Fun in the Sun, Summer Activities That Boost Speech & Language

Jul 7

Summer is the perfect time to step away from screens and lean into sunshine, connection, and playful learning. While it might feel like school’s out for good, this season is actually full of simple, fun opportunities to support your child’s speech and language development. most of them don’t even require leaving your home or backyard!

Whether your child is working with a speech-language pathologist or just starting to build their communication skills, here are a few summer-friendly ideas to help those words keep blooming:

🎨 1. Sidewalk Chalk Speech Sounds

Draw pictures or write target words with chalk. Practice saying them aloud, build silly sentences, or create obstacle courses where each station has a word to pronounce.

🧺 2. Picnic Storytime

Bring a few favorite books to the park or backyard and take turns reading aloud. Talk about the characters, make predictions by guessing what happens next, or have your child “retell” the story after lunch.

🌊 3. Water Play with Language Cues

Play with squirt bottles, buckets, or bath toys using words like empty/full, more/less, in/out, and simple sequencing: “First we fill the cup, then we pour!”

🍦 4. Ice Cream Shop Role Play

Set up a pretend stand where your child “sells” snacks or treats. Let them practice social language skills like greetings, asking questions, and taking orders.

🚶 5. Nature Walk Narration

Take a walk and ask your child to describe what they see using sensory language: “What does it look like?” “What do you hear?” “How does it feel?” You’re building vocabulary and descriptive language on the go.

🧠 Bonus Tip: Use Wait Time

Give your child a few extra seconds after asking a question before jumping in with help. This encourages independence, boosts confidence, and allows more time for language processing.

These moments may seem small, but they add up. If your child is in speech therapy, check in with your SLP for ways to adapt summer play to your goals. And if you’re noticing new concerns or regressions, we’re here for you!

☀️ Let this summer be a time where communication thrives…one laugh, word, and splash at a time.

Jody Vaynshtok

Jody is a California-licensed speech language pathologist with eight years of industry and clinical experience. She has worked with both adult and pediatric populations during her time at private practice, birth-to-three, and hospital facilities. She is experienced in the assessment and treatment of a variety of communication and cognitive disorders. In addition, Jody has a passion for working with adults looking to achieve clearer communication. Jody received her BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences and MS in Medical Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She was a part of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford’s cleft and craniofacial clinic participating in the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of children born with craniofacial abnormalities. She holds a staff position at UCSF and is the lead speech language pathologist for the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Hearing Loss Clinic. When she's not busy having fun with her clients Jody enjoys spending time with her husband, Anton, friends and family. And if she's not headed out somewhere fun for dinner, you might find her at Bar Method working out!