As a speech-language pathologist, I often hear parents express concerns about their child’s speech and language development. While formal therapy sessions play a crucial role, I firmly believe that the most effective and enjoyable learning happens through play – especially games! Games for speech therapy provide a natural, engaging context for children to practice and expand their communication skills. It also gives children an opportunity to practice social skills, such as turn taking and sharing! This article will guide you through using popular games to target specific speech and language goals, tailored to different developmental stages.

Why Games? The Power of Play-Based Learning

Games offer a multitude of benefits for speech and language development:

Motivation and Engagement: Games provide a motivating context for learning, which naturally leads to heightened engagement, reduced resistance, and improved retention.
Social Interaction: Most games involve turn-taking, sharing, and following rules, fostering essential social communication skills.
Vocabulary Expansion: Games introduce new concepts, objects, and actions, enriching a child’s vocabulary.
Following Directions: Games often involve multi-step instructions, promoting listening comprehension and the ability to follow directions.
Narrative Skills: Many games encourage storytelling, describing events, and sequencing actions, laying the foundation for narrative development.
Articulation Practice: Games can be adapted to target specific speech sounds through repetition and targeted prompts.
Language Processing: Games that require quick thinking and decision-making enhance language processing speed and efficiency.
Problem-Solving and Reasoning: Games that require strategy and planning promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are closely linked to language development.

Let’s Dive In: Games for Speech Therapy Strategies for Different Age Groups

Toddler Skills (18-36 Months)

Toddlers are rapidly expanding their vocabulary and learning to combine words. Games should focus on basic concepts, simple vocabulary, and following one-step directions.

Pop the Pig: Pop the Pig

- Target Skills:
  - Vocabulary (colors, numbers, food)
  - Following one-step directions (“Push the pig’s head.”)
  - Requesting (“More,” “Pig,” “Eat.”)
  - Simple actions (push, pop)
  - Speech sound practice with early developing sounds (p, b, m , n, t, d, h, w)
- Adaptations and Scripts:
  - Vocabulary:
    - Before each turn, say the color of the hamburger: “Red hamburger!”
    - When feeding the pig, name the food: “Yummy hamburger!”
    - Use simple phrases: “Pig eat,” “Pig pop!”
  - Directions:
    - “Push one time.”
    - “Feed pig.”
    - “Push head.”
  - Requesting:
    - Hold the hamburgers and wait for the child to say “more” or “eat.”
    - When the pig pops, encourage the child to say “pop!”

Speech sound practice:

Targeting “p” and “b” sounds:

Before placing a burger in the pig’s mouth, say “pop” or “big” together. Emphasize the “p” or “b” sound.
When the pig “pops,” exaggerate the “p” sound in “pop!”
When talking about the burgers, use words like “purple” or “blue” emphasizing those sounds.

Targeting “m” and “n” sounds:

- - When feeding the pig, say “mmm, yummy!” focusing on the “m” sound.
  - when counting the number of pushes on the pigs head, say the numbers out loud, making sure to emphasise the “n” sound in the word number.
  - Use words like “more” when referring to adding more burgers.

Targeting “t” and “d” sounds:

- - Count the number of pushes on the pig’s head, emphasizing the “t” sound in “two” or “ten.”
  - When the pig is getting full, say “down” when pushing his head, or “done” when the pig pops.
  - use the word “that” when referring to the pig, or the burgers.

Targeting “h” and “w” sounds:

- When excited, say “hooray!” or “haha!” emphasizing the “h” sound.
- use words like “what” or “where” when asking questions about the game.
- use the word “we” when talking about playing the game.
Making it fun:
- Keep it lighthearted and playful. Don’t pressure the child.
- Use silly voices and exaggerated expressions.
- Turn it into a game of “who can make the best ‘p’ sound?” or “who can say ‘mmm’ the longest?”

Example Script:
- Parent: “Okay, your turn! Pick a hamburger. What color?”
- Child: “Red!”
- Parent: “Yes, red hamburger. Now, feed the pig. Push his head one time. Push!”
- Child pushes.
- Parent: “Good job! Pig eat! Now, my turn.”
- Later when the pig pops: “Oh no! Pig pop! Wow!”

Candy Land: Candyland

- Target Skills:
  - Color identification
  - Following simple directions (“Move to the red square.”)
  - Turn-taking
  - Basic spatial concepts (forward, next)
  - Speech sound practice with early developing sounds (p, b, m , n, t, d, h, w)
- Adaptations and Scripts:
  - Color Identification:
    - Before each move, name the color on the card: “Purple card!”
    - Point to the matching color on the board: “Move to the blue square.”
  - Directions:
    - “Your turn! Pick a card.”
    - “Move to the yellow.”
    - “Go forward.”

Speech sound practice:

Targeting “p” and “b” sounds:

- - - When drawing a card with a purple square, emphasize the “p” sound in “purple.”

Before moving the game piece, say “blue” or “pink” together, focusing on the “b” and “p” sounds.
When talking about the candy pictures, use words containing those sounds, for example, “popcorn”.

Targeting “m” and “n” sounds:

As you move along the path, say “mmm, candy!” or “mmm, yummy!”
When counting the number of spaces moved, make sure to clearly say the numbers, emphasizing the “n” sound in number words like “one” or “ten”.
Use words like “more” when talking about wanting to move more spaces.

Targeting “t” and “d” sounds:

When landing on a destination, say “to” the Candy Castle or “down” the rainbow path.
When describing the candy, use words like “sweet” or “treat” for the “t” sound, or “delicious” for the “d” sound.
Say “that” when referring to a card, or a space on the board.

Targeting “h” and “w” sounds:

Express excitement with “hooray!” or “haha!” when drawing a special card.
Ask “where” are we going? or “what” color is that?
Use the word “we” when talking about playing the game together.

Example Script:
- Parent: “Okay, your turn! Pick a card.”
- Child picks a card.
- Parent: “It’s a green card! Now, move to the green square. Find the green!”
- Child moves.
- Parent: “Good job! Now, my turn.”
- When landing on a special location: “Oh, look! Lollipop woods!”

Preschool Skills (3-5 Years)

Preschoolers are developing more complex language skills, including sentence structure, question-asking, and storytelling. Games should focus on expanding vocabulary, following multi-step directions, and using descriptive language.

Sneaky Squirrel: Sneaky Squirrel

- Target Skills:
  - Vocabulary (colors, actions, objects)
  - Following multi-step directions (“Spin the spinner, pick up the acorn, and put it in the log.”)
  - Describing actions (“The squirrel is hiding.”)
  - Counting
  - Speech sound practice ( k, g, f,)
- Adaptations and Scripts:
  - Vocabulary:
    - Name the colors of the acorns: “Yellow acorn!”
    - Describe the squirrel’s actions: “The squirrel is spinning!”
    - Use action verbs: “Pick up,” “put in,” “spin.”
  - Directions:
    - “Spin the spinner. Pick up the acorn. Put it in the log.”
    - “Spin two times.”
    - “Find the red acorn.”
  - Descriptive Language:
    - “The squirrel is very sneaky!”
    - “The acorns are colorful.”
  - Counting:
    - Count the acorns in the log: “One, two, three acorns!”

Focusing on the /k/ Sound:

“Kicking” Acorns:
- When using the “Squirrel Squeezers,” pretend you’re “kicking” the acorn into your stash. Say “kuh-kuh-kick!”
- If an acorn falls, say “It went ker-plunk!”
“Crack” Sounds:
- Pretend the acorns are “cracking” as you pick them up. Say “kuh-crack!”
- When the spinner is used, if it lands on a space that steals acorns, say “it will knock them away!”
“King” of Acorns:
- When a child has a large amount of acorns, say “You are the king of acorns!”

Focusing on the /g/ Sound:

“Gobble” Acorns:
- Pretend the squirrel is “gobbling” the acorns. Say “guh-guh-gobble!”
- When the squirrel takes acorns, say “He is getting them!”
“Growling” Sounds:
- If the “sneaky squirrel” steals an acorn, make a playful “growling” sound. “Grrr!”
“Good Game!”:
- At the end of the game, say “Good game!”
“Green” Acorns:
- When picking up green acorns, emphasize the “g” sound.

Focusing on the /f/ Sound:

“Falling” Acorns:
- When an acorn drops, say “It’s falling! Fuh-fuh-fall!”
- If the spinner lands on a space that makes the player loose acorns, say “They are flying away!”
“Funny” Sounds:
- Make “funny” squirrel sounds. “Fuh-fuh-funny!”
“Find” the Acorns:
- When looking for a specific color of acorn, say “Let’s find the red ones!”
“Forest” Sounds:
- Remind the child that the squirrel lives in the forest.

Example Script:
- Parent: “Your turn! Spin the spinner. What did it land on?”
- Child: “Two!”
- Parent: “Okay, spin two times! Spin, one, spin, two! Now, pick up two acorns. What colors are they?”
- Child: “Red and yellow.”
- Parent: “Great! Now, put them in the log. One, two. Good job!”

Beware the Bear: Beware the Bear

Target Skills:
- Vocabulary (food, animals, actions)
- Following multi-step directions (“Pick a card, find the matching food, and put it in the basket.”)
- Asking and answering questions (“What food did you find?”)
- Problem-solving (“How can we get the food without waking the bear?”)
- Speech sound practice ( k, g, f,)
Adaptations and Scripts:
- Vocabulary:
  - Name the food items: “Honey pot!”
  - Describe the bear: “Sleepy bear!”
  - Use action verbs: “Pick,” “find,” “put.”
- Directions:
  - “Pick a card. Find the food. Put it in the basket.”
  - “Move three spaces.”
  - “Don’t wake the bear!”
- Questions:
  - “What food did you find?”
  - “What color is the food?”
  - “Where is the bear?”
- Problem-Solving:
  - “How can we move quietly?”
  - “What happens if we wake the bear?”

Focusing on the /k/ Sound:

“Knocking” on the Log:
- When pressing the log to release the honey pot, say “kuh-kuh-knock!”
- If the honey pot falls quickly, say “It ker-plunked!”
“Keep” the Honey:
- When a child collects honey, say “Keep the honey safe!”
“Click-Clack” Sounds:
- If the game pieces or log make a clicking sound, emphasize it. “Click-clack!”
“Careful”
- Remind the child to be “careful” when removing the honey.

Focusing on the /g/ Sound:

“Grrr” for the Bear:
- When the bear pops up, make a playful “grrr” sound.
“Getting” the Honey:
- When a child takes a honey pot, say “You’re getting the honey!”
“Good Job!”:
- When a child successfully takes honey without waking the bear, say “Good job!”
“Go slowly”
- remind the child to “go slowly” when removing the honey.

Focusing on the /f/ Sound:

“Falling” Honey:
- If the honey pot falls, say “It’s falling! Fuh-fuh-fall!”
“Funny” Bear:
- When the bear pops up, say “That funny bear!”
“Find” the Honey:
- Encourage the child to “find” the honey pots.
“Forest”
- Remind the child that the bear lives in the forest.
“Feel”
- Remind the child to “feel” the log, to see if it is close to releasing the bear.

Example Script:
- Parent: “Okay, your turn! Pick a card. What food is it?”
- Child: “Apple!”
- Parent: “Yes, apple! Now, find the apple. Where is it?”
- Child finds the apple.
- Parent: “Good job! Now, put the apple in the basket. Be quiet! Don’t wake the bear!”
- Child puts the apple in the basket.
- Parent: “Great! Now, my turn. I’m going to pick a card…”

Young Elementary Skills (6-8 Years)

Children at this age are developing more sophisticated language skills, including complex sentences, narrative structure, and abstract concepts. Games should focus on expanding vocabulary, using descriptive language, following multi-step directions with embedded concepts, and developing narrative skills.

Modified versions of board games, such as Monopoly Jr. or Chutes and Ladders:

Monopoly Junior, Chutes and Ladders

Target Skills:
- Complex vocabulary (properties, taxes, penalties)
- Following multi-step directions with embedded concepts (if you land on a property, pay rent)
- Narrative skills (describing game events, creating stories)
- Problem-solving and reasoning (making strategic decisions)
Adaptations and Scripts:
- Vocabulary:
  - Define unfamiliar words: “Mortgage means you borrow money.”
  - Use descriptive language: “This property is very expensive!”
- Directions:
  - “If you land on a blue property, pay $2.”
  - “Move forward three spaces, unless you are in jail.”
  - “If you pass go, collect $200.”
- Narrative Skills:
  - Encourage children to describe their turns: “I landed on

From the early vocabulary building of “Pop the Pig” to the complex problem-solving in “Beware the Bear,” games offer practical and effective strategies for speech and language development. As this article has shown, games for speech therapy naturally motivate and engage children, making learning enjoyable. By intentionally integrating targeted vocabulary, sound practice, and narrative opportunities into playtime, parents and caregivers can easily implement these strategies at home. The most impactful approach is to consistently use play as a learning tool, fostering a child’s communication skills through fun and interactive experiences.

For more information check out these resource:

MDS: Turning Car Rides into Language Adventures: Simple & Fun Ways to Boost Your Child’s Communication Skills

First Words Bright Futures Facebook Page

First Words Bright Futures Instagram Page

Disclaimer: This article provides general information and suggestions. It is not intended as a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment from a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. If you have specific concerns about your child’s speech development, please consult with a qualified professional in your area.