If your child is receiving speech therapy for speech sounds then you probably have speech sound homework; and if you are anything like me, you need fun ways to keep your child (and yourself!) engaged. Luckily there are several fun ways to practise speech sounds. Have a look at the list below and see what your child (and you) might enjoy!
Slice the Play-Doh
Roll Play-Doh into a long snake and have your child slice a piece each time they say ther sound.
Musical Cards
Play musical chairs using your child’s speech cards. When the music stops, quick find a card to sit on and say what it is!
Bean Bag Toss
Lay your child’s speech cards on the floor and toss a bean bag on the cards. Make sure you say what card you are aiming for and what card you hit!
Take a Picture
Use a phone or table to let your child take pictures of their speech cards. Place the speech cards in funny situations to add an element of silliness, and make sure your child tells you what they are taking a picture of!
Roll the Dice
- Create an obstacle course for your child to move through. Have your child roll the dice and say their target sound the number of times shown on the dice before they move to the next obstacle.
- Draw your own boardgame path on paper. Have your child roll the dice and say their target sound the number of times shown on the dice before they move to the next square.
Ready, Steady, Go!
Tape your child’s speech sound cards on a wall or door across the room. When you say “go,” you child has to run to the other side as fast as they can and grab a card. They then need to bring it back and tell you what it is. Add a timer to the game for an added element of fun.
What’s Missing?
Place several pictures or items with your child’s target sound on a table. Have your child study the table then close their eyes while you remove one picture or item. Can they tell you (with good speech) what is missing?
Picture Pairs
If you have cards with pairs of pictures that have your child’s target speech sound, there are several games you can play including:
- Memory
- Snap
- Go Fish
- Barrier Games – With a barrier between you so you can’t see the other person’s cards, take turns telling each other where to put each card. When you are finished compare how both of you have arranged your cards, it should be a mirror image!
Hide and Seek
- Hide pictures with your child’s target sounds around the room and have them go on a treasure hunt to find (and say!) their speech sound picture cards.
- Tape pictures with your child’s target sounds around the room and have them go on a treasure hunt in the dark with torches to find (and say!) their speech sound picture cards.
I Spy
Look for items in a picture book, around your home or when out and about that have your child’s target sound. Take pictures of what you spy to add some fun and give you the chance to practise the sound again when you talk about the pictures later.
Colouring
Make copies of your child’s speech cards or sound loaded colouring pages and colour them together while talking about the pictures.
Any Game Will Do
Incorporate speech sound practise into any of your child’s favourite games by having each person playing say a target word before taking their turn.
Tell a Story
Choose 5 to 10 words with your child’s target sound, and have your child tell a story using those words – the sillier the better! (Save this for when your child is working on their sound at the sentence or conversation level).
If you have a fun ways to practise speech sounds that we can add to this list, please let us know!
If you would like more information about children’s speech and language or speech therapy with South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy, please get in touch. Follow us on Facebook for more speech, language and feeding tips and sign up for South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy’s newsletter if you would like new posts sent directly to your inbox.