speech exercises for 1 year old

The Best Speech Delay Exercises and Activities for Toddlers

By Lori Ennis, M.S. Ed

You want to know how to help your toddler with speech delay. It’s what parents do best—helping their children in areas where they need help. And, you’ve of course consulted a speech-language pathologist to ask how to deal with speech delay in toddlers so your little one can continue to grow and develop in speech and language. Your next step? Finding the best speech delay exercises for your toddler .

Are there speech delay exercises for toddlers that you can do at home? Absolutely, and we’ve asked clinicians for how to help your toddler with speech delay. Check out these speech delay exercises for toddlers and feel empowered in helping your little one’s speech and language blossom.

How to Help Your Toddler with Speech Delay

Take it from the experts, best tips to help speech delay in toddlers, real life brings about real speech.

You recognize that there is a speech delay with your toddler . Whether it’s an articulation issue, an enunciation or pronunciation issue or something in their motor planning that may be preventing typical speech development (or something completely different), you find yourself googling “Tips for speech delayed toddler” or “How to help your toddler with speech delay.” We know because we’ve been there. If you’re the parent of a toddler with speech delays, how to help them communicate effectively is one of your main concerns. Effective communication helps eliminate frustration on your end and theirs while preparing them for preschool, school and life. 

So really, are there speech delay exercises for toddlers that you can do at home? Do they really make a difference in how to help your toddler with a speech delay ?

The answer is a resounding, “YES!” and we’ll share them.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is a wealth of resource when it comes to ways you can encourage development when you have a toddler with speech delays. When it comes to how to help your toddler with speech delay, they recommend some of the following activities to encourage word development, proper articulation and enunciation and auditory processing/comprehension:

• Model good speech. Be clear and precise in your speech to and around them. 
• Make sure you use the appropriate word for a baby-talk word as well. You don’t have to stop saying the baby-talk word; just be sure to give them the correct word. (“You’d like your yogi? Sure, here is your yogurt.”)
• Help your child create catalogs of categories for words. “Look, there’s a dog. It’s an animal. What else is an animal? Yes, a cat is an animal. So is a lion. So is a cow.” 
• Have them develop speech with the ‘Yes/No’ game. “Do cows eat at the dinner table?” “Am I your mother?” “Do you have four ears?” “Are you wearing a red shirt?” This can be a fun game for your toddler to try and trick you.
• When asking questions of your toddler with a speech delay, give choices. “Do you want to eat spaghetti or grilled cheese?” The more words they hear in context, the better their vocabulary base is.
• Sing songs and tell nursery rhymes and read, read, read to your toddler. The more words they’re exposed to, the better. A recent study suggested that children who were read to each night were exposed to more than a million words more than their peers who were not read to. 

Will Oral-Motor Exercises Make a Difference? Dr. Gregory Lof is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Communication Studies and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. He has suggested that oral-motor exercises may not be as beneficial to speech and language development in toddlers as some might believe.

Dr. Lof believes and offers additional research that suggests oral-motor exercises like blowing bubbles or whistling or chewing on a talking tool may be exercises in futility as they don’t strengthen necessary muscles, and goes one step further in suggesting that strength is not necessarily crucial for speaking anyway. 

So what do Dr. Lof and so many other clinicians he cites suggest as tips for speech delayed toddler help? He advises working on speech tasks that will actually relate to speech production. In this, you can over pronounce early sounds and be sure to pronounce them very clearly. 

Typically sounds that toddlers with speech delays struggle with are /p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /h/ and /w/. You can help your toddler by being sure (particularly when beginning and ending consonants) to really enunciate the letters. ‘B’ in ‘bubble’ has a lot of opportunity for over pronunciation and enunciation, but any time you use words with those consonants, be sure to give them definition clearly. 

Additionally, making eye contact with your child when you are speaking to him or her is important. Not only does eye contact culturally build bonds and relationship, but it also allows your toddler to look at the way you’re forming your letters as you make sounds and words. This is something she can copy as she’s working on developing her own speech.

Most importantly, use everyday situations to help your toddler with speech delays. By this we mean spend a lot of time talking to your child, and through your day. When he gets up in the morning and you’re helping him get dressed, name his clothes—“This is your shirt! Those are your pants! Now it’s time for socks.” When you’re at breakfast, discuss how you’re preparing it, what it will do for your brain and your body—“This is orange juice, and it will help build your bones and keep you healthy!” “I had to crack this egg open before I could cook it. This what cracking your egg open looks like.”

Especially if your child’s responses are challenging to understand, allow them to respond to you and converse with you so they have the practice with not just speech, but speech that is contextually appropriate and meaningful to them. There’s often little fun in ‘speaking’ words only to speak or to learn, but when speech and language acquisition occurs naturally, it makes a more permanent impact. 

If you’re looking for more tips on how to help your toddler with speech delay, thankfully there are lots of additional resources to which you can turn as well. If you’re unsure as to whether your toddler’s speech is typical for her peers, or you’re interested in any more tips and information, you can check out the Toddler Speech Boost site and download their free milestone assessment guide. 

Speech Therapy Activities For Toddlers

When your toddler has a speech delay, it may be tough to help build confidence with their communication skills. 

Keep a calm, patient, positive attitude. The more time you spend working with your child, the better their speech skills will develop over time!

Don’t let your anxiety make them feel pressured to speak clearly.

We’ve compiled a number of activities, games, toys, and tips for you to make progress today, all in the comfort of your own home. 

Our top picks: best toys for speech delayed toddler

Toys are a great way to get your toddler involved, excited, and entertained. Having a calm, positive attitude will make speech easier… for both you and your toddler!

Try these top toys for your speech delayed child:

• Traditional, old-school toys: wood blocks, cars, legos, play dough
• Doll houses, dolls, tea sets, stuffed animals

What’s important is these toys will help your child get the ball rolling with making noises, talking, and speaking. When you join in with them, you’ll encourage language development!

How can I help my toddler with speech therapy at home? Try our top 5 games:

If you’re waiting to consult with your pediatrician or speech language pathologist about your child’s speech delay or pronunciation challenges, don’t be worried. 

There are a number of activities for you to participate in that may help your child’s speech now. Give these a try and see what works best for you and your child. Here’s our top 5 games for speech therapy at home:

• Goof off : Set the tone to relax and have fun. Get your child giggling with a goofy face, silly noise, or crazy expression. Emphasize a letter sound, maybe the /r/ sound with RAZZLE DAZZLE or /hip/ in HIPPOPOTAMUS! Use a goofy tone and get into it. Try something so crazy you can’t help but laugh! You’ll have them smiling, laughing, or happy and relaxed in no time. They’ll try to repeat you, and in turn, practice these sounds for their own speech. Use the same words over and over, and perhaps mix it up with different words using sounds your child may have difficulty pronouncing properly.
• Play the ping pong ball game : as they drink water or juice from a straw, your child’s mouth muscles will grow stronger. These are the very same muscles used for speech. Get a small ping pong ball and make it a race to see who can blow it through a goal post or down a hallway faster, using only a straw to propel the ball forward. This game can even be a competition between siblings!
• Read and repeat : find a book your child enjoys and read each page aloud to them. If they’re able, they should repeat each sentence or page after you’ve read it aloud. This repetition will be especially helpful to reinforce clear speech, including proper articulation and language comprehension over time. Before you know it, your child will be reading their favorite book to you. 
• Bubbles : Another fun game to try, blowing bubbles! Pick up a small bottle of bubbles and have your child blow away. They’ll “workout” their facial muscles used for speech, and have fun watching the bubbles fade away! You can even try this during bath time with a bottle of bubble bath. Repetition is the key to success!
• There’s an app for that : Type “speech therapy” into your App Store and you’ll find many options. Give Otsimo Speech Therapy a try. This app is designed with all kinds of games to entertain your toddler, keeping them engaged in speech activities. The product is ad-free and safe for kids, using a method known as augmentative and alternative communication.

What do speech therapists do for toddlers?

If you’ve never had a speech therapy session before, you may be wondering exactly what to expect.

How does it work? When it comes to sessions, we have a process to ensure a perfect fit for you, your toddler, and your speech language pathologist.

• Your experience begins with an introductory call to determine if we’re a good fit for your needs
• Techniques may include signing or typing, analyzing facial muscles to improve speech or articulation, altering tone, and other approaches to help your toddler improve communication skills
• Our sessions take place over Zoom: therapists interact with clients and engage in practice skills, games, repetitions, and other activities to overcome speech challenges
• Therapists will often provide homework for you and your toddler to practice together between sessions, truly integrating you into your child’s speech therapy
• Each client’s program is unique to their specific needs and goals, but most consist of 12-week modules, with two 30-minute sessions each week
• At the end of each module, our team will reach out to ensure you’re on track with your goals and progress

How do I find the right speech therapist for my toddler?

Since this person will be working with your toddler, it’s important to do your own research. Consider the following traits when selecting your child’s speech therapist.

• Personality: is this someone my child will enjoy being around? Are they someone I trust? Do they seem patient, understanding, and kind? Do they love what they do?
• Clarity: is the instructor clear? Do they explain their process? Do you and your child understand what they’re saying, what to expect from each session, and what kind of progress you’re making?
• Experience: Speech language pathologists receive extensive training to work with a variety of people experiencing complex communication disorders — you’ll want to ensure whoever you choose to work with has experience and passion for working with children.
• Schedule: is the therapist available on a schedule that works for you and your family?

When should a toddler start speech therapy?

It’s critical for your child to hit their 1 year old speech milestones . If you’re concerned about their progress, seek professional help.

If you believe your toddler has a speech delay, express your concerns with your pediatrician. They’ll recommend an assessment with a speech language pathologist, an expert when it comes to speech communication.

We encourage you to schedule your introductory call today for a no-pressure consultation on personalized virtual online speech therapy for your toddler.

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Speech Therapy for Toddlers

What is speech therapy.

• Language Development
• Signs of Delay
• Speech Therapy Activities
• A Parent's Role

Frequently Asked Questions

Speech therapy is a treatment led by a speech and language pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist. It helps a person communicate and speak more clearly. Toddlers may develop language or speech impairments due to illness, hearing problems, or brain disorders.

This article covers speech and language milestones, causes of speech disorders, diagnosis, what happens in speech therapy, and how parents can help their toddlers. 

Dragana991 / Getty Images

Speech therapy is a treatment that helps a person speak or communicate more effectively. It is performed by specially trained speech and language pathologists (SLPs) or speech therapists. They help their patients better understand others, pronounce words clearly, or put words together. 

There are different types of speech therapy and their use will depend on the age of the child and what they are experiencing. For example, therapy practices vary for children with apraxia (difficulty pronouncing different syllables), stuttering, aphasia (difficulty speaking due to damage to the brain), and difficulty swallowing, and for late talkers.

Language Development (Newborn to Toddler)

While delay does not always mean there’s a problem, it’s important to recognize when a toddler misses a developmental milestone. The following are general guidelines of speech and language development for babies and toddlers:

Newborns communicate through crying. Their cries may sound the same at first but start to vary as they grow. They also cry to express emotions, and parents begin to understand what different cries mean.

High-Pitched Crying

A high-pitched cry not resolved by comforting or eating may mean that an infant is experiencing discomfort or pain.

Newborns pick up on rhythms of speech and their parents' voices within the first few weeks of life. Between 1 and 4 months old, they become more alert to sounds and may startle more easily or turn to look for the source of the noise. 

Around 2 to 3 months old, infants start smiling and cooing, which often sounds like "ah" or "eh." Babies begin laughing by 3 to 4 months old.  

By 5 or 6 months old, infants imitate adult sounds produced by babbling or shrieking. Babbling involves repeating sounds such as "ba," "ma," or "ga."  

7–12 Months

Seven-month-old infants hear words as distinct sounds and try to repeat them. By 9 months old, they start to understand expressions and simple commands like "no," recognize words for objects, and respond to their names.

Ten- to 12-month-olds follow simple commands such as "give mommy your cup." They also begin to say simple words such as "dada" or "bye-bye."

A Toddler's First Words

Most 1-year-olds can say a few words such as “up” or “dog” but do not put words together in a sentence.

13–18 Months

By 18 months, a toddler puts two words together and says phrases such as "push it." They often communicate in gestures that get more complex over time.

Toddlers this age start recognizing objects, body parts, pictures, or people. For example, if you ask, "Where is your nose?," they will be able to point to it.  

19–24 Months

By 24 months old, toddlers know and say 50 or more words. They start to form two- to three-word sentences. Two-year-olds can usually communicate their needs, such as “I want more milk,” and follow two-step commands.

Speech and Language Developmental Timeline

Children develop at different speeds and may not follow the typical timeline. If you are concerned about the delay, contact your pediatrician or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Early treatment can make a difference.

Signs of Speech or Language Delay in Toddlers

The following are general guidelines to help parents know if they should have their young child evaluated for speech or language problems:

• A baby who does not vocalize or respond to sound
• A 1-year-old who does not use gestures, such as pointing
• An 18-month-old who would rather use gestures than sounds
• An 18-month-old who has difficulty imitating sounds or understanding simple requests
• A 2-year-old who imitates speech but doesn’t talk spontaneously
• A 2-year-old who can say words but not communicate more than their immediate needs or follow simple directions
• A 2-year-old who has a raspy or nasal-sounding voice

Understanding the Words of a Toddler

Parents and regular caregivers usually understand about 50% of a toddler’s speech by 2 years old and 75% by 3 years old.

Speech or language delays can occur due to problems with the structures of the mouth, head injuries, chronic illnesses, or brain disorders.  

If the cause is a brain disorder, it can be difficult to coordinate their tongue, lips, and mouth to make sounds or words. 

Hearing problems can make it difficult to imitate or understand language. This is not always a problem that is apparent at birth. Chronic ear infections can cause hearing damage in one or both ears.

A speech therapist will perform tests with your toddler to check the following:

• What your child understands
• What your child can say 
• Clarity of speech
• How the structures in their mouth work together to form words and eat

The following are diagnostic tests or scales a speech therapist may perform with your toddler:

• Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) : Bayley-III is used worldwide to measure all aspects of development from birth to 42 months. A speech therapist administers the language portion by watching the child follow instructions and identify people and objects. It helps them know if the child is on track or needs further evaluation. 
• Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS)-5 English : The PLS-5 is an interactive screening tool designed for infants and young children. Speech therapists measure all areas of language through a play-based approach. 
• Differential Ability Scales Assessment–Second Edition (DAS-II) : The DAS-II provides a scale to help speech therapists better understand how a child processes information. This allows them to develop appropriate activities for therapy.
• Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 3 (GFTA-3) : The GFTA-3 involves asking a child to identify colorful drawings and measures their ability to pronounce consonants.
• The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scales: This test is specifically designed for children from birth to 36 months old. It involves a parent interview, as well as observation of the child performing tasks.

What Happens During Speech Therapy?

The speech therapist will plan and perform activities to help your toddler with skills based on their specific needs. Therapy may occur in small groups or individually. 

Language building activities include using picture books, repetition, talking, and playing. If a toddler has difficulty pronouncing certain words, the therapist will teach them how to make the sound or say specific words. 

Sometimes speech therapists help toddlers with speech mechanics. This involves teaching them how to move their mouth or tongue to pronounce a word. They may also prescribe lip, tongue, or jaw exercises to continue at home.

What Concerns are Addressed During Speech Therapy?

Some of the concerns that SLPs may address during speech therapy include:  

• Speech mechanics
• Word pronunciation
• Volume or quality of speech
• Social communication skills
• Trouble swallowing

How Can Parents Help?

It helps to talk and read to your child frequently. Use correct names and speak in a slow and clear voice. When giving direction, keep things simple. Kneeling to their level can them focus on what you are saying.

If your child points at a glass of water, help them connect the gesture and language by asking, “Do you want water?” When they don’t pronounce words accurately, emphasize the correct pronunciation when responding.

Waiting for a Response

When asking a question such as “Do you want a drink?,” try waiting for a response. This helps your toddler learn to communicate back to you. 

Chronic illnesses, brain disorders, and hearing problems can cause a toddler to have delayed speech or language development. Speech therapy can help them learn to communicate more effectively. 

Parents can help by talking to their children often, speaking clearly, and emphasizing correct pronunciation. If your child is in speech therapy, it’s helpful to perform exercises prescribed by your speech therapist at home.

A Word From Verywell

Not all children follow a typical timeline for speech and language development. Sometimes they are focused on learning a new task, such as walking, and put language development on the back burner. They often catch up later. 

If your toddler is experiencing a language or speech delay, talk with your child’s healthcare provider. If there is a problem, getting help early can make a difference.

A toddler should start speech therapy any time after 3 months old if they experience developmental delays in speech or language. This may seem young, but a speech therapist can monitor the signs if there is a delay. Early intervention can make an impact. 

The estimated national average cost for the United States is $218 per session. However, many insurances and most state Medicaid programs cover speech therapy. It can be helpful to find an in-network clinic to decrease your out-of-pocket expenses. 

Nemours Kids Health. Delayed speech or language development . KidsHealth.org.

Durkin MJ. From Infancy to the Elderly: Communication throughout the Ages. Nova Science Publishers; 2011.

Meadows-Oliver M. Pediatric Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. 3rd Edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2019.

University of Michigan Health. Speech and language milestones, birth to 1 year .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important milestones: Your baby by nine months .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Language delays in toddlers: Information for parents . Healthychildren.org.

Nemours Kids Health. Communication and your 1-to-2 year old . KidsHealth.org.

NAPA Center. Speech therapy for children: What are the benefits? .

Garro, A. Early Childhood Assessment in School and Clinical Child Psychology . Springer; 2016.

Ross, K. Speech-Language Pathologists in Early Childhood . Plural Publishing; 2015.

DeVeney SL. Clinical challenges: Assessing toddler speech sound productions . Semin Speech Lang. 2019 Mar;40(2):81-93. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1677759.

NAPA Center. 5 tips to help your toddler’s speech development by a speech therapist .

Wooster Community Hospital. At what age should speech therapy begin? .

MDsave. Speech therapy visit .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Introduction to Medicaid .

By Brandi Jones, MSN-ED RN-BC Jones is a registered nurse and freelance health writer with more than two decades of healthcare experience.

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15 Best Speech Therapy Activities for Toddlers

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2. singing songs, 3. animal sounds, 4. name that item, 5. bubble blowing, 6. stacking blocks, 7. puzzle solving, 8. feather blow, 9. hide and seek with objects, 10. matching games.

Is your toddler babbling a storm but not quite forming words yet? There’s a lot you can do to help your toddler develop their speech skills in fun and playful ways. This blog post explores engaging speech therapy activities for toddlers that you can do at home!

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If you are looking for some screen time that doubles as speech therapy, SplashLearn is a one of the best speech therapy activities for toddlers online. Tailored for toddlers, SplashLearn uses interactive games , songs , and stories to introduce new vocabulary, practice letter sounds , and build basic grammar skills. Plus, the engaging characters and colorful graphics keep little ones entertained while they learn. It’s a win-win for parents and toddlers!

Objective: Improve language through rhythm and repetition.

Music is one of the most fun speech therapy ideas. Choose simple songs that feature repetitive phrases and easy melodies. Sing along with your toddler, encouraging them to join in. Repetition of these catchy tunes helps reinforce language patterns and boosts memory. 

Objective: Develop vocal skills through playful sound imitation.

Animal sounds are not just fun; they’re educational. This game is a hit in toddler speech therapy games, where mimicking animals’ noises—like a cow’s “moo” or a cat’s “meow”—helps toddlers practice different vocal pitches and sounds. Engage with your child by taking turns to guess the animal.

Objective: Expand vocabulary.

‘Name That Item’ is a straightforward yet powerful speech therapy activity for three-year-olds . Gather various everyday objects and place them in front of your toddler one at a time. Ask them to name each object. This not only builds their vocabulary but also enhances object recognition skills. It’s a simple and effective way to help them connect words with their corresponding objects, fostering cognitive and language development.

Objective: Stimulate motor skills and sound production.

They learn to control their breath as they blow bubbles, which is crucial for speech clarity. Encourage them to pop the bubbles while saying “pop” or asking for “more.” This activity supports motor skills through blowing and popping and introduces new sounds and words, making it a favorite among speech games.

Objective: Foster language through structured play.

Stacking blocks is a dynamic part of speech and language therapy. As you and your toddler build towers or create designs, narrate each action. Say things like, “Now I’m adding a blue block on top!” Encourage your child to make specific requests, such as asking for a certain color or size. This interaction helps them learn to use language to express their needs and desires while they play.

Objective: Enhance spatial reasoning and descriptive language.

Puzzles are a fantastic tool for developing both language and cognitive skills. Sit with your toddler and tackle a simple puzzle together. Discuss each piece, describing its colors and shapes, and discuss where it might fit on the board. This practice improves their spatial reasoning and enriches their descriptive vocabulary, making it one of the best speech therapy games.

Objective: Improve breath control, which is vital for speech production.

Feather blowing is an excellent toddler speech therapy exercise focusing on breath control, an essential aspect of speech clarity. Have your toddler try to blow a feather across a table or the floor, using only their breath. Guide them to take deep breaths and control the exhale. This activity is fun and teaches them how to regulate their breath, which is crucial for speaking clearly and confidently.

Objective: Build prepositional and spatial language.

Turn learning into an adventure with a game of hide-and-seek using your toddler’s favorite toys. Hide objects around the room and describe their locations using prepositions like “under,” “behind,” or “next to.” This 2-year-old speech therapy activity encourages toddlers to understand and use spatial terms, enhancing their grasp of language and environment.

Objective: Develop cognitive and language skills.

Matching games are excellent activities for improving speech and overall cognitive abilities. Use cards with images of common items or various objects. As you play, discuss the attributes of each item, such as their colors, shapes, and sizes. Encouraging your toddler to articulate these features enhances their vocabulary and helps them connect words and meanings.

11. Follow the Leader

Objective: Encourage imitation of actions and sounds.

“Follow the Leader” is a playful and interactive way to develop communication skills. Perform simple actions or make sounds and have your toddler mimic you. This activity makes learning fun and improves their ability to listen and replicate sounds, which is crucial in early speech development.

12. Interactive Storytelling

Objective: Engage multiple senses for comprehensive language learning.

Storytelling is an engaging way to develop language skills. Make it interactive by using different voices for characters, adding facial expressions, and incorporating hand gestures. Ask your toddler to guess what happens next or mimic the characters’ actions or sounds. This immersive approach stimulates their imagination and encourages them to use language in varied and creative ways.

13. Simple Commands

Objective: Practice comprehension and execution of verbal instructions.

Integrating simple commands into daily routines is a straightforward way to enhance your toddler’s understanding and responsiveness. Commands like “Please bring me the ball” or “Can you touch your nose?” help toddlers associate actions with words, fostering comprehension and verbal skills.

14. Rhythm and Rhyme

Objective: Improve phonemic awareness and verbal memory.

Engage your toddler with simple rhyming games or rhythm clapping. These activities are not just entertaining—they are also powerful tools in speech therapy. They help toddlers recognize sound patterns, essential for developing reading and speech abilities. The repetitive nature of rhymes enhances memory, making this a fun and effective learning tool.

15. Mystery Bag

Objective: Enhance sensory vocabulary and descriptive skills.

The “Mystery Bag” is a simple yet effective tool in our toolkit of speech therapy activities for toddlers at home. Fill a soft, opaque bag with various small, safe household items. Have your toddler reach in and pick one item without looking. Encourage them to feel, squeeze, and manipulate the item and describe it using words like “smooth,” “bumpy,” “cool,” or “flexible.” 

5 Benefits of Speech Therapy Activities for Toddlers

Speech therapy activities for toddlers offer numerous benefits that are crucial for early childhood development:

• These activities help toddlers learn new words, improve their pronunciation, and form complete sentences, facilitating better communication at a young age.
• Engaging in speech therapy activities stimulates thinking, problem-solving, and memory. Toddlers learn to follow instructions, identify objects, and match their attributes, which boosts their overall cognitive abilities.
• As toddlers learn to express themselves more clearly, they gain confidence in social settings. Participating in group activities and games enhances their social interaction and turn-taking skills.
• Through interactive and repetitive exercises, toddlers improve their ability to listen carefully and understand spoken instructions and stories, vital skills for academic success.
• Speech therapy activities are designed to be fun and engaging, making learning a positive and enjoyable experience. This encourages toddlers to love learning and participating in educational activities.

Incorporating speech therapy activities into your toddler’s daily routine can significantly enhance their communication and cognitive skills in a fun and engaging way. By fostering these skills early on, you’ll provide your child with a strong foundation for successful learning and interaction in their future years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are nonverbal communication games for kids.

Nonverbal communication games for kids include activities like charades , where children guess the word or phrase acted out without speaking, and emotion cards, where kids identify and mimic emotions displayed on cards. These games enhance understanding of body language and facial expressions.

How can I help my toddler with speech sounds?

To help your toddler with speech sounds, engage in activities like mimicking animal noises, reading books aloud emphasizing certain sounds, and singing songs that focus on repetitive phonetics. These playful interactions promote accurate articulation and sound recognition.

What are gesture games for speech?

Gesture games for speech involve activities where children use hand movements to communicate ideas or words. Games like “Simon Says” or creating a story using only gestures help children associate actions with words and improve their ability to express themselves without verbal cues.

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Free Speech Therapy Activities for Toddlers

• allisonfors
• November 1, 2023
• One Comment
• Early Intervention , Preschool , Speech Resources

Download free speech therapy activities, printables, and handouts for preschoolers!  Work on critical communication skills and language development whether you are an SLP, educator, or parent working with your child at home.

Click on the title to view and download these free activities!

FREE SPEECH THERAPY ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS

Free farm interactive book.

The interactive book contains 3 scenes (the farm, inside the barn, and the farm at night) with 10 farm-themed pieces. The book allows you to flip through the scenes and move the pieces onto the pages. Use to work on vocabulary, prepositions, increasing MLU, wh- questions, inferences, categories, and more.

Behavior Social Story

A social narrative mini-book on how to handle frustration with calming strategies. A great way to discuss feelings and appropriate ways to express them!

Category Match Up

Practice categories and associations with this NO PREP resource! You may also open on your device for a NO PRINT option. Directions included on how to draw on PDFs on your tablet or computer.

Articulation and Phonology Minimal Pairs Smash Mats

Includes 5 sets- Gliding, Fronting, Stopping, Cluster Reduction, and Final Consonant Deletion.

Speech Sound Cue Cards

This packet contains speech sound cue and prompt cards for 21 consonant sounds and 14 vowel sounds (including 4 diphthongs). On each card is a picture of a mouth showing how to produce the sound, as well as a picture to help remind your students what sound they are working on! 

Sound Loaded Book Lists for Articulation

A list of my favorite sound-loaded books to target articulation of specific phonemes.

Birthday Party Language Scene

Use the scene and activities to target -wh questions, following directions, answering open-ended questions, formulating sentences, and conversation skills. Send home for homework, and use as no prep or no print activity. And perfect for celebrating birthdays in speech or the classroom!

Caveman and Dinos Barrier Game

Barrier games for speaking and listening skills in speech therapy, ESL, and more! Target many skills: expressive skills (giving directions), receptive skills (following directions), social skills, basic concepts, vocabulary, categorization, sentence formation, and storytelling. Premade directions page included!

What Doesn’t Belong? Scenes

Practice negation, association, and categories with this 5 page, no-prep activity!

WH Question Pizza Party

90 question cards included while you build a pizza

Speech Therapy Handouts

Developmental norms and milestones handouts for toddlers.

Language Strategies List

Download a 3-page download including 18 strategies with definitions and examples on how to elicit language development in children! This is a summary reference list of effective language stimulation and modeling techniques. Perfect handout for parents of late talkers or language delayed children.

Read this post to find ideas for speech therapy activities for toddlers, including toys, games, and books!

PRESCHOOL MUST-HAVES FOR SPEECH THERAPY

Thanks for reading! Do you have any other free speech therapy activities for toddlers to add to this list?

Get more speech resources and access to the freebie library too!

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10 Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home With Your Toddler

Believe it or not, your child’s speech development isn’t confined in a speech therapist’s office. In fact, speech therapy activities are best done at home, where your child is comfortable. After all, where else would your child want to be than at home with you?

Even if you don’t have a speech therapist yet, nothing’s stopping you from encouraging your child to talk. Here are some recommended speech activities and routines that you can do together at home.

Speech and Language Activities While Bonding with Your Toddler

1) read books or magazines.

One of the best toddler speech activities goes back to the basics: reading. Reading aloud to your child will help them listen to how you form words and develop their vocabulary. Learning through reading may even lead your child to be an avid lover of books. They might even request their favorite book from time to time.

When they are already able to form words, encourage them to repeat the words from the book after you. This will help strengthen their articulation and literacy over time. Eventually, you can leave out some words and pause so that your toddler has a chance to speak up and fill in those words.

For the reading materials, you don’t even have to limit yourself to books. Some educational and children’s magazines can also be a good source of reading time. Magazines that are full of pictures are great for looking at together. You can also point at the pictures and ask them “What’s that?” to get them to engage.

2) Play With Your Child

Extra perks come with learning through a fun activity. Some of them include motor skill development, enhanced imagination, and better social skills with less pressure to speak up.

Toys are an amazing way to facilitate play. But, steer clear of battery-operated ones when choosing toys. You want your child to make sounds, and having toys that do it for them will not help with their development. This is especially true for those experiencing speech delays. Stick to toys that encourage:

• social interaction and communication
• usage of motor functions
• imagination and creativity

One classic way to play is using flashcards and blocks. Images and colors printed on these materials encourage word association.

You can also have your child group the cards or blocks together by various categories (animal, fruits, etc.). This will introduce the idea of related words. Plus, moving cards and blocks around will improve your child’s motor skills too.

Don’t forget to let your child lead during playtime. You will help them be confident with making choices on what to play with. It will also be easier to start conversations with them when they are having fun with it.

3) Use Hand Gestures and Sign Language

At around 8 to 9 months of age, children should start using gestures. Teaching them gestures or signs won’t cause a language delay, especially when you link them to spoken words. In fact, it is an effective tool for late talkers to start communicating .

You can start with waving and saying ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ for simple gestures. You can also create gestures for actions that your child loves doing. For example, you can say “hug” and wrap your arms around you to connect that word with the gesture.

One of the things you can also do to take this further is to teach your child sign language. Focus on words that are easy and functional, like more, help, please, thank you, and even Mom or Dad. Think about which signs would help your child the most.

Signs that are functional to them will encourage your toddler to use them daily. They can start using it to request items they want or need like milk, blanket, or even their favorite toys.

4) Singing and Rhyming

Nursery rhymes and songs can help improve your toddler’s language skills. Singing stimulates a different part of the brain, and the rhythm of songs helps your child remember words better. Some classic nursery rhyme songs you can use include:

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Old MacDonald Had a Farm
• The Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Mary Had a Little Lamb

Songs accompanied by gestures are also excellent for motor skills. Don’t even worry if you’re not a good singer, what’s important is facilitating this interaction with your toddler.

If they can already sing along with you, leave out some of the words, pause and wait for your child to sing the missing words. It gets even better when they can already sing the entire song on their own.

Day-to-Day Speech-Language Practices

Speech learning needs a parent’s support during learning and playtime. But what about other times around the house with your toddler?

You can incorporate many things in your daily lives that can help your child develop their language skills. Here are a few of them:

5) Speak Slowly and Clearly

You can help improve your child’s speech skills when you practice speaking to them slowly and clearly. With the proper articulation, they will pick up on the right sounds to make from the get-go .

Eye contact also helps with communication. Making a proper facial expression helps too, as children also pick up on this and they will imitate it.

6) Introduce New Sounds and Words

As your toddler grows, so does their ability to learn new words. By gradually introducing them, your child won’t feel overwhelmed in remembering them.

You can do this by pointing or picking up items and saying what they are, like lifting a toy ball and saying “ball”. Pointing to yourself and saying “Mommy”/”Daddy” works too, so they can associate the words with the person.

You can also help them learn new words by adding them to learned ones . For example, adding the new word “big” to the learned word “ball” will help them link the words together. Use two to three variations with the same word (“soft ball”, “green ball”) to build further vocabulary.

7) Tell Them What You’re Doing

Whether it’s cleaning the home or even getting dressed, tell your toddler what you are doing . The most ordinary things to you are absolutely new to a learning child. You can also talk about how something looks, tastes, and feels. This will improve their listening skills as well.

When you describe what you are doing, keep it short . You want to speak in phrases that are as long as they can manage to say. Speak and repeat when necessary. It will take patience, but children learn best with repetition.

8) Turn Off the TV

Prevent slow learning by turning off your TV especially when your toddler is in the room. Much like battery-operated toys, it will not help when your child is not repeating what they hear.

TV doesn’t only affect your child: it can also draw your attention away from them. That means less time for you to communicate and bond with each other.

In a study published on JAMA Pediatrics, each hour of TV exposure with sound resulted in fewer vocalizations in children. The study discouraged Tv viewing for children under 2 years in the conclusion. They instead suggest that parents focus on creating an interactive play environment.

Remember: Children are in their best learning state when they are talking to real people at home.

9) Teach Them to Ask For Things

Your toddler most likely wants a lot of things. Whether it’s food or toys, start teaching them to ask for it by letting you know what they want.

One of the ways to get your child to start communicating is to put things out of reach. Place their toys on a shelf or food on an unreachable counter. This will prompt them to call for your help.

Remember to reinforce and enhance the interaction when they do ask for something. If they ask for a banana by pointing, you can confirm “Do you want the yellow banana?” and introduce “want”, “yellow” and “banana” into his vocabulary.

There will be times that your toddler is unsure of what they want, or is having a hard time using words to describe what they want. In cases like this, you can help them with the process by giving them a choice (“Do you want a red apple or a yellow banana?). That way, you make it easier for them to think of words especially when they can imitate what you just said.

10) Repeat and Expand

Earlier we discussed how to introduce new words by linking them with already learned ones. You can also use a similar method to help with new words, which is repeating and expanding.

Repetition is crucial to language learning. Repeat what your child says, and expand on the topic. For example, if your child says, “Dog run!” you can reply with “Yes, the dog is running. He is running very fast.”

Try to keep the expansion sentences as correctly as possible. Like we said earlier, it’s important to speak clearly for your child to learn the words right from the get-go.

What if your child is using baby words? There’s no harm in starting with baby words but you should expand on what they are saying and say the correct word. If your toddler says “ba-ba” while pointing at their bottle, you can repeat (“Do you want ba-ba? Yes, here’s your bottle.)

Nowadays, speech-language pathologists can also be accessible online at home. If you’d like to learn more about how online speech therapy can help your family at home, get a consultation from us. No commitments, no contracts!

Related Post:

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How to pronounce the th sound (and how speech therapy helps), is depression a sign of dementia.

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speech and language therapy and resources

Have fun with these 15 awesome toddler speech delay exercises that are designed by a Speech and Language Pathologist and will help your toddler to talk before you know it!

Exercises are a fantastic way to teach language and to get your toddler talking! These exercises are fun and motivating for your child, and they provide a focus for you to teach your child new skills.

If you find these 15 exercises helpful, why not check out my big book of 50 easy exercises to get your toddler talking?

Repetition is important in learning these new skills, so don’t worry about doing your child’s favorite exercises over and over if that’s what they want. Feel free to pick and choose the ones that work best for you, your child and your family.

These exercises are designed so that you can easily adjust the level to the level of your child.

If your toddler is not yet talking, these speech delay exercises will help your toddler to talk, especially when you use language strategies as well. If your toddler is already talking, these exercises will grow and develop their language skills.

Above all, these exercises are designed to be fun! That’s how children learn best!

STRATEGIES IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Children learn language from listening to language. They absorb the language spoken by their parents, siblings and the other people around them.

Children need to hear language over and over again for months and years before they will start to use it for themselves.

As a parent, you are the single most important person in your child’s language development. The strategies you use in everyday life to build your child’s language will have the biggest impact on their speech and language development.

Using language strategies will make a big difference and can be used as part of everyday life in all of your interactions with your child.

Want a little more?

Grab your free copy of the Speech and Language Strategies Essential Cheat Sheets. Print off and use to help alongside the toddler speech delay exercises to boost your child’s speech and language. Enjoy!

15 TODDLER SPEECH DELAY EXERCISES

The exercises are based around the following key areas:

• Exercises to build listening skills
• Exercises to encourage first words
• Exercises to build vocabulary
• Exercises to build understanding
• Exercises with flashcards
• Exercises to build grammar
• Exercises for early reading skills

EXERCISES TO BUILD LISTENING SKILLS

This first section of speech delay exercises to help your toddler talk are designed to build listening skills . Attention and listening is a foundational skill for language. We watch babies develop this as they start to focus on their parents’ faces, respond to sounds, and start to respond to their own name.

In a few years they will be able to listen attentively to stories, listen to their friends, and because they are able to listen, they will know how to respond. Language isn’t possible without a strong foundation of attention and listening.

1. Find the Sound

Find the Sound is a fun way to build listening skills. Get a toy or piece of equipment that makes a noise. Wind up or musical toys can work well for this, or even general household items such as an egg timer or metronome. Ask your child to close their eyes, and hide the item somewhere in the room- e.g. under a cushion, behind the door.

This helps children to learn to listen. To make it more challenging, try turning the sound down so it’s even quieter. This is a game for younger children and is great for building attention and listening which are foundational skills for language.

You can even use this with babies- put the object somewhere around the room and see if they turn their head to find the sound. If they don’t, you can make it obvious and point at it saying, “ Wow! Can you hear the music? It’s there!”

2. Stop and Go

Stop and Go is a fun active game for kids. The basic principle is that when you say ‘go’, they can run around. They have to listen out for the word ‘stop’ which means they have to stop and freeze in place immediately.

To make this game even more beneficial, why not give them different variations when you say ‘go.’ You might say, ‘ok this time when I say ‘go’ I want you to walk like you’re tigers/ ballerinas/ hop on one foot/ walk backwards,’ or anything else you can think of.

When you say ‘stop’ you could walk around to check that they are being perfectly still. If you are playing with a group of kids, you could eliminate anyone who moves or wobbles.

EXERCISES TO ENCOURAGE FIRST WORDS

These speech delay exercises for toddlers are focused specifically on first words. They are designed to engage your child, and motivate them to say their first words.

Your child’s first word is a moment all parents are super excited about! As understanding of language grows, your child’s use of language will start to develop.

When you are encouraging first words, pick ones that are motivating. Also pick words where there is the opportunity to use it in lots of ways throughout the day. Aim to repeat it lots and lots in different contexts all through the day.

3. Catch the Gap

Catch the Gap is a clever game to help your child to say their very first words. Understanding comes before talking, so teach your child lots of nursery rhymes. Don’t be afraid to be very repetitive.

The Catch the Gap exercise is when you say the Nursery Rhyme that your toddler is now familiar with, but then stop just before saying the last word in a line.

Look at your toddler and show on your face that you’re encouraging them to finish the line.

For example, you could say: Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the waterspout/ Down came the rain and washed the spider…. (out)

If your child doesn’t say the last word, pause for just a few seconds, and then say it for them and continue with the rhyme. Don’t be put off- persist with this strategy.

Rhymes are engaging and fun and toddlers become very familiar with them easily so it’s a lovely easy way for them to say their first words.

4. Phrase Completion

Phrase Completion is another easy, low-pressure way to help your child say their first words.

It’s a little like Catch the Gap but without the rhymes.

Simply say a phrase (pick one that your child is familiar with) and stop before saying the last word.

For example, you might say:

• Go to (bed)
• Let’s brush your (teeth/ hair)
• Open the (door)

Use phrases that you find yourself saying everyday to your toddler. Use phrase completion in context (e.g. while holding the item) and make it very obvious with your voice.

Make your voice rise at the end so it’s clear that another word is coming and give lots of eye contact and smile to show your toddler you want them to finish your sentence.

EXERCISES TO BUILD VOCABULARY

A strong vocabulary is needed for great conversations, to engage with friends, and for learning across all subjects in school. Remember that vocabulary is not just made up from naming words.

To expand your child’s vocabulary, choose lots of different types of words- action words, describing words, location words and emotion words. Your child will need all of them to be able to engage in conversations.

Building vocabulary is a big focus of toddler speech delay exercises.

5. What’s My Man Missing? (Body Parts)

This is a great game that’s fantastic for teaching body parts. Draw two men side by side. On one drawing, leave out a body part such as an arm or the head. Ask your child, ‘what’s my man missing?’

They might know the word, or if they don’t they can point at the first man to show. When they do this, feed in the language of the body part. Repeat it two or three times so they really hear it and will start to remember it.

Don’t be afraid to make your missing body parts more and more obscure once your child is confident with basic body parts. You could leave out the elbow, the knee, an eyebrow- get creative!

Initially, your child will give the general area such as ‘leg.’ You can say, ‘that’s right. He’s missing part of his leg. That part is called the knee. He’s missing his knee! Can you show me your knee?’

6. Shopping Game

This shopping game will build your child’s vocabulary and also help them to understand categories.

Get lots of pictures of shopping items. The best way to do this is to get a shopping leaflet from a supermarket and cut out lots of the pictures.

Tell your child you’re going to ‘put away the shopping.’

You could draw out a fridge, a cupboard, a freezer and a fruit bowl- whatever is appropriate for your house. Then sort out the shopping together. Describe the items as you go. For example, ‘ oh look- ice cream! That’s really cold! Where should we put it?’

Be careful not to turn this game into a test for your child, but to model as much language as you can. Feed in, don’t squeeze out!

7. Photo Diary

Making a photo book works especially well to teach location words such as: under, beside, in, on, behind.

You can also use it to teach action words such as: jump, skip, run, hop, stand, stretch, roll.

Have fun with your child when you’re making the photobook- get them to go ‘under’ the chair- show them what this means. Then, take a picture to demonstrate each word.

You can print the pictures off with the words underneath.

For example:

• Molly is under the chair
• Molly is behind the chair
• Molly is stretching

Staple or ring-bind them together so they are in one book. Then read through the book with your child, reading out the words and emphasizing the new words.

The book will be very motivating for your child. After all, it contains pictures of them! They are likely to go back to the book again and again. Remember that as you look at the pictures together, keep feeding the words in.

You can use this idea to teach lots of other new words, too. This is a great way to teach colors.

EXERCISES TO BUILD UNDERSTANDING

With a strong foundation of attention and play, your child will be developing their understanding of language. Children need to be able to understand words well before they will start to use them for themselves.

It’s like learning a foreign language as an adult- you can’t open your mouth and communicate until you understand the words you can use.

Generally, children also understand more language than they can say, and the more they understand, the more they will soon say!

The next toddler speech delay exercises are focused on their understanding of language which is a foundation for their talking.

8. Barrier Game

A Barrier Game is a fun way to give your child practice in both giving and receiving instructions. The basic idea is to have matching pictures or objects in front of each of you with a barrier in between so you can’t see each other’s things.

It might be that you each have an uncolored picture of a house in front of you, or you could each have a few toys: a teddy, a spoon and a bed. The barrier might be a hardback book standing up, or even a piece of cardboard.

Take turns to give each other instructions. For example, you might say, ‘color the door of the house red.’ Or, if you have toys you could say, ‘put teddy under the bed.’

Then, when you are ready, take away the barrier and see if your pictures or toys match.

Depending on your child’s age and stage of development, you might need to make your instructions very simple, and check after each one. You might even need to give cues (such as showing ‘under’ with your hand). As you practice, you can start to reduce these.

If your child is older, try giving a series of instructions before checking to see if it matches. Also give them a chance to give you the instructions to follow.

9. Object Hunt

An indoor hunt for kids doesn’t have to be a full-scale Scavenger Hunt which takes a big amount of preparation. A simpler idea is to make a list for your kids of things to find and then let them head off to hunt the objects.

These could be texture related (something smooth/rough), color (something that’s dark blue/ something that has two colors on it), sound related (something that’s begins with the ‘sss’ sound) and even function related (something that you use to stick things). It can be anything that you choose.

You could reward your child for finding everything on the list.

EXERCISES WITH FLASHCARDS

Flashcards are a fantastic tool to use in toddler speech delay exercises. They allow you to choose the words you want to teach, and to play lots of different and fun games. They are great for teaching games with turn-taking and simple ‘rules’, such as ‘Go Fish’ or ‘Snap.’

When you are choosing words for your flashcards, choose a variety of words. Try to choose words that are interesting and meaningful for your child.

However, flashcards are just one piece of the puzzle in learning new words. Children learn best through real life experiences. It might be helpful to jot down the words used in your flashcards, and then use them in a variety of contexts throughout the week. This will broaden their understanding of a word. When children understand a word really well, then they will start to use it!

10. Bottle Cap Game

The Bottle Cap Game is another variation on the flashcard games. To play this game, have about three flashcards picked out with words that you want to teach. Remember that it doesn’t have to be just naming words but it can be any words- action words, or description words work well.

Have three bottle caps and stick the cards to the tops (smaller works better). Alternatively, you could stick the cards to jam jar lids. Find something to hide under the bottle caps or lids- this might be a coin or even paperclip (be careful with small objects if you have a younger child as they are a choking risk!)

Ask your child to close their eyes, put the object under one of the caps, and then let them guess where it is. Teach them to say the word on the flashcard before lifting up to check.

For example, if you are teaching action words and have flashcards of sitting, eating and running, they might say ‘eating’ and then look under to see if they’re right, or they might say, ‘is it under eating?’ if their language is at a higher level.

Your child will need help to do this as they will just be excited to guess and won’t name the card unless you teach them the ‘rules.’ They can then have a turn at hiding the object and you can model, ‘hmm is it under eating?’

11. Fishing Game

To play the fishing game, simply attach a paper clip to each flashcard you are using. If you want to be fancy, you can make fish pictures to stick to the backs of the cards. Then make your ‘fishing rod’- use any length of material and tie a string to it that has a magnet on the end.

Strew the cards around on the floor and then go fishing to catch the cards with your rod. Remember that when they ‘catch a fish’ they need to name the picture on the card.

This is a motivating game that kids absolutely love. You can also turn it into a turn-taking game and teach your child these early social skills. Model the words: ‘my turn’ and ‘your turn.’

EXERCISES TO BUILD GRAMMAR

These speech delay exercises will help your toddler use the correct grammar when they talk.

Grammar is the way in which we use words to say exactly what we mean. If we don’t use the correct word ending, tenses, and pronouns, we will change the meaning of what we say. For example, ‘I walked’ vs ‘ I am walking ’.

Grammar is crucial for kids to develop and use correctly. However, it is a little like icing on the cake.

There are so many skills that need to be in place before grammar can develop. These include: attention and listening, play skills, understanding and use of language. The stronger these foundational skills are for your child, the more opportunities they will have to fine tune their grammar.

However, if these foundational skills are already strong and you want to give your child’s grammar development an extra boost, you can do some focused practice with exercises like these. These exercises are for the earliest stages of grammar- pronouns, plurals, and basic past tense.

12. He is/She is

Pronouns can be quite tricky for kids to develop. Initially, they might say, ‘boy walk’ instead of ‘the boy is walking.’ While a top tip is to model back the correct version naturally without correcting your child, this pronoun game is also a good way to give your child some extra practice.

Look through a sport, gardening or children’s magazine and cut out lots of pictures of males and females. Then sort them into two piles, the ‘he is…’ pile and the ‘she is’ pile. Teach your child to say, ‘he is swimming’, or ‘she is walking.’ Take a turn in the game yourself and model this grammar- let your child hear it lots of times.

Remember to also use it in real life whenever you get the chance- point out and comment about ‘he’ and ‘she’, emphasizing the words a little.

This also helps your child to practice the –ing verb endings.

This exercise alongside practice in everyday life will help your child to develop these grammatical structures in no time!

13. Before and After Cards

Use the internet to find before and after pictures or take your own photos! Make sure the photos demonstrate both the before and after with the grammar for each. You can make these into a photo-book with the target grammar in the words underneath.

Start with regular grammar rules before moving to irregular.

The before and after cards could include:

• Past Tense- (Teach the –ed ending first). Example: I am jumping- I jumped/ I am walking- I walked.
• Plurals – (Teach the –s ending first). Example:  one cow- two cows/ one horse- two horses.

Some irregular grammatical structures could include:

• I am eating- I ate
• I am drawing- I drew
• I am driving- I drove
• One mouse- two mice
• One tooth- two teeth
• One person- two people

EXERCISES FOR EARLY READING SKILLS

As parents, we want to know how to teach our toddler to read. We want them to start off school on a strong foundation to have every advantage for academic success.

Literacy is more and more important in the modern world. Even in a job that doesn’t revolve around it, we still need to be able to fill in forms, read instructions, and generally have enough literacy to get online or to deal with banks and other organizations.

These exercises will help you to develop early reading skills for your child.

Related : 5 Surprising Skills to Build Before You Teach Your Toddler the Alphabet

14. Sound Hunt

Go on a ‘Sound Hunt’ in the house or garden- how many things beginning with ‘mm’ can you find.

Remember that the sound of a letter and the name of the letter are very different things. You can raise your child’s awareness of this by finding opportunities to highlight it.

“oh, a spider- that starts with a sssss- sssspider. That sound is called S.”

Or “t hat starts with a letter M- that letter makes the sound- mmmm. ”

However, be aware that finding something beginning with a sound is more difficult that listening to a word and determining if it begins with the sound.

15. Create a Collage

Create a collage of pictures with just one sound. Cut things out from magazines and papers that have the sound you want.

Have fun using the target sound during a craft. If your target sound is “S Blends”, you could build a crafty snowman. Target sounds could include: snow, snowball, scarf, scary, smile, sparkles, stick, stones, stars, slippery, and stomach.

50 Easy Exercises to Get Your Toddler Talking

If you enjoyed these speech delay exercises for toddlers, check out my big book of 50 easy exercises to get your toddler talking!

Available as a paperback or an eBook, you will have an huge choice of exercises to help your toddler talk in the way that’s best suited to them and your family.

Grab your copy and get your toddler talking!

You might also enjoy:

• 8 Essential Strategies to Boost Speech and Language for Busy Parents [+printable]
• 5 Easy Tips from a Speech Pathologist- How to Encourage Toddlers to Talk
• 5 Surprising Skills to Build Before You Teach Your Toddler the Alphabet
• The Ultimate Guide to Help Your Child Speak Clearly
• Words to Describe Someone: The Ultimate Guide

FREE MOM HACKS BOOK 🖤 A week of meals, activities & tips planned for you! →

10 speech therapy ideas to do at home (support your therapy with at-home practice)

By Becky Mansfield

Jan 15, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy .

I wanted to give you 10 speech therapy ideas to do at home because you, as the parent, are your child’s best teacher.   I am a play therapist  (not an SLP), so I work with many speech-delayed children, in conjunction with their speech-language pathologist (birth-age 3) and these activities work great with them in the home, in between therapy sessions.

These ideas do not replace therapy and should not replace therapy.  These are EXTRA ideas to do when you are home, playing with your child.  I have included my favorite affiliate links in this post to take you straight to my favorite toys and products.

NOTE:   BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THIS LIST of 10 speech therapy ideas to do at home: If your child has speech delays, call a local speech pathologist to have your child assessed.  Work on a plan to help your child reach success.  You can find a speech pathologist through your pediatrician or your local Early Intervention Program.

1.  Do Not Have the TV on in the Background. 

The background noise can actually make it harder for a child.  Contrary to what many think, TV in the background does not enhance development.  According to JAMA Pediatrics, “children with frequent television viewing…would have delayed development of meaningful word speech.”

 In  one study , American children between ages of 6 and 12 months were exposed to native Chinese speakers in person and to the same native Chinese speakers on video. The infants who had real people interacting with them recognized and responded to specific phonemes, and those exposed to the video did not. What this seems to show is that human interaction appears to be critical in the complex process of language development. However, when the TV is on,  parents tend not to talk as much to their children . And given that babies learn language from live people—particularly their parents!—having the TV on could be detrimental to that process. ~Expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston.

2.  Teach Sign Language. 

There are studies to show a correlation between sign language and speech.  If nothing else, it stops the huge frustration that children are feeling.

I focus on the biggies: more, mine, help, Mommy, Daddy, please, thank you (please & thank you are added in there just to teach your little one good manners!)   However, instead of simply teaching “more” teach him or her “ball” (or the name of what you are playing with) each time he wants “more ball”. If he’s hungry he could request eat or the specific food. This motivates children more.

Typically when children first begin to talk it’s by requesting the actual item or action such as a ball, milk, blanket, momma, daddy, car, doll. Requesting things they can see will be easier to learn and understand in the beginning. “More” may be over-generalized a

3.  Make Printable Magnets for Your Refrigerator.

Add magnets that have his favorite things  (juice, cereal…) and when he wants something, he can bring that to you. (make sure he can’t choke on them.

How to make them:  I use a large flat magnet paper .   I glue a white sheet of car d-stock on it and cut it into squares.  I then draw pictures onto them with the things that your child might need: cup, food, bed, favorite toy, etc…  We are trying to ELIMINATE frustration because kids with a speech delay often become frustrated easily.   (wouldn’t you?)

4. Spend 40 Minutes Just Playing with Him. 

Use simple words “Car fast!” or “Red ball”.  To see all of the benefits of playing, check out this post on how & why we need to play with our kids.

5. Work with Simple Flash Cards

I love this touch & feel flashcard set   because kids aren’t just auditory or visual learners.      Say the name of the object & have them repeat it.   Labeling is HUGE for a child with a speech delay.  ps- You might want to get a flashcard app for babies or toddlers- they are free).

6. Get a Cotton Ball & Straw

Put the  cotton ball down on the table or on the floor.  Now, take a straw & let him blow through it to make a cotton ball move (have the cotton ball on the table). This will help with the oral muscles needed for speech.

(As a therapist following the guidelines of evidence-based practice, it is important to understand that non-speech oral motor exercises (e.g. sucking and blowing through a straw) have not been shown to be completely effective or ineffective.  Their use must be considered experimental. Lof provides a great overview of the existing evidence and the citation is as follows: Lof, G. L., (2009). Nonspeech oral motor exercises: An update on the controversy. ASHA Convention 2009, 1-9.)

7. Drink with a  Straw , but Not Just Liquids.  

Change it up a bit and use the straw to drink many different textures (water, milk, applesauce, pureed fruits, milkshakes)…  This will help to strengthen the muscles in their mouth, making speech easier when they are ready.

8. Use  silly stra ws for Drinking

I use these curly/wavy straws.  These are great because they take a little more muscular strength and work than the average straw.

9.  Put Some Things Out of Reach

I do this with something that you know your child will want (a favorite book or favorite toy) and they will have to ask you for help when getting it. Teach them to come and get you and take you (by taking you the hand) to what he/she wants OR by getting you the magnet off of the fridge (did you read that tip above?)  Show your child the sign for help and say “Help” when they are asking you.  You are modeling this behavior for him/her.  Children are more likely to talk when they want something.

10.  Praise Their Efforts

These are just some things that I practice with my speech delayed clients & that I have done with our own children.   Praising your children has a profound effect on their success, because of the increase in self-esteem and self-worth.

FREE PRINTABLE CHART:  

I have also posted about the  different   nutrition supplements that have been recommended for speech delays.   Ask your doctor before starting them, but they helped our son.   Our neurologist said that he suggests them for anyone suffering from a developmental delay because nutrition profoundly impacts learning, speech, and development.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on speech delays, please contact your local early intervention office.   You can always start with  Play Therapy.

Products that might be helpful:

– – MORE POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE: 

Categorized as: Kids , Staying Healthy! , YourModernFamily

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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49 Comments

These are great ideas! I would love to invite you to link up at our Share It Saturday linky party. We have lots of creative ideas submitted each week and you would fit right in! http://www.sugaraunts.com/2013/02/share-it-saturday-7-and-our-week-in.html

We also are inviting all contributors to join us on our Share It Saturday Group Pinterest page as a collaborator. It is a great way to have your posts seen by new viewers! The link for the Pinterest page is on our post. Hope to see you there!

Colleen at Sugar Aunts

Sounds great- thanks! I’ll be there. 🙂

Wonderful ideas! As mama to a 25 weeker that had huge speech delays for various reasons, one of which having a trach for 3.5 years and unable to utter a sound, we focused heavily on sign language. This was a HUGE asset when the trach finally came out. She is now 9 and still relies on sign language, along with voicing. But that was one of the best decsions we ever made!

I’m so glad she’s doing well now. Signing is so great for helping children with speech delays.

I recommend contacting your local early intervention agency. The evaluation is FREE and all states have the program. Most pediatricians don’t use screening tools and often take the “let’s wait and see” approach. In the meantime, there are plenty of books out there that are parent-friendly, including The Cow Says Moo Ten Tips to Teach Toddlers to Talk (McErlean), Let’s Talk Together (Poland), and My Toddler Talks (Scanloon) are a few. Try Amazon.com; they have everything.

🙂 I work through Early Intervention, as well. 🙂 I completely agree!

Any ideas on how to get them to actually respond or do anything to help? We’re a one income family and after having my eldest evaluated when he was 18 months and still not using a sign word (not even Mommy or Daddy) but signing perfectly I was told it was my fault for teaching him ASL and that it was not actually a delay so they had nothing to do with helping me. Now at a month shy of 3yrs he has a 50 word vocabulary and still struggles and cries because he cannot get his point across to adults or other kids. He’s extremely bright, can figure out basic math problems, count, and has had his hearing checked at two different testing centers but out Child Development Services still claim it is not their problem to get him any sort of help. Since we’re on state medical insurance they are our only option for assitance and so far have told us if he still is having a problem by school age they might see fit to help by then.

I would keep working with him and actually move his mouth yourself when you are telling him to say words. Does he babble (make sounds?) I would wait to start speech therapy until 20 months & then call Child Dev. Serv. again. They often will not refer a child for play therapy or speech therapy until 20 months. (I start to see most of my clients between 20 months & 24 months, I’d say … and then I work with them until they are three and they are transferred to the school system.)

Hi. Can you believe that in Germany (and other countries in Europe as well) they don’t evaluate children until they are 5-year-old? They don’t have developmental pediatricians here or licensed speech therapists. Any kind of assessment is done by regular pediatrician. Their motto is every child develops differently and starts speaking at different age. They disagree with providing any kind of therapy for children who are younger than 5. ASD and PDD are not popular here or I should rather say people (parents) do not speak much about it. If their child doesn’t walk until 3-year-old or doesn’t interact with you until he/she is 3-year-old, it’s okay, they don’t see any problem with this because their pediatrician said so. I have ten years of professional experience from US so what’s happening in Europe for me it’s unacceptable and a big disappointment.

I am a PhD speech-language pathologist with 10 years of clinical and research experience. I strongly encourage families who have children with communication delays to pursue an evaluation by a licensed speech-language pathologist. Early intervention is incredibly important and an actual communication professional can recommend targeted strategies for your unique child. Communication is the foundation of literacy and academic skills, and speech-language pathologists can get your child on the right track!

I am also a speech therapist, and completely agree with the above post. A thorough history, coupled with a comprehensive assessment by a qualified, credentialed professional are essential. The earlier, the better.

My 4 year granddaughter can’t pronounced later c, s, z, q…..I think she has articulation problems

My granddaughter is 2 yrs 5 mon old. She will repeat what you say to her. If you say “do you need to poop”? She will say “do you poop”? she will not answer a question only repeat the question. Is this normal. Her doctor says she is a little behind in speech skills.

Hi there! I came across this site while looking up information on my son’s speech delay (due to hypotonia). I bought the Balanced Essentials liquid multivitamin and was curious as to how much your neurologist recommended giving him? He’s 30 months.

Thanks in advance!

He told us one ounce was a safe dose (as they state on the package), but I always fill it to the first line in the cap- its exactly one teaspoon. Hope that helped!

What age is that the dose for? A two or three year old? My son is 17 months and I know our pediatrician won’t like the idea of giving adult vitamins to him, so I’d like more of a point of reference to start the conversation.

I would talk to your doctor. This was for our toddler, but every child is different. Our doctor said that Animal Parade (for kids) was another great, natural option. I’d bring up both to your doctor. 🙂

My son is 3 and had a vocabulary of 20 words 3 weeks ago. I started him on Balanced Essentials and in 10 days he was starting to say words he never had before. He continues each day to add multiple words to his vocabulary and already speaks more words than I can count. It is absolutely remarkable. He has speech apraxia, hypotonia, and limbic system problems (neurological). Why are Dr’s not prescribing this stuff??? It is nothing short of miraculous!

That’s amazing!! I know – our pediatricians had never even heard of it when I took it to them to double check it before we started. We ended up giving it to all 4 of our kids.

Where i can get that ??? My son is 4 strouling with speech …. We r talking 2 language he isnt fulent in mother tounge or english

Wonderful page and ideas!

A little of our story. My son is 10 years old today. But he was born premie, and had Global Delays from the start. I started ASL with him around 1 year old and it was a life saver! We only did basics, and added things as needed or that he was interested in as time passed. But at one point, when he was 2 1/2-3, he said the words, “water” and “doggy” the same way; he said “goggy” for both of these. So if he didn’t sign “water” to me, I would have had a heck of a time knowing he wanted a DRINK, and wasn’t telling me about a doggy!

Today, at 10, most of his development is that of a 2 year old. He has plenty of vocabulary; enough to get his needs met, thankfully. But we are currently working with a program that will be able to get us a communication assistive device. It may take some time, but it will be covered by insurance, so it will be well worth it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for these suggestions! My 20 month old son has a moderate expressive speech delay and we cannot currently afford treatment… it is so difficult to find things online that I can do to help him while we wait for the public service! These all sound great!

Good! I’m glad they were helpful. Good luck!!

Great ideas! Thank you and we’d be looking forward to more help on children with speech delay…

Awesome- I hope these help!

Thanks you for a wonderful advice.

Of course!! 🙂

I am a Master’s student in speech language pathology and am learning from the most current research. If anyone has or knows a child with a speech/language delay, it is recommended that they see a licensed speech-language pathologist. Some SLPs specialize in early intervention (children ages 0-3) and will know how to best assess and treat communication delays.

Can you recommend some activities for kids older than 3? My son is 5. I think some of these tips are great, but he already did most of them. He has an IEP at school and I can see his progress is very slow.

I would have him look in a mirror and practice his sounds. It was like a lightbulb went off for our son! Do it every day and go through ALL of the sounds: La Le Li Lo Lou

Ma Me Mi Mo Moo

Great ideas.

Wonderful ideas.. These advice were very helpful especially to those people who cant afford paying expensive speech theraphy in private school.

My son is 2 and he has speech therapy. He eats anything you give him, not a picky eater but would giving him the balanced essentials help him? I will ask his pediatrician also at his next appointment but just wanted to ask here. Thanks!

Nice to see.I totally agree with you…Noted.thank you so much 🙂

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Speech Therapy Exercises For Children

Fun, At-Home Speech Therapy Exercises for Children

This week, in the spirit of the Olympics, we thought we’d offer some of our favorite speech therapy exercises and activities to do at home. That’s right, exercises! While there will not be a half-pipe, blob-sledding track or a gold medal at the end of your session, the reward will be an opportunity to spend quality time with your child and help him or her with increasing speech and language skills.

There are a wide variety of reasons to work on speech therapy exercises at home. Sometimes, a parent is not sure if her child needs to see a speech therapist and would like to do some speech therapy exercises at home first. Perhaps your child’s teacher has expressed concern that he has some stuttering, or needs help in speech skills. Or, your child is already seeing an SLP and you would like to supplement what he is learning with at-home activities.

We have put together a list of exercises, tools and activities worthy of the Sochi games. Each exercise is designed to engage your child and stimulate language and speech production. Remember, therapy sessions, especially for children under the age of three should be FUN! Your child may not cooperate if he feels like he is in a formal learning environment. Children need to enjoy their activities in order to learn. While a little structure is okay, let your child walk around the room, wiggle and giggle to get the most out of your time together.

Exercises for Speech Therapy:

Flash cards.

Flash cards can help kids in speech therapy to focus on the sounds that they have difficulty with. You can help make it more entertaining by providing an activity for kids to do along with them or a reward when done correctly. For example, a small piece of candy (chewable is good for strengthening jaw muscles) after saying a certain number of sounds on the language cards correctly.

Mirror Exercises

Many kids with articulation problems don’t understand how to move their mouths to make sounds correctly. Speaking in front of a mirror can help a child to see how her mouth moves when she makes particular sounds. You can articulate each sound slowly and correctly to model proper positioning for your child and demonstrate the differences in the mirror.

This is a simple game to help get your child to repeat the same word six times. Choose six words that you want to practice. Slide each word into a clear plastic paper protector, aka “lily pads”. Spread the plastic lily pads all over the room.  Have your child hop to each lily pad, each time saying the word. After he hops to all six of the lily pads and says the word correctly, your little frog may want a tasty fly as a reward!

This is a fun board game by Hasbro that helps children identify everyday items such as cars, animals, foods and sea creatures.  Not only does this game teach problem-solving, it encourages proper character identification and socialization skills. Beware, you may find yourself playing it over and over!

These are four of our favorites – what are yours?

Check out these websites for additional speech therapy exercises and activities:

Speech Therapy Games to Use At Home

Speech Buddies: Activities and Exercises for Home

11 Toddler Activities to Encourage Speech

Are you looking for easy and fun ways to help encourage your toddler's speech development?

If so, you come to the right place. I'm going to go over some speech development facts and give you some fun and interactive ways you can help your child's language development.

How to encourage speech development

A toddler's speech development is one of the most exciting and worrying things about parenting.

In the time of social media, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing your toddler's speech development with others.

You may be wondering if there are any toddler activities to encourage speech.

Research shows that young children need to hear about 21,000 words per day for optimal language development.

While that number may have taken your breath away momentarily, I assure you it's not difficult to achieve.

Luckily, there are many things you can do with your toddler to encourage speech, and they can all be pretty fun!

Speech development in toddlers

You can worry yourself sick reading through websites about how many words your child should be saying at certain ages.

I've read that an 18-month-old should be saying at least 20 words, but then I read the next article down and I'm told a child should be saying at least 6 words at 18 months.

And then , to top the confusion off, women in parenting Facebook groups are telling me they've been told an 18-month-old should be saying more than 50 words!

Here's the most reasonable official word on what a toddler's speech should entail, by age:

By 18 Months- Says several single words. (They don't need to be clearly spoken.)

By 2 Years: Says sentences containing 2-4 words.

By 3 Years: Can carry on short conversations using 2-3 sentences and can be understood by most adults.

Along with these speech development guidelines, it's important to note that receptive language (a child's ability to understand) is of equal, if not primary, importance in younger toddlers!

So, don't gauge your child's language development only on what they are able to say.

Now, let's get to the fun part! The activities! I'll be providing examples of what you can say during the activity to encourage your child's speech!

Toddler activities to encourage speech

1. Herb Grinding- I am a big hot tea drinker and my kids enjoy the scents and flavors of the herbs brewing, along with trying new teas. (Decaffeinated, of course.)

This is one of my personal favorite activities to encourage toddler speech. If there is something you just love , involve your child.

So, grinding herbs with a mortar and pe stle is a super fun activity for us. And there is so much vocabulary that goes along with the activity!

“Feel the chamomile buds. They are dry and break easily. They should be easy to crush!”

“This is a mortar and pestle. People use it for all sorts of things! Painters use it to prepare paints, people crush medicine with it, and people use it for cooking. Let me show you how to use it. After we are finished crushing the chamomile, we can make some hot tea and put some honey and milk in it!”

2. Reading-  This is crucial – and fun! Short, rhyming, and easy-to-follow stories are the best for a toddler's developing speech.

There is no need to purchase any of the “First 100” series books and drill your child on those words.

Simply read and let the story flow. If it's a rhyme, don't stop to talk about the story or the pictures for the first several reads through the book.

Let your child experience the rhythm of the syllables and the song of the rhyme.

This will enhance the experience for them, as well as encourage their love of reading in the future!

Even audiobooks have the benefit of enriching a child's vocabulary!

Sensory bins to help speech development

3. Sensory bins – While sensory bins are not Montessori, they are useful for a child's development.

On top of tactile stimulation and as an adjunct tool for learning, they provide a fun opportunity for speech development.

Take this colored rice sensory bin, for example. We've made the brown rice the land and the blue rice the water.

My 2-year-old enjoyed coloring the rice, helping to plan the activity, and placing the animals in their respective habitats.

“Is water brown or blue? Hmm…I think it's blue. Let's put the brown land over to the left side of the bin and the blue water to the right of the land. Let's get your animals and try to figure out which ones live in the water and which ones live on land!”

So much language goes along with working with sensory bins. And you are only limited by your own imagination, as far as what materials to use!

4. Nature Walks- Take a walk around the yard, neighborhood, or local park. Stop often to observe the things around you.

Encourage your child to pick things up and offer a description of the item.

“Oh, look at that rock you found. Feel it. It's rough and has a jagged edge on one side. It looks different than the rock that I found. Mine is smooth. Do you want to feel it?”.

There is a lot of language to be shared when out and about in nature.

Encourage toddler speech through play

5. Blocks-  This activity is so simple, yet so vital for just about every aspect of a child's development. Blocks. That's right, just plain old wooden blocks .

All you need to do is sit on the floor, facing your child, and build. Talk about what you're building and observe and admire what your toddler is building.

“I'm building a house. You see, the garage is right here and over here is the front door. I've turned a triangle-shaped block upside down to make a pointy roof. Show me what you are building!”

“Let's see how high we can stack these blocks! We can make a tower! Oh, wow, every time we add a block, our tower gets taller. If we keep building, we will have the tallest tower we have ever built!”

6- Miniature objects- Miniature objects are used for different things in Montessori. To start with, they can be used to help encourage speech development in Toddlers.

Language is best learned in conjunction with concrete, tangible examples. So, miniature objects provide this level of learning for toddlers.

Simply name the object and talk a bit about its use. Ask open-ended questions, even if your child can't answer.

Miniature objects are also great for sound games.

7- Silly Sounds- Show your child that it is fun to experiment and be silly with language by making silly sounds with them. Change the words to some common nursery songs and sing about what you are doing.

Instead of singing the correct words to “ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star “, sing something like, “ Beep beep, bop bop, bip bip, boat! ” Just be silly!

Your child needs to see you feel free to experiment and be silly. This will help them feel free to do the same.

They will have fun, while getting practice and becoming more comfortable with trying new sounds. Activities to encourage speech can be silly and fun!

It should never feel like a lesson,

Speech development and music

8- Finger Plays- Finger Plays are songs involving the movement of the hands and fingers. This is a really fun way to encourage toddler speech!

One Finger Play all my children have enjoyed is this:

Open shut them ( Open and close your hands in rhythm ) Open shut them Give a little clap, clap, clap (Clap in rhythm) Open shut them (Open and close your hands in rhythm) Open shut them Lay them on your lap, lap, lap (Pat your hands on your lap in rhythm) Creep them creep them (Move your hands in a spider motion up your abdomen, Creep them creep them toward your chin) Right up to your chin, chin, chin Open wide your little mouth (Tap your index fingers on the sides of your mouth, But do not let them in close your mouth, and shake your head and wag your finger “no”) Shake them shake them (Shake your hands vigorously) Shake them shake them Shake them Just like this, this, this Roll them roll them (Ball your fists and roll your arms) Roll them roll them Roll And blow a little kiss (Blow a kiss to your child) Muah!

Speech development and food

9- Grocery Shopping- Turn an adult chore into a fun activity by spending some extra time in the fresh section of the store.

The descriptive language that fresh food provides is amazing! There is so much to talk about at the grocery store!

Every fruit and vegetable has a different size, color, texture, scent, and flavor. Grocery shopping is probably one of the best activities to encourage healthy eating and toddler speech!

“We need some apples to snack on. Let's pick out 3 juicy red apples. 1, 2, an 3. Can you help put them in our bag? You did it! Now we've got 3 delicious red apples to snack on when we get home! Now, let's go see what else we can find!”

10- Cooking-  There's no way around it. We have to cook.

So, instead of diverting your toddler's attention elsewhere so you can prepare dinner, invite them to help!

This is one of the most helpful ways to encourage toddler speech.

It may take longer ( and more cleaning is sure to result ), but the opportunity to help a toddler along with their speech development is missed when we exclude our children from daily activities, such as cooking.

“Smell this basil. I like the way it smells, don't you? Now, try a bite of this tomato. Mmm! It's so juicy, isn't it? Would you like to help me stir? Tomatoes and basil are going to be part of our dinner tonight! Thank you so much for helping!”

Speech development and picture books

11- Picture Books- Picture books are great activities to encourage toddler speech. They allow for more conversation, imagination, and they help develop critical thinking skills.

But for the purpose of this article, let's focus on the speech development these books promote.

One of the great benefits of wordless books is the absence of words prompts conversation about the possible actions, emotions , and intentions of the characters on the page.

There is no story to read, so you and your child make up the story yourselves!

“That boy is walking a dog on a leash. I wonder where he is going. Let's see…there's a post office a few buildings away. Maybe he is going to pick up a package. I wonder who sent the package. Do you have any ideas? Maybe his grandmother sent it.”

These fun activities are sure to help get your toddler talking!

Turn off the TV to encourage toddler speech

Doing simple things like speaking clearly and limiting screen time are also important. A link between excessive screen-time and verbal delays has been shown.

Time spent in front of the TV or iPad is time lost gaining meaningful speech; speech that relates to your child's life.

Join Limited Screen-time Families on Facebook for more tips on screen-free activities. It's one of the best resources out there.

My personal experience with my children's speech development

As a mother of three completely different kids, I can promise you that personality plays a huge role in a child's speech development.

The tears I shed worrying about my first child's language development…It turns out, she is a quiet child and a bit of a perfectionist.

I couldn't help but worry when I would watch videos of all my friends' toddlers talking and singing when my daughter had a handful of barely discernable words and a whole lot of da-da-da. She was a “late” babbler, too.

Then, like a light switch went off, she started speaking full sentences.

Now, at 5, she has a vocabulary as large as any other kid her age. My 3-year-old had 100+ words at 18 months.

He is more outgoing and willing to try to say words, even when he's unsure he's got the pronunciation just right.

He appreciates being corrected and will attempt a word as many times as necessary until he's got it just right.

Every child's speech development is different.

Basically, every child is different. So, try not to stress yourself ( or your child) out about their speech development. Child development is not a competitive sport .

I can safely assume that you're reading this article because you have concerns about your child's speech development.

Take a deep breath, dry your tears, and have fun with these activities!

The MOST important thing, however, is that you listen. Your child may be saying more than you think!

And there is NO NEED to talk incessantly to your child, as many social media moms will claim!

Letting them develop confidence and concentration through independent play is absolutely vital.

So, let them play,  then join them.

Let them explore, then join them.

There are so many activities to encourage toddler speech and their all fun!

Cheers and don't forget to subscribe!

Sharing is caring!

Wednesday 25th of August 2021

I NEEDED to read this. Thank you so much. Trust me... you are so right. I worry about my toddler's speech every single day. i am tired of reading articles. I am going to take your advice. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Bit of crackling

Wednesday 30th of December 2020

If transitions are a problem for your child, it is important to figure out what about the transition is difficult. Often kids don’t like stopping an activity that they are enjoying (like playing on the computer) in order to do something less fun, like getting ready to leave the house. While no one enjoys stopping fun things, some kids struggle with it more than others. That can be a sign that they are still developing emotional self-regulation skills, but it is just one possible cause. Other children struggle to cope with unanticipated changes in schedule, or moving on from something that they feel like they haven’t finished.

Thursday 21st of May 2020

thanks for this article! our little guy has pretty much no words at 15mo but understands what we are asking him to do and follows directions well. he has no screen time and we read a ton of books. the ped is already talking about early intervention speech therapy--ugh! this was such a reassuring article. thanks :)

Toddler Speech Delay Exercises to Use At Home

Continue the discussion with a pro

Have a chat with a certified Speech and Language Professional for free

In order to improve your toddler’s speech delay, or help them catch up to their peers, you will need to FIRST figure out if there is a delay and what that delay includes. Speech therapist, Sharon Baum, shares 17 tips and tricks you should try at home to support you with toddler speech delay exercises.

First, speak to your doctor and get a referral to a speech therapist if warranted. If a delay is revealed after an assessment, it is crucial that you practice with them daily. That may sound overwhelming, but incorporating daily practices into routines they’re already engaging in, keeps things simple and time effective! Remember that you can be their communication partner at any part of the day that you are with them.

What activities help develop speech in toddlers?

There are many simple activities that can help your toddler develop their speech. Reading books cannot be overstated, even wordless picture books where toddlers are forced to look at pictures and let you know what they are thinking. From labeling objects to describing them using colors and other descriptors. This is a way before bedtime that your child can develop their speech and language skills.

How can I improve my toddler's speech delay?

If your child has a speech delay, you can encourage them to communicate. Also, remember to give them time to communicate; wait and see if they will initiate communication. Especially for their specific wants and needs with you, while also trying to bombard them with speech!

Focusing on activities that are of interest to your child already is a good starting point. Joining them in your child’s activities of interest by acting as a facilitator of communication. This will help the child develop the speech and language skills that they are delayed in. This means that optimizing play, reading, bedtime routines, morning routines, and outdoor activities (i.e. being in the car together and at the park) will be your opportunities for engagement and facilitation.

Let’s get more specific about how we can turn these everyday activities into speech and language moments that will help our toddlers with their speech and/or language delay!

What activities help with speech delay?

Catching up to peers. Here are 5 toddler speech delay exercises.

• Play : This cannot be reiterated enough. During play, you can model expanded phrases to build up their language skills. For example, if you are in the play kitchen, and you are playing with the “fruits” and “vegetables”. You can model: “apple, pass the apple to me”, or “carrots, let’s eat carrots”. You can also watch your child play and let them guide you. If your child says “more oranges”, you can add on to this while playing and say “you want more oranges”.
• Reading : Read to your child and let them “read” to you. This can mean that they are telling you a story based on the pictures they are seeing. Encourage them to tell you what they are seeing in both a wordless picture book and books with words in them. Add on to the ideas that they are conveying through words. Nursery rhyme books can help them remember words, which will build up their vocabulary.
• Listening activities : you want to make sure that your child is building up understanding so that they can develop their speech and language skills. Checking for listening/attention can be done at any moment of the day. In the younger years, you can use a toy that makes noise and put it out of sight. Check if your child acknowledges this through body language or by saying something that indicates that they have heard it.
• Attention/Listening: Another way to check for listening and attention is to incorporate music and dance. Tell them to freeze when the music stops. Are they still dancing or have they stopped? This is a fun way to get your child to build up attention and listening. Since singing is a great tool, you can also start singing and then stop. They should indicate to you that you have stopped or they want more singing!
• Barrier games/understanding language and following directions: Yes, just as it sounds - there is a barrier in place. A barrier such as a box where you can’t see each other’s objects is an opportunity for your child to follow directives as well as administer directions that they want you to carry out!

7 speech therapy exercises for toddlers at home

• Select your child’s favorite hands-on arts and crafts activity or objects. For example, let your toddler tell you what to do with the car on your sheet of paper. For example, “color the car brown”. You then reciprocate by telling your toddler what they should do with the car on their paper. “Cut out the car and put it next to the teddy bear” (this incorporates multi-step directives and spatial concepts).
• Incorporate any target sounds into any activities you are doing. Reinforcing the correct production of sounds while you show your child how you’re producing difficult sounds will help the child learn how to say the sound(s) in error correctly and become easier to understand.
• If your toddler is missing and dropping sounds at the end of the word, then teaching them about rhyming really helps. Model to your child pairs and groups of words that rhyme. For example, a dog and a frog. You can ask your child to show you a ‘thumbs up’ if the sequence of words rhymes and a ‘thumbs down’ if the sequence does not rhyme. For example ‘chair and bottle’. That’s right, ‘thumbs down’. Tell your child that we're going to focus on the final sound of the word. What sound did they hear at the end ‘Matt, cat, bat’. "Well done, it's a "t". For more ** Top Tips For At-Home Speech Sound Practice read here .
• Online platforms can be motivating, but remember that screen time should not be an entire session. Online games can always be a motivating support. Especially on those tough therapy days when your child is being resistant to engagement despite your enthusiasm.
• Get back to the basics. Bubbles and balloons are great companions as they can be used to strengthen articulators (mouth, lips, tongue) when oral motor weaknesses are present. These items can also be rewards to complement efforts and successes after activities. You may find our ** Speech and Language Activities for Parents to Try At Home blog useful .
• Set up an environment that encourages your child to speak (comments or requests). For example, at mealtimes don’t provide a spoon to eat – so they have to ask. If they don’t ask, model the response you need “uh oh, you need a spoon, “here is your spoon”.
• When sorting out washing or getting dressed you can comment and talk about what you have found, “is it a sock or a hat?” or “mummy is wearing a top and you are wearing your… vest”. These can encourage short sentences and Wh questions. For example, “where is my sock” or “what is a hat”.

3 Speech Therapy Techniques for Toddlers

• Praise all your child's attempts at verbal communication. Do not correct your child or make them repeat their errors. Just model back the correct form.
• Use forced alternatives to encourage your toddler to talk e.g. ‘Do you want water or milk?’ or ‘Are you playing with the sand or the water?’
• Once your toddler is using lots of single words, model how to build utterances by repeating back and adding to their single word. Just add one extra word at a time. For example, if the child says ‘car’ you could say ‘big car’ or ‘red car’.

Can a toddler recover from speech delay?

Each child is different. Sometimes a speech delay exists in isolation and at other times it co-exists or is comorbid with other developmental delays. The rate at which a speech delay ceases to exist, or is even able to be removed is dependent on the child. While a question mark still remains as to who will catch up without intervention and who won’t, three predictors that have received attention include; severity of initial impairment in expressive language, degree of impairment in receptive ability as well as expressive, and degree of impairment in gestural communication (Dale, et al. 2003).

Research has indicated that when an expressive language delay is present, 70-80% of toddlers will recover. Indicating that a percentage won’t catch up without early intervention. This is why collaborating with your doctor when you first notice a “delay” is very important.

The good news is that you and your toddler can work together with a speech therapist to help them develop communication skills that they are lagging behind. You may see results quickly or very gradually, but keep going. Each time you practice, you are giving your child a better chance at getting caught up as they enter their foundational pre-school years, mitigating pre-reading and writing difficulties.

Toddler speech delay exercises references:

A Closer Look at the Late Talker Study: Why Parents Should Beware of a ‘Wait and See’ Approach

(PDF) Early Identification of Language Delay

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100+ fun activities for kids that will keep them entertained for hours! Target speech development through play and games. They won’t even know they are learning!

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From your first worry to your first appointment, and your last speech therapy session – find the information you need to help your child thrive and gain necessary speech skills.

Parent's Academy › Activities for Kids › Language Activities › Language Activities to Improve Speech for Babies and Toddlers

Language Activities to Improve Speech for Babies and Toddlers

Robert mckenzie.

New York , New York

Feb 8, 2022 While children may enjoy interacting with other children in their nursery or school classrooms, they may not be able to convey new words or thoughts. Help them with these language activities!

As language skills are acquired, and vocabulary is increased on a weekly or even daily basis, it will be determined primarily by the adults in the child’s life. This means that adults regularly play an active role in children’s lives and must be held accountable for the development of their children’s language skills. Children will naturally seek out adults who are surrounding them and teaching them what the new word means.

Sing, Read, Narrate Everything

Perhaps one of the more fun and enjoyable ways to support children’s language skills is to incorporate music into everyday activities and routines. Singing and listening to songs can give children the opportunity to practice hearing and use new sounds and words.

Reading to children not only contributes to their learning at school but also enables them to develop a special love affair together. They also learn that books are fun, and have a positive impact on their ability to become good readers.

A large body of research shows that reading to children can help develop strong language skills in the distant future. Studies have shown that the number of words a child hears is associated with an increase in vocabulary by age 4. Research also shows the best way for children to learn a language is by talking about what we do in everyday life.

If you want your children to be great writers, they must be great readers. Help them become better writers by creating a strong connection between their writing skills and their love of reading. Most children learn language by absorbing words and what they mean through loving family interactions . Infants and toddlers can enroll in official language classes to teach them how to speak.

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Play, Ask Open Questions, Categorize Objects

As a parent, you may be wondering what you can do to ensure a literacy-rich environment for your children. Adding these techniques to your parent-teacher toolkit can go a long way toward developing your child’s early literacy. Pretend play is another great way for young students to learn new vocabulary if it is presented in a rich language environment.

In a colloquial manner, without dominating the discussion, teachers help children develop their language skills by asking thought-provoking questions and introducing new vocabulary through science, art, snacking, and other activities. Children have the opportunity to talk aloud about their favorite books and play stories. Their sentences become longer and more complex. In a language-rich environment , language skill in preschoolers develops.

Labeling objects to draw attention to them helps children learn them and remember them, even if they have not seen them before. This is incredibly important, and using language just for current abilities can help children understand and use more complex things earlier. The number of words a child knows depends on what they are learning to read when they start school. By creating a language-rich environment, you don’t just help them learn words, but can initiate brain changes that continue to give them an advantage year later.

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41 Free Online Speech Therapy Activities

There are many online speech therapy activities that you can do with your student or child to help them develop their language skills.

These online games and exercises are perfect for the online slps doing teletherapy and will not only be fun for both of you, but they will also provide great benefits for your child’s speech pathology goals and help improve their speech delay!

Fun Games for Online Speech Therapy Activities

In this article, we’ll highlight 41 online resources – including PBS Kids interactive games, Boom Cards, and Pink Cat Games. We hope that these online tools will encourage children to learn about social skills, vocabulary words, communication skills, and more.

The following section is a list of educational games that are great for any speech language pathologist to use during their therapy services.

Collection of Interactive Online Games

Enjoy this list below of online speech therapy games to work on your student’s or child’s speech goals and make your speech therapy session even more fun this school year.

Online Speech Therapy Activities

1. pbs kids.

One of our favorite online resources for speech therapy is the PBS Kids website. This online destination has a variety of fun, interactive games that help children work on their language skills.

Some SLP favorites include: “ Curiou s George Pop the Bubble “, “ Meatball Launcher “, and “ Daniel Tiger Bath Time Helper “.

Do you have students who love to build things? Be sure to check out this list of games: “ Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Sandcastle “, “ Hero Elementary Treehouse Trouble “, “ Hamster Run “, “ Ready Jet Go, Builder “, “ Animal Home Builder “.

All of these games are perfect for children who are in the early intervention stage or those who have autism spectrum disorder. They are also great for helping to build vocabulary skills , story telling , feelings and life skills, such as empathy, respect for others, labeling feelings, as well as others!

2. Boom Learning

Another online resource that we love are Boom Cards.

This online program makes it easy to access educational games that can help your child work on auditory processing skills, receptive and expressive language development, articulation practice, and more!

This online resource is perfect for practicing speech sounds with articulation games, vocabulary words, social skills, and following directions – all of which are important for speech development.

If you’re on the hunt for barrier games be sure to check out Boom Learning then!

SLP favorite free downloads can be found in my list of 917+ free boom cards for speech therapy !

3. pink cat games.

If you’re looking for online resources that are specifically designed for younger children, we highly recommend checking out Pink Cat Games.

This online website has a variety of great games and activities that focus on different language skills, including vocabulary development, following directions and more.

Some of our favorites include: “ Build a Monster “, “ Smarty Pants Animal Race “, and “ Quiz Wheel Game “.

All of these online resources are perfect for children in early intervention or with autism spectrum disorder, as they help to build vocabulary skills, language comprehension abilities, following directions, social communication, and more!

4. Fun Brain

This website has many online activities and games that work on vocabulary, reading comprehension, memory skill development, etc.

These online games are perfect for children who have already developed some language skills, but still need to improve their vocabulary or reading comprehension abilities.

Some of our favorite things on this site are “ Reading “, “ Games “, Grammar Gorillas , Plural Girls to work on plurals , and Simon Sees .

5. Educational Games

If you’re looking for online resources that focus on educational games, we highly recommend checking out Educational Games.

This website has a variety of online activities and games that work on different academic skills, including math, science, grammar, etc.

This online website is perfect for younger children who are just starting to learn their letters and sounds. It has a variety of online games and activities that focus on teaching the alphabet, phonics skills, vocabulary words, etc.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on ABCya! include: “ Make a Cupcake “, “ Make an Ice Cream “, “ Make a Cookie “, “ Make a Pizza “, “ Make a Gingerbread House “, “ Make a Robot “, and “ Let me Grow “.

These online resources are perfect for children who are just starting to learn their letters and sounds, as well as those who need extra practice with their phonics skills. They also work great with younger children in the early intervention stage!

More reinforcement games, such as Happy Clicks, the Game of Battleship, and an Interactive Mr. Potato Head can be found in my list of 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy !

7. Sesame Street Games

This website offers a variety of educational games for children ages two to five. The games are designed to help with skills such as letter recognition, counting, vocabulary, and more.

Here is a list of fan favorites: “ Cooking with Cookie “, “ Ready Set Grow “, “ Brush Those Teeth “, “ Dress up Time! “, and “ Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck “.

There are several possibilities for targeting requesting, commenting and extending utterances.

8. Match the Memory Game

If you’re on the hunt for memory games then this online memory game is a great way to help your child work on their short-term memory abilities.

9. Baamboozle

This online website is fantastic since it offers pre-made games and activities created by other SLPs that you may utilize or develop your own free games.

Simply search the games using the search bar.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on Baamboozle include games with target words: “ Speech Articulation S Sounds ” by lindseycav, “ Articulation of Two or More Syllables Words in GIF ” by Susan Tourdot, and the “ /ch/ Initial Articulation ” by MG.

These online resources are perfect for children who need extra practice with their vocabulary skills or articulation. They also work great with younger children in the early intervention stage!

10. Meddybemps

If you’re looking for online speech therapy activities, look no further than Meddybemps.

They have a great selection of interactive games and activities that are perfect for helping kids with language skills.

Their games are ideal for children with autism spectrum disorder, communication delays, or other speech-language needs.

11. Jeopardy Labs

Jeopardy Labs is a great online resource for speech therapy activities. The website includes interactive games and vocabulary games that are perfect for teletherapy sessions and helping children develop their language skills.

The interactive games on Jeopardy Labs are a great way to help younger children learn new concepts in a fun and engaging way. The games are also a great way to help improve communication skills.

12. Language Play Room

The language playroom is an online learning center for children to help them learn about language.

They have activities that cover a wide variety of concepts, including reading comprehension and phonemic awareness.

13. iSL Collective Video Lessons

If I had a top pick this website would be it! I personally love using videos to make therapy more fun and interactive.

The iSL Collective is a great online resource for speech-language pathologists.

The website includes a variety of video lessons that cover topics such as grammar skills, vocabulary development, body language, and more!

If you also love using more videos in your therapy to make learning more fun then be sure to check out my list of 31 Best Wordless Videos to Teach Problem Solving .

14. Owlie Boo

This website is really easy for parents and therapists to use.

It offers several excellent games for toddlers and reinforcement games, which are also great for practice.

Poki is a great website with activities that are fun and interactive, and the games can be used as reinforcement while your students work on their specific skills or areas of development.

Poki is a great resource for parents, family members, and therapists looking for fun and digital games to use during therapy sessions.

Some favorite board games include: “ Tic Tac Toe “, “ Connect Four “, and “ Snakes and Ladders “.

16. Toy Theater

It has several free interactive games that you can use with your students. They can play along with you if you share your screen and let the student control (Zoom).

If you’re looking for multiplayer be sure to check out the Goose game and Snakes and Ladders game at Toy Theater.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on Toy Theater include “ Stack ” and the “ Classroom Timer “.

17. Room Recess

Room Recess is an educational website that offers educational games and activities for children.

The site is free, easy to use, and provides educational online resources for kids of all ages.

Room Recess has a large library of educational games for early learners from preschool through middle school including a math tab, reading tab, word tab, lab tab, extras tab, and themes tab.

18. Mystery Animal

The Google Mystery Animal is a 20-question quiz. It’s free and very entertaining for all ages and fun for a variety of goals.

Kahoot is a perfect website for high school students or older students and a great way to review material with a class or as a family.

It is an interactive quiz game that can be used for educational purposes. Kahoot offers many different types of games, including vocabulary and grammar exercises.

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy / Teletherapy

20. quizlet.

Quizlet is a website that has a variety of resources for all grade levels, including interactive flashcards and vocabulary games.

Quizlet also offers a great way to study for exams with its “learn” mode. This mode helps you memorize information from a provided list of terms, definitions, and examples.

21. Cookie  

This site has 13+ great language activities that help students build vocabulary in an engaging way.

22. Global Allied Health

This site is divided by goal area.

These online resources are perfect for teachers who have older children in the school-aged stage!

23. Highlights Kids

This website is jam-packed with secret pictures, making it ideal for vocabulary practice or as a fun reinforcement game.

The website is also a great resource for parents and family members who want to help their children with language development or those that are working on improving communication skills.

The types of activities available on Highlights Kids will keep children entertained while they learn at the same time!

There is something for everyone on this website. It is a great resource for parents and speech-language pathologists alike! Check it out today!

The website Quia.com is an educational website that allows you to create online lessons and quizzes for free. This can be a great resource for finding educational games and activities to supplement speech therapy sessions.

Quia offers a variety of different types of educational games and activities, including vocabulary games and interactive activities for younger children.

The website is easy to use and can be accessed from any computer or mobile device.

Here is a fun game for working on multiple meaning words !

25. Wheel of Names

The Wheel of Names is a fun game that is perfect for using it as a spinner.

For example, you can use it to choose who goes next. Or put vocabulary words in the boxes and then spin and have your student define their vocabulary words.

Another idea is to work on synonyms or antonyms. Place different words, such as big or tall in the spinner and then hit spin. The child then says the best synonym or antonym for that word. 

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

26. kids national geographics.

The Kids National Geographic website is a great educational resource for children of all ages.

It features interactive games and activities, educational articles, and videos from the popular magazine.

Children can learn about everything from dinosaurs to space exploration on this website. There are also puzzles and quizzes to help reinforce what kids have learned.

This is a great way to keep children engaged and entertained while learning educational topics.

27. Bou n cy Balls

This is a fun way to manage classroom noise or visualize music.

You can choose from a variety of themes that will help your students visualize the noise in the room!

28. Sheppard Software

This website has a great variety of educational games and activities for younger children.

Their website has hundreds of free, online, learning games for kids.

But anyone interested in online learning can use this site with access to activities in many subjects – (geography, math, animals, science, language arts, creative activities, health).

29. Mr. Nussbaum  

Here is an educational website that features many free resources to help kids.

It offers dozens of interactive games designed to reinforce essential concepts taught in elementary years, and themes that make learning enjoyable.

30. Arcademics

Arcademics is a website that offers educational games for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

There are over 50 games to choose from, and students can practice math, reading, science, social studies, and more.

The educational games are separated by grade level and subject, so students can easily find what they need.

31. Junior Brain Pop

One educational website that is great for speech therapy activities and games is Junior Brain Pop.

This website includes a variety of interactive games and videos that target a range of skills, including language. The games are all engaging and provide a fun way to work on important skills.

32. Splash Learn

Splash Learn has a variety of educational games to choose from that provide practice in vocabulary, phonology and grammar skills.

It also offers educational lesson plans and ideas, tips on how to use the site, FAQs and more!

33. Turtle Diary  

This site offers a large, free collection of educational games and activities to help children learn. These tools can be helpful for speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, parents and teachers who are looking for ways to support language skills in young children.

The site includes many different types of educational games that will engage your child: vocabulary building games where kids match terms to definitions, interactive short stories that teach grammar and syntax, educational quizzes, math challenges and more.

One of the best features of Turtle Diary is that many of the games are designed for specific age groups. You can easily find activities tailored for preschool students, elementary students or older students. This is a great way to target your child’s specific educational needs.

SEE ALSO: 917+ Best free Boom Cards for Speech Therapy

34. learning games for kids.

This site includes educational games for kids to make learning fun with math facts, language arts, and more.

Want educational games that make learning fun for your students? You’ve come to the right place!

35. Time for Kids

The website ‘Time for Kids’ is a great educational resource that provides articles and videos geared towards children of all ages.

Time for Kids is a great resource for educational activities, making it the perfect place to find digital resources for speech therapy.

It’s also a great way to keep younger children entertained and engaged while practicing their language skills.

Scroll down to the latest articles and stories for the free resources.

36. The Kidz Page   

Here is another educational website that provides free educational games and activities for children.

There are hundreds of free kids games, puzzles, activities, fun coloring pages, clip art & more.

You are sure to find something on this site that will help reinforce what you’re teaching your students in the classroom.

37. Disney Now Games

Disney Now has a great selection of educational games for children.

The games are designed to help kids learn math, reading, and science skills.

There are also games devoted to social skills development.

38. Word Wall

A great way to help young children learn new words and their definitions is by using a word wall.

A word wall is a collection of words, usually posted in a designated area, with each word printed or written on a separate piece of paper or card. The definition of the word can also be included.

This is a great visual aid for children and can help them learn new words in a fun way. It is also a great resource for parents and family members who want to help their child with their language development.

39. Birthday Song

Does your child or student have a birthday coming up?

Then be sure to check out this website where you type your child or student’s name and you can sing the child happy birthday with their name!

40. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Their website also has a few articles of ideas for using online speech therapy ideas that might be worth checking out.

41. Book Trust

If you want your child or student to listen to a free book then be sure to check out this website where your child or student can watch and listen to the interactive children’s books and then play a game, such as the Jigsaw Puzzles , Coloring Pages , or Faces and Feelings .

Conclusion : Online Speech Therapy Activities

Here is a list of 41 online speech-language therapy activities and games to help your child work on their language skills!

These resources are a great way to use online technology and are perfect for children with autism spectrum disorder, communication delays, or other speech-language needs.

They are a great way to improve vocabulary skills, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, and more. Try out these online resources today!

Want Even More?

• 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy
• 261+ Free Ideas for Digital Therapy
• 917+ Best Free Boom Cards for Speech Therapy
• 11 Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy
• Learn How to Turn any Static PDF into an Interactive PDF.

Want the Best of the Bests?

Be sure to check out our most popular posts below!

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5 exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers

Speech delays in toddlers are common. these exercises can help.

There is nothing more exciting for a parent than watching as their child reaches new milestones in their development, and nothing more worrying than when they feel their child might be falling behind. It can be easy to start comparing your child to their peers and worry if you think they’re not developing as quickly as others. Language skills develop at different times for all children, but if you suspect your child isn’t on track developmentally, there are expert-recommended exercises for speech delays in toddlers.

Exercises for speech delays in toddlers

Can a toddler outgrow a speech delay, how can i help my 2-year-old with speech therapy at home, what are some causes of speech delay in toddlers, speech delays are common, can a child have a speech delay and not be autistic.

According to Nemours Kids Health, your child might have a speech delay if, by the age of 2 years, they are only imitating sounds and noises and not speaking spontaneously, only says certain sounds and words and can’t communicate with you verbally, can’t follow simple directions, and have a raspy or nasally voice. If you suspect your child has a speech delay, it’s important to speak with your doctor, but there are some exercises you can do at home to help your child.

Although speech delays in toddlers can often be something your child grows out of, it doesn’t make it any less worrying if you are the parent. Luckily, there are ways you can help your toddler if you feel they are falling behind their peers. Here are five exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers that you can do at home.

Read to them

One way to help your toddler with a speech delay is to read to them every day, as often as you can. Children learn to speak and make sounds often through imitation and interaction. Read age-appropriate books with your child and allow them to practice ‘reading’ along with you.

Speak with them

You can also help improve your toddler’s speech delay by practicing speaking with them, according to Reid Health. They suggest practicing working on sounds or words your toddler may be struggling with, and even making a game out of it to make it more fun. As your child begins to master different sounds, you can then help them incorporate their new skills into learning words that have that same sound.

Encourage singing

Did you know that your toddler might be able to sing a song before they can speak a full sentence? Singing is actually a great way to help a toddler who is experiencing a speech delay because singing can help enhance a toddler’s vocabulary. According to a recent study, “informal musical experience at home contributes to the development of grammar.”

Model self-talk

Stamurai suggests using self-talk as a way to help improve a toddler’s speech delay. This basically means that when you’re with your child, you are always talking about what you’re doing and naming the different objects or items around you. If you’re at the grocery store, you can name each item and talk about it as you put it in the cart, or if you’re at home and playing with toys, talk about the toy and how you’re playing with it. Again, repetition is key to helping toddlers develop their language skills.

Use drinking straws

Reid Health also suggests using drinking straws to help your toddler develop the muscles in their mouth that can assist in their language skills. They can use the straws to drink with or simply blow air out to help strengthen those muscles. They suggest getting a ping-pong ball or something similar to make a game out of it, seeing if your toddler can blow through the straw and move the ball through a makeshift goal.

It is possible that a toddler might outgrow their speech delay. Speech Buddies suggests there are three factors that can help determine if a toddler will outgrow a speech challenge; the age of the child, the severity of the child’s speech challenge, and a child’s and/or family history of a speech challenge.

The Hanen Center also notes that the majority of children who experience a speech delay that only involves speaking and not comprehension or use of language have a 70 to 80% chance of outgrowing their language delay . If you’re concerned about your toddler’s language development, it’s always best to consult with a medical professional to see if speech therapy is needed  or if they think your child will outgrow the speech delay.

Parents can help their 2-year-olds at home by encouraging them to use their words. Pediatric speech therapist Alyssa Gusenoff explained to Verywell Family that anticipating what a child wants or needs isn’t encouraging them to speak. Instead, she suggests waiting for them to ask for what they want so they can practice speaking. She also suggests offering choices to a child, such as asking. “Would you like milk or juice?” instead of “What would you like to drink?” This gives the child the word they need to say instead of relying on them to come up with the word.

Other experts suggest minimizing background noise and distractions and not having a television on while working with your child. It can be hard for a child to concentrate when there are distractions, so having an area where they can focus is conducive to a better learning environment.

Gusenoff also recommends lots of repetition when speaking to your child, including repeating how they incorrectly pronounce something. She says that many children don’t understand that they’re mispronouncing words until they hear them spoken back to them. She also notes that parents need to know their toddlers’ limitations, and if it doesn’t seem that their child is benefitting from help at home, it might be time for professional guidance and intervention.

Developmental guidelines are just that — guidelines — but if you notice your toddler isn’t speaking at the rate you think they should be, they may have a speech delay. There are a number of causes of speech delays in toddlers. Although sometimes your toddler may just be developing on their own timetable, sometimes a speech delay is the result of something else.

Problems with your toddler’s mouth, including their tongue and palate, can result in a speech delay, according to Healthline, as can some developmental delays and physical disorders. Hearing loss, lack of stimulation, neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, and autism spectrum disorder can all cause speech delays in toddlers.

It can be very easy to panic when your child misses certain developmental milestones, but it’s important for parents to know that speech delays in toddlers are actually quite common. In fact, Nemours notes that 20% of children will “learn to talk or use words later than other children their age.”

Speech delays can also lead to other behavioral issues stemming from your toddler’s frustration at not being able to communicate their wants and needs, which is why you’ll want to address this issue quickly. It’s important to reach out to your pediatrician to determine the cause of your toddler’s speech delay so your child can be properly evaluated and intervention prescribed, if needed.

Although speech delays are common in children diagnosed with autism, many children without autism also experience them. According to Verywell Health, children with autism spectrum disorder often face social communication challenges as well as speech delays, whereas other children not on the spectrum may experience speech delays but are still motivated by those social cues from other people.

Every child is different. and every child reaches milestones at different stages of development. If you’re worried your toddler may have a speech delay, you should consult with your pediatrician who will determine if your child needs to see a speech therapist or if it’s nothing to worry about.

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• Why do toddlers cry in their sleep and how can you help them?

It isn't uncommon for toddlers to sometimes wake up crying. It can be unsettling for parents and children, whether it happens in the middle of the night or early in the morning. If you're a parent going through it now, we feel you. Thankfully, these instances are normally a one- or two-night ordeal, and they're usually caused by a disruption to your child's sleep routine.

A young tot that consistently wakes up crying is concerning for any parent. Not only does this disrupt your own routine, but it creates a difficult and sometimes frustrating environment for everybody else in the home. There are a few reasons why toddlers wake up crying, and there are steps for parents and guardians to take to try to remedy this predicament. Let’s dive into a few of those underlying issues so parents can work out the kinks of their child’s teary times so everyone in the house can get a restful night's sleep.

Some babies are born with a full head of hair while others come into the world with a bald head. Whichever camp your baby falls into, you've probably read the books and learned early on about the many benefits of brushing your baby's hair regularly. But, as you draw near the 1-year-old mark, you may start to worry about whether your toddler's hair is just growing slowly, or not at all. Is there a range of what's normal for baby and toddler hair growth? Yes! This is because of a baby's individual DNA. So, there's no need to stress either way.

It’s completely normal for babies to have very little to no hair during their first year. After their first birthday comes and goes, you may wonder why there's no active hair growth. Many factors determine how fast hair grows. If your baby is still sporting wispy strands by the time they are in the toddler stage, there's probably no need to worry.

• Inspiration

Getting a good night's sleep isn't just important for your toddler but for everyone else in the house as well. Having a well-rested household means everyone functions better and is in a better mood. If your toddler takes forever to fall asleep, that can affect everyone's sleep. Fortunately, there are some bedtime hacks and tips to get your toddler to sleep that can help. Setting up the right timing and routine and sticking to a consistent schedule make a big difference in deterring kids from getting out of bed to ask for a snack, water, or song every few minutes. When toddlers know what to expect at bedtime, they're much more likely to have an easier time drifting off to dreamland. Read on for our eight best tips to get a toddler to sleep.

8 tips to get toddlers to sleep 1. Time bedtime perfectly If you start trying to put your toddler to bed for the night at 4:00 p.m., you'll probably have a very long and terribly frustrating bedtime process. It's the same if you don't start until 11:00 p.m. In general, you can't force a bedtime. It's best to make bedtime the time that your toddler naturally gets sleepy but isn't yet overtired. You can control when your toddler gets sleepy by letting them nap or not and when you schedule the nap, but by the end of the day, you pretty much have to go with the flow. 2. Keep bedtime consistent While you want to go with your child's natural rhythm as we just discussed, once you know the time your child typically gets drowsy, pick that time on the clock to be bedtime every night. Staying up an hour later one night and an hour earlier the next won't encourage a successful bedtime routine with minimal resistance. 3. Time dinner appropriately Does your child come out of bed asking for a snack? Make sure they haven't eaten too early so that they're hungry again after the bedtime routine. Time dinner to be over an hour or less before bedtime to avoid this issue. The digestion will also help make them sleepy. 4. Wind down Kids shouldn't go straight from running around outside into bedtime. After dinner, wind down with books, chatting about their day, quiet music, stretching, or even breathing exercises or meditation. This isn't a good time for tablet time since the light can mess with their circadian rhythm. Bedtime starts long before bedtime, prepping the mind to be quiet and restful. 5. Set up the space for success Make sure your child's bedroom encourages sleep. You want them to feel safe and calm, so some soothing music or a white noise machine can help. Some fairy lights or a night light that projects stars onto the ceiling can also make a child less scared of the dark. You can even put a lavender spray or sachet under the pillow to encourage sleep. Invest in blackout curtains so natural light doesn't keep your child awake or wake them up too early (they might also be scared of the dark out the window, so keep the curtains closed). 6. Stick to a consistent routine The repetition of the bedtime routine should cue your child's brain every night that it is time for bed. For most kids, this involves brushing their teeth, washing their face, going potty, and then once in their room, putting on PJs and having some books read aloud to them. You may also add rubbing their back or another soothing and calming part of the routine after story time. Even the number of books and length of the stories should be consistent. 7. Attend to every need preemptively If you are potty training or post-potty training, you might not let your child have unlimited water overnight. In this case, having their last drink of water should be part of the bedtime routine. Make sure going potty is one of the last parts of the routine before heading to the bedroom so they can't come out saying they have to go again. Whatever they come out asking for nightly, attend to it right before going to bed to avoid the request coming after bedtime. 8. Leave them with a recording still entertaining them Your child likely misses you once you leave. Record your voice telling them a story on an old phone (or a tape recorder, tablet, or whatever you have available), and let the recording of you telling them more stories continue as you leave. They can fall asleep to your voice without you needing to be there. If you don't want to record or don't have a device for that, there are many audiobooks, bedtime podcasts, and pre-recorded short stories for kids (many specifically for bedtime) that you can leave playing.