Speech and Language Games on the Go!

Enrichment Therapies

January 12, 2017

stretch of highway

By: Megan Van Laar, M.A., CCC-SLP

“Are we there yet???”  How many times have you heard that question while traveling in the car with your kids? Road trips, short or long, can be difficult for kiddos to endure.  What a perfect opportunity to play some family-friendly games that will also help with speech and language skills!  Try some of these out next time you are in the car, and you’ll reach your destination in no time!

A-Z Game: You may have played this game growing up.  Watch for letters on signs, license plates, etc., and call them out as you see them.  Everyone plays and goes from A to Z.  Here’s the twist: When a letter is spotted, you must say the sound that the letter makes and a word that begins with that letter.  If anyone questions where someone saw a letter, the finder must describe where he saw it.  This game targets phonological awareness, reading, prepositions, direction words, and articulation.

Story Building: Watch the billboards and take turns picking ones to tell a story about.  The story can be make-believe or a real memory.  Or, one person can start the story, and then each person has to add a sentence to build the story.  Creativity and silliness is encouraged!  This activity targets language skills, listening skills, reading, vocabulary, articulation, and turn-taking.

3-in-Common: Take turns to create riddles for the others to guess.  Each riddle must have at least 3 items that have something in common.  Hint: sometimes working backward from the answer that you want helps you to choose the 3 items that fit best.  Here’s an example:  What do the words ‘soccer’, ‘basketball’, and ‘tennis’ have in common?  They are all types of balls.  What do the words ‘pie’, ‘line’, and ‘bar’ have in common?  They are all graphs.  You can work together to create riddles if it is too difficult.  This game targets categorization, vocabulary, abstract thinking, turn-taking, and teamwork.

20 Questions: Take turns thinking of an item.  Others may ask up to 20 yes/no questions to try and guess what it is.  The person who guesses correctly first gets to choose the next item.  This can be modified so that guesses are made in WH question form (what, when, where, why, how).  To make it easier, items can be chosen from categories (animals, food, things you wear, etc.).  This targets vocabulary, asking/answering questions, articulation, turn-taking, and describing.

Alphabet Game: Take turns using a letter from the alphabet in order, beginning with A, and saying “(letter) my name is (blank) and I’m going on a trip to (blank) and I’m taking (blank) (blanks).”  For example: “A!  My name is Abby and I’m going on a trip to Aruba and I’m taking angry alligators.”  Or: “B!  My name is Bob and I’m going on a trip to Bulgaria and I’m taking black beans for my baby baboons.”  To make it harder, each person must remember what the previous person/people have said.  This game targets vocabulary, adjectives, articulation, turn-taking, and short-term memory.

Enjoy the journey!


Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center has locations in the Iowa City, IA area and Des Moines, IA area. We provide individual speech-language therapy and tutoring as well as offering small group academic programs.  At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center our passion is to help kids achieve effective communication skills and gain academic success.  Contact us for more information on how we can help your child succeed.

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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