Egg-citing Easter Themed AAC Activities and Ideas for Children

Easter Themed Speech and Language Therapy Activities

By Larisa Vaz

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapist 

As Easter approaches, families are gearing up for festive celebrations. For parents of children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) methods to communicate, incorporating Easter-themed activities can be both fun and beneficial for language development. AAC encompasses various modes of communication such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, sign language etc. to facilitate communication for individuals with speech differences.

Before heading to the activities, you will need to have the appropriate visuals/ support/ icons in your child’s AAC. Here is how you can do this:

·      Choose vocabulary in advance of the activities that you will be doing. Think about words that are appropriate for your child’s level of understanding. For example, some of the words you can include are "Easter bunny," "egg hunt," "chocolate," and "spring". Make a list of these words. Your child’s speech and language therapist can support you with this.

·      Next, with support from your speech and language therapist, add these words to your child’s AAC. They will be able to guide you on how you can do this depending on the type of AAC your child uses. 

·      Once ready, use the AAC to model language during the following creative and inclusive Easter themed activities:

1. Easter Storytime: Gather Easter-themed books for children. Make sure that you choose books based on your child’s interest and level of understanding. Read the Easter themed stories to them and model words on their AAC devices or communication boards to engage children in storytelling. Model single words, phrases or sentences based on whether your child’s needs. You may need to repeat the story several times on multiple occasions as Easter related vocabulary and concepts can be quite new for many children especially if they’re quite new to using an AAC device. Encourage them to use AAC symbols or buttons to comment on the pictures or story, comment on the emotions, or even request for books of their choice.

2. Easter Egg Hunt: Organize an egg hunt by hiding Easter eggs around the house or garden. Choose Easter eggs of different shapes, sizes, patterns etc. Encourage your child to go around the house or garden with their AAC and use it to comment on the type of egg that they find. You can also use this activity to target prepositions such as ‘under’, ‘in’, ‘next to’ for example, “Red egg was under the table” etc. Model the word ‘help’ if your child is not able to find any of the eggs and need your help.

3. Decorate Easter Eggs: Get creative with Easter egg decorating while incorporating your child’s AAC. Make sure your child’s AAC device is set up and updated with the activity related vocabulary or the words that you intend to target while modelling. Use your child’s AAC to model language while choosing colours that they would like to colour with, patterns or stickers that they would like to use. Encourage them to imitate or comment about the colours, size, or request specific decorating materials.

4. AAC Cooking Activities: Engage children in Easter-themed cooking or baking activities, such as making Easter cookies, Easter eggs or decorating cupcakes. This activity is particularly useful to target various actions such as mixing, cutting, baking etc. Use AAC to model language as you go through the through the steps of the recipe, describe and measure ingredients, and make requests for utensils or ingredients.

5. AAC Egg Painting: Set up a painting station for children to decorate paper or foam egg shapes using paint and brushes. Model language and encourage your child to use their AAC systems to request colours, describe their painting process, and talk about their artwork to other family members.

Incorporating AAC into Easter activities not only promotes language development and communication skills but also fosters inclusivity and engagement for children with speech and language differences. By adapting these Easter activities to accommodate various modes of communication, families can create meaningful experiences that support their children's communication targets while celebrating the joy of the season. Whether it's through storytelling or easter egg hunts, Easter becomes an egg-cellent opportunity for children using AAC to express themselves and participate fully in the festivities.

Diwali Themed Speech and Language Therapy Activities

Diwali Themed Speech and Language Therapy Activities

By Larisa Vaz

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapist 

As the festival of lights, Diwali, fills the air with joy and vibrancy, it presents a wonderful opportunity to infuse speech and language therapy with a touch of cultural celebration. By embracing the spirit of Diwali, speech and language therapists can create engaging and purposeful activities that not only captivate the attention of their clients but also contribute to their speech and language development. Let's explore some Diwali-themed speech and language therapy activities.

1.     Storytelling Diyas

Foster narrative skills by engaging in a storytelling activity centred around Diwali. You can choose any topic for example, the story of Rama and Sita. This activity is fun when done with a group of children. Provide the children with a set of diya-shaped cards, each containing a different story element. Encourage them to take turns selecting cards and weave a cohesive story incorporating the elements they've chosen. This activity not only enhances narrative skills but also encourages creativity and expressive language.

2.     Articulation Rangoli

Transform the traditional art of rangoli into a fun articulation activity. Create a large rangoli outline with various speech sounds written in each section. Choose speech sounds that your child might be working on in speech therapy sessions (your child’s speech and language therapist can help you with this) As children practice their target sounds, they can fill in the corresponding areas with colourful materials like sand, rice, coloured paper or even playdough. This is a fun activity, and your child can also practice speech sounds in a fun way.

3.     Diya Descriptions

Improve your child’s conceptual language skills by helping them describe and compare different types of diyas. Encourage children to use descriptive words such as ‘beautiful’, ‘bright’, ‘shiny’, and ‘colourful’. You can also introduce size-related concepts like ‘big’, ‘small’ and ‘medium’ as well as location-based concepts like ‘near’, ‘far’, etc.

4.     Sweet Sensory Sensations

Dive into the world of sensory exploration with a Diwali sweet tasting activity. Introduce your children to traditional Indian sweets like laddoos, barfis, chum chums, jalebis etc. As they savour the yummy flavours, guide them in expressing what they feel. For example, if your child is savouring a jalebi, you can ask them questions like “Is it crispy or soft?” If they were eating a chum chum, you can ask, “Is it juicy or dry”? This activity not only enhances descriptive language skills but also encourages children to try new tastes and textures.

5.     A Pataakaa (Firecracker) Guessing game

This game requires quite the creativity skills. Adults would need to craft a guessing game related to the different Diwali firecrackers. For example, "I'm bright and loud, in the night sky, I make a sound. What am I?" Encourage children to guess the answer. You can even help them create their own guessing game.

6.     Language Lanterns

Combine creativity and language skills by making Diwali-themed language lanterns. Help children decorate paper lanterns with words related to Diwali such as colours, glitter, decorations etc. As they create their lanterns, encourage them to discuss their choices. For example, “Why did you choose the red colour?” or “Where do you want to put the glitter?” etc. This activity is particularly useful when targeting various ‘Wh’ questions and narrative speech generation.

7.      Multilingual Greetings

Diwali is a festival celebrated across the entire Indian subcontinent and among people from various linguistical backgrounds. Help children embrace the linguistic diversity of Diwali by practicing greetings in various languages spoken during the festival. Create flashcards or a poster with greetings like "Happy Diwali (English)," "Shubh Deepavali (Sanskrit)," or “Deepavali Shubhashayagalu (Kannada)." This activity promotes multicultural language exposure.

8.     Diya Dot Art

Engage young learners in a Diya dot art activity. Provide them with a diya made from clay or any other material. You can also use a black and white picture of a diya. You will also need colourful dot markers. These can be colouring paints in tubes or even sketch pens. As children they dot along the diya, encourage them to name the colours they're using, fostering colour concepts. You can also mix some colours and use the mixed colours to colour the diya.

9.     Singing Diwali Rhymes

Introduce Diwali-themed nursery rhymes or songs to young children. If you are looking for some, there are various ones available on the internet. For example, you can find rhymes like "Diwali Twinkle Twinkle" or "I am a little diya."Sing together and incorporate gestures or simple dance moves. This activity promotes language development and imitation skills.

These tailored Diwali-themed activities for young children aim to make speech and language therapy both educational and enjoyable. By integrating play, creativity, and cultural elements, therapists and adults working with children can create a positive and engaging learning environment for their little learners.

Halloween Themed Speech Therapy Activities

Halloween Themed Speech Therapy Activities

By Larisa Vaz

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapist 

As the leaves change colour and the air becomes crisper, it can mean only one thing: Halloween is just around the corner. This spooktacular holiday offers an excellent opportunity for speech therapists to engage their young clients in fun and educational activities. Halloween-themed speech therapy activities are not only a blast for kids but can also be incredibly effective in improving speech and language skills. Let's delve into some ghoulishly good ideas to enhance communication while embracing the Halloween spirit.

1. Pumpkin Patch Pronunciation

Create a "pumpkin patch" with paper pumpkins, each displaying a different word with a specific speech sound. For example, if your child is not able to say the ‘s’ sound, you can use words beginning with ‘s’ such as sun, soap, etc. Children can choose a pumpkin, say the word correctly, and place it in their "basket." This hands-on approach helps practice their articulation skills while having a pumpkin-tastic time.

2. Monster Mouth Movement

Encourage children to create their very own "monster mouths" using construction paper and markers. Then, have them describe their monsters in detail. This activity is fantastic for improving expressive language skills, as kids describe their monster's features and characteristics.

3. Spooky Storytelling

Gather around a "campfire" (a flickering LED candle will do) and encourage kids to tell spooky stories. You can set up various topics like a spooky house story or a ghost story. This activity helps children develop their narrative and descriptive language skills while fostering creativity and imagination.

4. Zombie Pronoun Play

Use zombie-themed visuals to work on pronouns. Place zombies in different locations and have children describe where they are using pronouns like "he," "she," or "they." This activity helps reinforce pronoun usage while adding a fun, creepy twist.

5. Vocabulary Costume Party

Host a vocabulary costume party where each child dresses up as a word they've learned. They can explain their chosen word's meaning and use it in a sentence, helping to reinforce vocabulary and expressive language skills.

6. Ghastly Guess the Sound

Fill containers with various Halloween-themed items, such as candy, small toys, or even spooky sound recordings. Kids can listen to the sounds, guess what's inside, and practice their expressive language skills by describing the item or sound.

7. Witch's Brew Word Blending

Create a pretend witch's brew by blending Halloween-themed words. Children can combine words like "spider" and "web" to make "spiderweb" and describe what the concoction does. This activity enhances phonological awareness and word blending skills.

8. Monster Emotion Matching

Use pictures of friendly monsters displaying different emotions. Children can match the monster to the corresponding emotion card, describe why they think the monster feels that way, and talk about times they've felt the same emotions.

9. Trick-or-Treat Articulation

Incorporate speech sounds into a trick-or-treat game. Place candy or small toys in a bag with pictures or words containing the target sound. Children take turns drawing an item from the bag and practice saying it correctly before receiving their "treat."

10. Witchy Word Puzzles

Create word puzzles, like crossword puzzles or word searches, using Halloween-themed vocabulary. Kids can have a blast solving the puzzles while expanding their vocabulary and word recognition skills.

11. Spider Web Speech Sounds

Draw a spider web on a whiteboard or paper, with different speech sounds at various points. Children can take turns throwing a sticky toy spider onto the web and practicing the speech sound it lands on. It's a fun way to work on your child’s articulation skills.

12. Jack-o'-Lantern Categories

Carve a pumpkin with various category labels, such as "animals," "fruits," or "colours." Children can name items that belong to each category, expanding their sorting and categorization skills.

13. Mummy Memory Game

Create a memory game using Halloween-themed cards. Players take turns flipping over two cards, describing what they see, and trying to find matching pairs. This game helps memory, concentration, and descriptive language skills.

Halloween-themed speech therapy activities not only make learning more engaging but also instil a sense of excitement and enthusiasm in children. By incorporating these spine-tingling exercises into your speech therapy sessions, you can help kids develop essential communication skills while enjoying the magic of Halloween. So, embrace the spirit of the season and watch your young learners become spellbound by the world of speech and language.

Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do On Your Holidays

By Larisa Vaz

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapist

Summer holidays are the perfect time for relaxation and fun, but that doesn't mean you have to put learning on hold! For children who are receiving speech therapy, the summer break provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate enjoyable activities that can help improve speech and language skills. These interactive and engaging speech therapy activities will not only boost communication abilities but also make learning a delightful experience. So, let's dive into some exciting activities that can be easily incorporated into your summer holidays.

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt.

Head outdoors for a nature scavenger hunt to explore the beauty of the summer season whilst working on their speech and language skills. Create a list of items for them to find (e.g., red flower, smooth rock, tall tree). For a child who is working on their speech skills, you can create a list of words beginning with a speech sound that they are working on, for example ‘b’ and practice these words. For a child that has difficulties with language, encourage the child to describe what they see using sentences that include descriptive words, e.g. ‘I see a fluttery butterfly’ or ‘there’s a shiny silver car’. This activity promotes vocabulary expansion and encourages communication through observation and description.

2. Beach Ball Articulation

Grab a beach ball and write different speech sounds or words containing target sounds on to its sections. Toss the ball to each participant, and when they catch it, they have to say the sound or word closest to their thumb. This interactive game makes speech sound practice enjoyable and can be done at the beach, in the park, or even in the garden.

3. Summer Themed Board Games

Board games like "Beach Ball Bingo," "Ocean Adventure Charades," or "Summer Charades" can make speech therapy more exciting during the summer break. These games incorporate speech and language therapy activities in a playful and fun-filled way while also keeping children motivated and engaged while they practice their communication skills.

4. Water Balloon Phonics

Combine water play with phonics practice! This game can be used while playing with children who are just learning phonics. Write letters or words on water balloons. When tossing the balloons, the children have to say the sound or word they catch. For added fun, use water guns to pop the balloons and then create sentences with the words they have collected.

5. DIY Storybooks

Encourage children to create their own summer-themed storybooks with colourful illustrations and narratives. Using this activity, children can work on speech and language skills by writing stories and narrating the plots that they've come up with. This activity fosters creativity and storytelling skills

6. Summer Recipe Book

Create a summer recipe book together. This is a very fun activity and can be done with small groups of children and will have to be led by an adult. Let each child contribute a favourite ingredient, recipe or a description of a summer treat they enjoy. You can create new recipes by having each child choose an ingredient or use a well-loved summer recipe. Create a list of ingredients and follow the recipe based on the instructions. This activity encourages thinking skills, following instructions, sequencing skills, and expressive language. It also creates a multisensory learning experience for the children.

7. Picture Postcards

During summer vacations or outings, encourage children to take photos or draw pictures of their adventures or things or places they have seen. Later, they can turn these images into picture postcards and write short messages on the back. You can also use this opportunity to talk about the various things that you see in the postcard for example, Name all the colours you can see on the postcard. This activity reinforces thinking skills, creativity and writing skills.

8. Outdoor Story Chain

This is a super fun activity to have while at a picnic or camp and can be done with a group of children. Sit in a circle outdoors and start a story with a single sentence. Each child then takes turns adding a sentence to continue the narrative. The larger the group of kids, the better the story gets. This activity promotes creative thinking, turn taking skills, and storytelling skills.

Summer holidays don't have to be a break from speech therapy progress. By incorporating these fun and interactive activities into your summer break, you can continue to work on speech and language skills while having a blast. Whether it's playing with beach balls, going on scavenger hunts, or creating DIY storybooks, these activities will not only enhance communication abilities but also create lasting memories. So, let this summer be an exciting journey of learning and growth for speech therapy participants of all ages.

If you have any queries about using these activities, please contact your child’s speech therapist. They will help you to use these activities to support and individualise these activities based on your child’s needs.