Top Five Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home

Speech therapy doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom or therapy sessions. Parents and caregivers can play a crucial role in reinforcing speech and language skills by engaging in simple, fun activities at home. Here are five activities that can help complement school-based therapy and support your child’s progress:

1. Storytime Adventures

Reading books together is a fantastic way to build vocabulary, improve comprehension, and practice articulation. Choose books that match your child’s language level, and pause frequently to:

• Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think will happen next?”

• Encourage your child to retell parts of the story in their own words.

• Point out and discuss new or tricky words, focusing on pronunciation and meaning.

Pro Tip: For younger children, use interactive books with flaps, textures, or sounds to keep them engaged. Older kids can benefit from chapter books or stories that align with their interests.

2. Scavenger Hunts with a Twist

Turn a regular scavenger hunt into a language-building activity by:

• Giving clues that include positional words (e.g., “Look under the couch” or “It’s behind the chair”).

• Ask your child to describe the items they find (“What color is it?” “What do we use it for?”).

• Practicing categories by grouping found objects (e.g., “Find all the items that are red” or “Collect things that start with the letter S”).

This activity builds comprehension, vocabulary, and following directions in a fun and active way.

3. Cooking Up Communication

Cooking together is not only a great bonding experience but also an opportunity to work on speech and language skills. During the process, you can:

• Practice following multi-step directions (e.g., “First, measure one cup of flour, then pour it into the bowl”).

• Introduce and use new vocabulary related to cooking tools, ingredients, and actions.

• Encourage your child to describe the steps aloud or explain the recipe to another family member.

Pro Tip: Choose simple recipes like smoothies, sandwiches, or cookies to make the activity manageable and enjoyable.

4. DIY Craft Projects

Arts and crafts offer endless opportunities for speech therapy practice. While creating, you can:

• Use sequencing words (“First, we cut the paper, then we glue it”).

• Encourage your child to name materials and describe their choices (“I’m using blue paper because it’s my favorite color”).

• Practice following directions with phrases like “Draw a big circle” or “Cut along the dotted line.”

Pro Tip: Keep a stash of supplies like markers, glue, colored paper, and stickers handy for impromptu crafting sessions.

5. Let’s Play Pretend

Imaginative play is an excellent way to build social communication skills, practice conversation, and expand vocabulary. Create scenarios like:

• Playing restaurant, where your child “takes orders” and describes menu items.

• Pretending to be a doctor, encouraging your child to ask questions and explain treatments.

• Building a pretend store, practicing turn-taking and polite requests (“May I please have the…?”).

Pro Tip: Use household items as props to make the experience more interactive and fun.