Summer is upon us, and we want to take advantage of the warm weather while it’s here. If your child receives speech therapy services during the school year, it can be challenging to keep up with their progress over the summer when your routines are different. At Watch Me Shine, we offer speech therapy programs year-round so your child continues to have support outside of the school year. But there are also fun activities you can do with your child at home during the summer to reinforce and continue their progress.
Here are three of our favorite summer activities that help support speech therapy programs.
Organize a scavenger hunt.
We love this activity, and your child will, too! Write your child’s articulation words on colored paper and hide them around your yard. Once they find a word, have them practice saying it before moving on to find another. If their articulation words are common objects, you can have them find the physical items to make the scavenger hunt more interactive. This is also an easy activity to do indoors on a rainy day.
Draw and write with sidewalk chalk.
You can’t let summer pass by without using sidewalk chalk, and it creates a great opportunity to practice writing and articulating words. Write out the words your child needs to practice and draw pictures of them. If your child struggles with focus and attention, let them get creative and draw whatever they like. Ask them about what they’re drawing and practice challenging words as they tell you about their pictures.
Read summer-themed books.
Whether it’s a rainy day or you just need a low-key afternoon, reading books is the perfect summer activity for a quiet day at home. Many books or series that feature your child’s favorite characters have summer-themed books you can read together. If your child is old enough to read, have them read the book aloud to you and practice the words that trip them up. With younger children, read the book to them, but stop and have them repeat words after you that contain sounds they need to practice.
Speech Therapy Services at Watch Me Shine
At Watch Me Shine, we tailor our language and speech therapy programs to your child’s needs. We know every child is different, so we work with them individually rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Our licensed staff will evaluate your child and craft a program that meets their specific needs.
