May Newsletter
- seitsimmons123
- May 31
- 3 min read
Summer Fun with Purpose: Boosting Speech & Development Through Play
Summer is here—and while kids dream of pool days and popsicles, it’s also the perfect time to support their speech and developmental growth in fun, natural ways!
Why Summer Matters
The relaxed pace of summer gives children more space to explore, practice, and build confidence—without the pressure of a classroom. It’s also a great time to reinforce therapy goals or begin services if you’ve been noticing delays.
5 Summer Activities That Support Speech & Development
Here are a few simple, fun, and powerful ways to keep your child engaged and growing this summer:
1. Storytime Adventures
Reading together builds vocabulary, listening skills, and imagination. Pause to ask questions, describe pictures, or make silly voices for characters—it all builds language in a playful way.
2. Outdoor Obstacle Courses
Gross motor play supports coordination and planning, and you can add verbal directions like “Jump over the log, then crawl under the chair!” to build receptive language too.
3. Themed Pretend Play
Set up a pretend beach day, restaurant, or animal safari. Role-playing encourages expressive language, turn-taking, and social development.
4. Scavenger Hunts
Create a list of items to find based on color, shape, or function. This supports problem-solving, following directions, and descriptive language.
5. Crafts & Conversations
Art projects are a great way to practice requesting supplies, describing steps, and following multi-step directions. Bonus: they make fun summer memories!
Keep Progress Going
If your child has been receiving speech or developmental therapy during the school year, summer is an ideal time to maintain momentum. Our team offers flexible scheduling, fun summer programs, and strategies you can use at home or on vacation.
5 Summer Speech Therapy Games for Kids
Here’s a list of fun and effective summer speech therapy games for kids, perfect for home or outdoor play. These activities target speech, language, and social skills in a relaxed, engaging way—ideal for reinforcing therapy goals during the summer break.
1. "I Spy" Nature Walk
Skills Targeted: Vocabulary, descriptive language, articulation:
Go for a walk and play “I spy something that starts with…” or describe colors, shapes, and textures. Kids practice articulation and expressive language while exploring.
2. Water Balloon Toss with Questions
Skills Targeted: WH- questions, turn-taking, articulation:
Write simple questions or target words on balloons. Toss them back and forth—if it pops or drops, the player has to answer or say the word.
3. Popsicle Stick Story Builders
Skills Targeted: Sequencing, storytelling, expressive language:
Write characters, settings, and problems on separate popsicle sticks. Have your child draw one from each category and create a fun summer story.
4. Beach Ball Conversation Game
Skills Targeted: Social skills, answering questions, topic maintenance: Write questions all over a beach ball (e.g., “What’s your favorite summer snack?”). Toss the ball—where your hand lands is the question you answer.
5. Bubble Talk
Skills Targeted: Breath support, articulation, voice control:
Blow bubbles and practice speech sounds with each one (e.g., say “ssssnake” as long as the bubble floats). Great for kids working on /s/, /sh/, and sustained sounds.
Period Kits North Carolina, Inc.
Menstrual Health Awareness Month is a new observance to recognize women, girls, and menstruating people residing in the United States.
The month coincides with Period Poverty Awareness Week, historically held the last week of May, and World Menstrual Hygiene Day which is held annually on May 28. All of these moments reinforce the importance of menstrual health awareness and education.
Learn more here: https://periodkitsnc.org/
Summer Bucket List of Kids
May Crafts: Lemonade, Fruits, and Leaf rolling
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