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Summer Activities
Here are some speech, language and OT activities for the summer season…
SUMMER SPEECH ACTIVITIES
Summertime is a great opportunity to explore different textures with your child. Set up a sensory bowl with different materials like sand, water, and rice. Then place different seasonal items like toy boats, ducks, frogs and fish. Practice labeling the different items as you take them in and out of bowl. Introduce the concepts in and out, rough, smooth, wet and dry.
Collect seashells and/or rocks. Have your child place the items he or she is collecting on the beach into a colored bucket.
At the end of the day have your child remove each rock and shell from his or her bucket. As each item is removed from the bucket have them describe how the items feels. For example, this rock is hard, this rock is smooth, this shell is pointy or sharp.
Have them describe each item they take out, and at the end of the activity have your child pick their three favorite items.
You can also have your child make a picture out of rocks and seashells by pasting the collection onto poster-board.
Fishing Activity
Place different ocean-based animal toys in the bath water. Then, have your child scoop the animals out of the water with a shovel, naming each animal.
Sink or Float Activity
Place objects with difference weights into the water. Have your child guess if the object is going to sink or float. For older children, have them explain why an object might float or sink.
HAVE FUN COLLECTING!
OT SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Go Bananas!
Pretend you child is a Monkey and he needs to hang on the “trees” to get his bananas. Using playground equipment, railing or fence, find a safe place for your child to hang from. Be ready to catch your child if he falls and make him feel safe while hanging. With arms straight, as he holds on tight, count out loud how many Bananas he earns as he hangs. To make it more challenging, have your child lift his knees up.
Chalk It UP!
Side walk chalk is always fun but why not add an educational piece to it?
- Letter Recognition: Draw a few letters on the ground. Call out each letter and your child has to find it. Make it more fun by adding a silly way to get from letter to letter. For example walk backwards, wiggle, silly dance or side step.
- Pre-Writing: Have you child draw vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines on the ground or a building wall (in preparation for letter formation). Spice it up by having your child trace your body on the ground, draw rail road tracks or shapes for jumping in and out of.
- Letter and Numbers: Have your child help you draw a hopscotch board especially to write in the numbers. Or ask your child to write a letter and see how many things surrounding you start with that letter.
- Family tree: Draw a large tree and help your child spell out the name of your family members.
Water, Water, Water!
Summer time is the best time to get wet and play in the water. Here are a few different things to do with water that will challenge your child’s strength, coordination and skills. These activities can be done outside, in the bath or at a table.
- Spraying: Instead of a water gun (we prefer calling it a “Water Squirter”) get a small Spray Bottle at your local Dollar store. The squeezing action is great strengthening and coordination for the hands. Remember to encourage your child to use both hands.
- Pouring: Using several different size cups/ bowls. Have you child pour water from a small pitcher (also available at the dollar stores) into the different containers. Depending on your child’s age and skill level you will give different directions. Younger child will need to work on the act of pouring and old children can focus on measuring and not spilling.
- Squeezing: You will need different size sponges and two M/L blows. Fill one bowl with water and leave the other empty. Ask your child to transfer all the water from one bowl to the other using a sponge. Soak up the water with the sponge and squeeze in out into the other bowl.