Summer Activities for Children to Support Speech & Language Development

Summer is the perfect time to build speech and language skills through play, conversation, and everyday experiences. Therapy doesn’t always have to happen at a table or feel like “practice.” In fact, children often learn best when they are relaxed, engaged, and having fun.

At CommunicareSLP, we encourage families to use natural summer routines as opportunities to strengthen communication skills. Whether indoors or outdoors, these activities can help children improve vocabulary, sentence formation, storytelling, speech clarity, social interaction, and problem-solving skills in meaningful ways.

1. Receptive & Expressive Language Activities

(Understanding and using language)

• Barrier Games

Sit back-to-back with your child. Both of you should have the same set of blocks, toys, or drawing materials. One person gives instructions while the other follows them.

Example:

Place the red square on top of the blue circle.

This activity helps children:

❖    Follow directions

❖    Understand positional concepts

❖    Improve descriptive language

❖    Build listening skills

• Category Sorting Fun

Fill a tub, basket, or kiddie pool with different objects. Ask your child to sort them into groups such as: Things that fly vs. things that swim, Fruits vs. vegetables, Objects by color or size.

This strengthens:

❖    Vocabulary

❖    Semantic organization

❖    Categorization skills

• Cooking & Sequencing

Prepare a simple recipe together like fruit salad, sandwiches, or lemonade. Encourage your child to describe each step using sequence words: First, Next, Then, Finally

This supports:

❖    Sequencing of actions

❖    Sentence building

❖    Functional language skills

2. Vocabulary & Descriptive Language Activities

    (Expanding vocabulary and length of utterance)

• Mystery Bag Game

Place a household item inside a bag without letting the child see it. Ask them to feel the object and describe it using sensory words such as: Soft, Rough, Cold, Bumpy, Smooth

This activity encourages children to expand their vocabulary beyond simple naming.

• “I Spy” with a Language Twist

Instead of using colors, use clues related to categories or functions.

Examples:

“I spy something used to pour water.”

“I spy a type of fruit.”

This improves:

❖    Word retrieval

❖    Auditory processing

❖    Critical thinking

3. Articulation & Speech Sound Activities

(Improving clarity of speech sounds)

• Sound Walk Scavenger Hunt

Choose a target sound such as /s/, /l/, or /k/. Go for a walk and look for objects beginning with that sound.

Example for /s/:

Sun, Sand, Swing, Stone…

This makes speech practice active, fun, and natural.

• Silly Sound Sentences

Create funny alliteration sentences using the target sound.

Example for /l/:

“The little lion likes licking lemon lollipops.”

This helps children:

❖    Practice sound repetition

❖    Improve articulation

❖    Increase confidence in speaking

4. Functional Communication & Executive Function Skills

• Summer Planning Committee

Give your child a few activity choices for the day:

Park, Library, Swimming, Movie time.

Ask them to explain why they prefer one option. Encourage them to share reasons and compare choices.

This develops:

❖    Reasoning

❖    Persuasive language

❖    Decision-making skills

• Treasure Map Adventure

Ask your child to draw a map of your home or backyard and guide you to a hidden object using directions such as: Under, Above, Behind, Between etc.

This activity improves:

❖    Spatial vocabulary

❖    Functional communication

❖    Direction-following skills

5. Storytelling & Narrative Development

• “What Happens Next?” Photo Stories

Take photos during a summer activity like gardening, baking, or washing the car. Later, mix up the photos and ask your child to arrange them in the correct order and retell the story.

This supports:

❖    Sequencing

❖    Memory

❖    Story organization

• Story Stones

Draw or paint simple pictures on stones or paper pieces such as:

A sun, A dog, A boat, A smiley face

Ask your child to pick a few and create a story connecting all of them.

This encourages:

❖    Creativity

❖    Sentence formation

❖    Use of connecting words like “because,” “then,” and “so”

6. Social Communication Skills

(Pragmatic language skills)

• Problem-Solving Charades

Act out common situations such as:

Dropping ice cream, losing a toy, Getting wet in the rain

Ask your child:

“What happened?”

“How does the person feel?”

“What can they do next?”

This develops emotional understanding and flexible thinking.

• Social Detective Game

At a park or public place, quietly observe people together and discuss:

“How do you think that child feels?”

“What might they be talking about?”

This helps children learn:

❖    Social cues

❖    Body language interpretation

❖    Perspective-taking

• Turn-Taking Games

Simple games like:

Catch, Go Fish, UNO, Building blocks together

Can improve:

❖    Conversation flow

❖    Waiting skills

❖    Cooperative communication

• Summer Activities by Age Group

Age Group Communication Milestones        Suggested Summer Activities

4–5 years       Using longer sentences and clearer speech  Pretend play such as a lemonade stand or doctor’s clinic

6–7 years       Following multi-step directions and understanding humor  Cooking activities and simple recipe following

8+ years         Using complex grammar and detailed conversations            Nature journaling, storytelling, and descriptive writing

• Simple Everyday Strategies for Parents

Expansion Technique

When your child says a short sentence, repeat it back with a little more information.

Child: “Big ball!”

Parent: “Yes, the big red ball is bouncing!”

This naturally models richer language.

Self-Talk Strategy

Talk aloud about what you are doing during daily activities.

Example:

“I am pouring cold juice into the glass. Now I’m adding ice cubes.”

This gives children strong language models without pressure to respond immediately.

• The Power of Wait Time

After asking a question, pause and give your child enough time to think and respond.

Even a few extra seconds can help children:

★     Process information

★     Find the right words

★     Respond more confidently

Speech and language development can happen anywhere — during playtime, family conversations, outdoor adventures, cooking, or storytelling.

Small, consistent interactions throughout the summer can make a meaningful difference in a child’s communication growth.

The goal is not perfection, but connection, confidence, and joyful communication.

To learn more about speech and language support services for children, visit www.communicareglobal.com.