of the most reliable fluency supports there is.

Why it helps

The Stuttering Foundation advises parents to 'help your family develop listening and turn-taking habits' because children who stutter benefit from fewer interruptions and from listeners' full attention. A physical talking stick makes the abstract idea of turn-taking concrete enough for a toddler to grasp instantly — they can see and feel who has the floor. The NHS reinforces the same point about creating a relaxed environment where the child has space to talk without pressure.

Variations

  • Use the spoon at the dinner table to give every family member protected speaking turns at mealtimes.
  • For multiple children, the talking spoon turns into a circle game where each child gets their guaranteed turn.
  • Decorate the spoon together with a ribbon so it feels like a treasured object.

Safety tips

  • Use a smooth wooden spoon with no sharp edges or splinters.
  • Don't snatch the spoon back if your child holds on too long; let the slow handover happen.
  • Keep the spoon away from the kitchen so it stays special and not confused with cooking utensils.

Want to try another?

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