Summer offers families a break from school and an amazing opportunity to be outside and grow together. Enablr Therapy has created a three-blog series that offers suggestions for fun-filled outdoor family activities. Each blog will focus on a different aspect of development and suggest activities for kids that embrace the summer fun!
This particular blog offers ideas that focus on speech, language, and social skills from some of Enablr’s therapists. Our therapists make therapy fun! Contact us to learn more!
For additional tips on promoting speech and language skills in everyday activity, check out Enablr’s Promoting Speech & Language Skills In Children blog.
Blow Bubbles
For directions on how to make several different types of bubble solutions or ideas on homemade bubble wands, see Very Well Family’s Homemade Bubble Solution article.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Explore the great outdoors as you go on a scavenger hunt. Create a list of things that can be found outside. The list can be used to develop vocabulary skills, promote the use of descriptive words, or target specific word sounds. Search online for scavenger hunt lists or checkout Enablr’s Scavenger Hunt pages for examples or printable lists.
ISpy Game
iSpy is a game that is language rich. A clue giver says, “I spy with my little eye something that (Fill in the blank).” From there, you can start describing objects by first letters or other descriptors, such as color or function (“can be used to climb”). The first person to guess correctly gets to give the next clue. This is one of the fun activities for kids that can be done anywhere, at any time! Great for summer trips!
Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint
Sidewalk chalk is fun but sidewalk paint is even better! The easy-to-make, easy-to-wash-off paint is made with water and cornstarch. Your kids can create their own masterpieces, then use their language skills to tell you about their artwork and answer questions. For an even bigger challenge, tell them to draw a story and then tell it to you.
See Make and Take’s DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint for Kids for directions.
Lemonade Stand
Selling lemonade is a summertime classic that offers a huge variety of language skill experiences from written communication in sign making, to reading comprehension for following a recipe, and social communication needed to greet and wait on customers. Make your stand as simple or creative as you want!
Here is Allrecipes’ Best Lemonade Ever recipe that is sure to be a hit.
Summer Reading Programs
School may be out, but reading is not!
Books can take you on far away adventures all summer long! Many libraries offer summer reading programs where kids can earn rewards for reading. As your child reads a book, ask them questions about what they are reading or have them retell the story in their own words. For young children, they can name or point to pictures. Pictures in books can help to reinforce understanding.
Follow Crayola’s Animal DIY Bookmarkers instructions to make bookmarks that save the place in any summertime reading.
Yard-Size Memory Game
Lastly, nothing adds to the excitement of a game than having it yard-sized! Make a memory game that targets specific sounds, words, or vocabulary that your child needs. Print one word with a corresponding picture on each 8×11 sheet of cardstock. To protect the page from any dampness on the ground, either laminate or use a sheet protector. Lay the picture out in rows and columns on the yard, face side down, just like the tabletop version of Memory. Turn two pages over to see if they match! If they don’t, flip them back over, and have the next player try. Encourage your child to talk about the words and pictures as you play!
