It’s the most wonderful time of the year! For many people, that means lots of family time spent in a car or on a plane. All of this free time can be great for helping your child improve their speech, language, reading, writing, or other academic skills. Here are some ideas for fun travel activities!
I Spy
This is a classic game that young children love, and it’s perfect for keeping everyone entertained during your travels! Have everyone in the car take turns guessing. This activity can help your child build their language skills, problem-solving/process of elimination skills, and speech skills.
If your child is practicing a specific speech sound, play I Spy by choosing an object that includes your child’s target speech sound. For example, if your child is working on the S sound, they can practice their S sound each time they say “I Spy…”, but it can also be fun to find objects that include the S sound, such as sunglasses, socks, etc.
Alphabet Game
For little ones, you can have them try to find the letters in their name on signs or license plates. For older kids, you can make the alphabet game a little more challenging! The first player will say “On my list, I have ____,” naming any item that starts with the letter A. The second player will repeat the phrase, and state the first player’s ‘A’ item, as well as an additional item they name beginning with the letter B. The game continues until someone can’t remember one of the items spoken.
This game is great for working on memory, vocabulary, and speech. If you want to work on a specific speech sound with your child, you can change the rules of the game so that everything on your list includes your child’s target sound. For example, if your child is targeting the R sound, everything on your list must include an R, such as rabbit, water, and broccoli.
Listen to an Audiobook or a Fun Podcast
Listening to audiobooks or podcasts as a family can be so much fun! As you listen together, talk about what is happening in the story, discuss the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and try to make predictions about what will happen next. This activity is wonderful for your child’s story comprehension skills, sustained attention, inferencing, and prediction skills, and also can help them grow a stronger love and excitement for reading.
Travel Journal
Encourage your child to write about their adventures as you go throughout your holiday travels. This can include stops that you make, exciting things that they see out the window, and the activities that you do during your out-of-town visit. Keeping a travel journal can help fuel your child’s creativity and make writing practice fun! It’s also something they can look back on after your trip to remember all the amazing things you did as a family.
Find the State License Plate
Have your kids be on the lookout for license plates from as many different states as possible. They can either say it out loud or write it down when they have spotted a new state. There are even printables that you can find online to take on your trip to help your kids keep track of the states they find. This can be a great opportunity for your child to practice spelling and written organization, as well as learning more about the US states! If they are working on speech, many of the states’ names may include one of their speech sounds.
Spelling Bee
Use your child’s school spelling words or any words of your choosing. Make it more exciting by having your child earn points for words they spell correctly and declare them the spelling bee champion when you are done playing! This can serve as a creative and fun way to work on your child’s spelling skills. It can also be a good time to work on your child’s language and vocabulary skills by practicing defining the words and using them in a sentence.
Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center Supports Communication and Academics
As you are traveling this holiday season, make your time together even more memorable this year by starting the fun on the way to your destination. As you and your child play these fun games, reach out to Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center if you have any concerns about your child’s skills. Safe travels!
info@enrichmenttherapies.com
740 Community Drive, Unit A
North Liberty, IA 52317
319-626-2553
infodm@enrichmenttherapies.com
5530 West Pkwy, Suite 300
Johnston, IA 50131
515-419-4270
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