Speech Therapy or Playing Games?

You don’t need flashcards or fancy apps to help your child’s speech and language grow. Everyday play is one of the most powerful (and fun!) ways to build communication skills that last.

Here are 7 simple games that speech therapists love, and that you can start playing right away at home:

Bubbles are so engaging, and great for building language skills! Use them to model words like pop, blow, big, little, and more. Pause before blowing again so your child has a chance to request with words, sounds, or gestures.

This back-and-forth game teaches the foundational skill for conversation: turn-taking. Practice turn-taking and model action words like roll, stop, fast, and slow.

Hide a toy under a blanket or behind a pillow. Your child will learn problem-solving and how to use spatial words like under, on top, and behind as they tell you where they found the toy. Celebrate with words like found it!

A classic game for listening skills and following directions. Use verbs (jump, clap, stomp) and body parts (hands, feet, head) to build vocabulary.

Great for car rides or waiting rooms! Try “I spy something red” or “I spy something that goes fast.” It helps your child add describing words, colors, and categories to their repertoire.

Pretend play sparks imagination and social language. Model sequencing by talking about what you need to do first, next, and last; model action words like “let’s feed the baby;” or model descriptions of physical sensations like “the baby is hungry.”

Nursery rhymes and songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider or Wheels on the Bus are full of repetition and rhythm, making words “stick”. Using actions while you sing gives your child a visual representation of the words you’re using. Encourage your child to fill in the missing word when you pause.

Play = therapy. These simple games teach turn-taking, vocabulary, problem-solving, and social skills, all while your child is having fun. Try one or two this week, and let me know which game your child loved the most!

Have a great weekend!

Casey

P.S. If you’re finding this content helpful, follow along on Instagram where I share short videos of ways you can help your child’s speech and language skills grow. In fact, I just made a quick video about this exact topic, check it out right here!

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