We all know that month of the year when the Holidays finally draw to an end, the weather somehow becomes that much colder, and managing a 5:00 p.m. sunset starts to seem impossible…that’s right, it’s January. But, have no fear! Columbus Speech & Hearing is here to give you some fun, at-home activity ideas to kick that January slump to the curb. Here are some fun speech and language activities for your family to enjoy during the cold winter season:
- Make a Recipe.
Dust off those pans and spatulas, because cooking together is a great way to practice following directions, sequencing steps, modeling vocabulary, practicing literacy, and perhaps even problem solving if something doesn’t turn out quite as planned. Make cookies, bread, hot chocolate, pancakes…anything to help keep you warm!
- Do a Scavenger Hunt.
Have kids draw their own pictures, find common objects around your house, or print them off from a website and hide them around the house. Anything can be used to practice articulation targets, sight words, or picture identification. Check out this link for printable articulation cards: http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/?page_id=55.
- Read a Book.
Check out winter-themed books from the library or google read-alouds on YouTube. Here are a few suggestions:
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs: This is a wordless picture book that gives kids the opportunity to show off their language skills by making up their own story as you flip through the pages.
- The Mitten by Jan Brett: A classic! Use this book to target sequencing and inferencing.
- Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner: A language-rich story with illustrations that will have you reviewing all sorts of action words (e.g., snowmen running, snowmen throwing, snowmen melting).