5 Ways to Practice Speech & Language with an Egg Hunt!
Introduction:
As spring blooms and Easter approaches, those plastic Easter eggs are EVERYWHERE! In this blog post, we'll explore how this classic holiday tradition can be transformed into an enriching speech and language learning experience for children.
Why an Egg Hunt?
Even if you don’t celebrate Easter, scavenger hunts of all kinds are a fantastic opportunity to incorporate speech and language therapy strategies in a playful and interactive way. They allow kids to MOVE around, follow directions in a fun, motivating way, and provide endless opportunities for incorporating specific targets they are practicing.
“Thank you for that killer idea, we’re setting up to play again now! 🐰”
Practice Basic Location & Descriptive Concepts: Engage children in understanding spatial relationships with clues like “on,” “under,” and “inside.” For example, "Find the egg over the fireplace." Expand vocabulary by incorporating colors, textures, and object functions into egg hunt clues. For example, "Find the egg between the blue and pink pins.”
Language Targets: Stimulate language development by placing pictures or words targeting synonyms/antonyms, pronouns, action words, and more inside the eggs. Use the he/she pronoun or category sort included in the free handout for language practice!
3. Articulation Targets: Support speech sound therapy by placing words or pictures containing target sounds inside the eggs. Would you like more tips or pictures for articulation targets? For free articulation resources, we love mommyspeechtherapy.com and peachiespeechie.com. See the free handout for an example of R & S minimal pairs.
4. Modeling Phrases & Mitigating Gestalts: Those eggs can be tricky for little ones to open and close! If your child needs help, use this as an opportunity to model ways they can request help. For example, “Can you help me open this?” or “Help me open!”. Does your child already use phrases or specific gestalts? Practice mitigation by describing the contents of the eggs or the location of the eggs. For example, “Look! It’s a pink egg!”, “Look! It’s over there,” “I found a …”.
5. Sort in a Carton: I got this idea from a brilliant parent of one of my clients! Sort eggs or contents from the eggs into colored egg carton compartments. You could also label each compartment with a different letter and do a sort by beginning sound.
How to Conduct the Egg Hunt:
Preparation: Hide eggs in various locations and prepare clues or items based on targeted speech and language concepts. Hide eggs in a sensory bin or basket with Easter grass for a more contained activity! Download our starter clues and handouts for assistance.
Execution: Give children clues and encourage them to search for eggs. Prompt them to describe the contents of each egg as they are found.
Follow-up: Review the speech and language targets identified during the hunt. Extend learning by sorting language targets or practicing articulation sounds with the words found in the eggs.
Free Download Activity:
Sorting Nests and Egg Description Ideas!
Click below to access a free downloadable activity related to the egg hunt. This resource will further enhance your child's speech and language development at home.
Egg Hunt Activity Free Download
Plastic Easter egg hunts offer a delightful way to celebrate spring with speech and language learning. We encourage you to embrace this egg-citing adventure and explore the resources available on our blog to support your child's communication journey. Happy hunting and happy learning!
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