Holiday-Themed Activities for Speech Therapy: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to help children build their communication skills in creative ways. For children in speech therapy, incorporating holiday traditions into activities can make learning not only effective but also incredibly fun. At Speech & Beyond Pediatric Therapy in Jenks, OK, we believe in tailoring therapy sessions to be engaging, inclusive, and meaningful, and the holiday season is the perfect chance to do just that.
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or all three, there are many ways to integrate the spirit of the season into speech therapy sessions. From vocabulary games to storytelling prompts, these themed activities not only celebrate the diversity of the holidays but also provide powerful tools for children to grow their communication abilities festively and memorably.
Why Holiday-Themed Speech Therapy Matters
Before we jump into the ideas, it's important to highlight the benefits of holiday-themed speech therapy activities. Here’s how they help:
Engagement: Familiar themes and activities keep children motivated and excited to participate.
Cultural Awareness: Including diverse holiday traditions fosters inclusivity and helps children appreciate different cultures.
Skill-Building: Activities are designed to develop key areas like vocabulary, articulation, social communication, and auditory processing—all while having fun.
Now, let’s explore some fantastic holiday-themed activities for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa that your child can enjoy during speech therapy sessions.
Christmas-Themed Speech Therapy Activities
1. Holiday Vocabulary Bingo
Make learning new words fun with a holiday-themed Bingo game! Create Bingo sheets featuring Christmas-related vocabulary, such as “reindeer,” “snowflake,” “chimney,” and “ornament.” You can include pictures alongside the words to make it accessible for all skill levels.
Skills Targeted: Vocabulary expansion, word recognition, and auditory processing.
How to Play: Call out holiday-themed words, and have children cover the matching pictures. Encourage them to say the word out loud or use it in a sentence to claim their win!
2. The “12 Days of Christmas” Storytelling Prompt
Use the popular Christmas carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” as a storytelling tool. Encourage children to create their version of the song with their favorite activities, holiday treats, or even animals!
Skills Targeted: Sequencing, creative thinking, and expressive language.
How It Works: For example, a child might say, “On the first day of Christmas, I saw one shiny snowman.” Continue the sequence as they add more details for each "day."
3. Sensory Ornament Descriptions
Gather a variety of ornaments with different textures, shapes, and colors. Have children pick an ornament and describe it using descriptive language.
Skills Targeted: Adjectives, articulation, and sensory exploration.
Pro Tip: Encourage children to compare ornaments using terms like “bigger,” “shinier,” or “smoother” to practice comparatives and superlatives.
Hanukkah-Themed Speech Therapy Activities
1. Latke Flip Vocabulary Game
Create a pretend “latke flip” game where children use spatulas to flip paper latkes with different vocabulary words written on them. For added fun, draw a menorah on a large board and add a “flame” (a sticker or magnet) for every correctly used word.
Skills Targeted: Vocabulary, articulation, and fine motor skills.
How It Works: Children flip the latkes one at a time and use the words to create sentences. For example, if the word is “celebrate,” they might say, “We celebrate Hanukkah with my family.”
2. Tell a Dreidel Tale
Use the dreidel game as a storytelling prompt. Assign specific themes to each letter of the dreidel (Nun, Gimel, Hei, and Shin). For example:
“Nun” = Name a Hanukkah tradition.
“Gimel” = Give a compliment to someone.
“Hei” = Tell a happy holiday memory.
“Shin” = Share something you’re thankful for.
Skills Targeted: Pragmatic language, turn-taking, and topic maintenance.
Why It Works: Combining the dreidel game with storytelling makes it fun and interactive.
3. Hanukkah Story Time
Read a child-friendly book like Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah or Hanukkah Bear. Pause to ask prompting questions such as, “What’s happening in this picture?” or “What do you think will happen next?”
Skills Targeted: Comprehension, inference, and conversational skills.
Bonus Tip: After reading, have children retell the story in their own words to reinforce understanding.
Kwanzaa-Themed Speech Therapy Activities
1. Unity Cup Discussions
Kwanzaa emphasizes values like unity, creativity, and self-determination. Use a “Unity Cup” as a conversation starter. Pass the cup around and have children answer a prompt depending on their developmental level.
Example Prompts:
“What’s one thing you love about your family?”
“How can you help someone today?”
Skills Targeted: Speaking in full sentences, social interaction, and emotional expression.
2. Kwanzaa Kinara Colors
The Kinara, a symbol of Kwanzaa, has seven candles in specific colors. Create a simple matching or memory game with these colors (black, red, and green), paired with vocabulary cards that reflect the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa (e.g., “unity,” “faith,” “creativity”).
Skills Targeted: Vocabulary building, memory recall, and cultural understanding.
Modification: For younger children, use pictures to reinforce understanding of new words.
3. Fruit Basket Relay
The fruits and vegetables in the Kwanzaa celebration symbolize unity and hard work. Create a “fruit basket relay” where children match pictures of fruits to prompts like “red,” “circle,” or “sweet.”
Skills Targeted: Categorization, phonological awareness, and sorting.
Engagement Tip: Turn this into a race to encourage energy and excitement!
Inclusive Sensory Activities for All Holidays
The holidays can also be a sensory-rich experience! These activities are great for building communication and managing sensory needs:
Decorate cookies or play with scented playdough (vanilla for Christmas cookies or spice for Kwanzaa fruits).
Create sensory bins with holiday items, such as fake snow for Christmas, gelt for Hanukkah, and fabric scraps in Kwanzaa colors.
Practice mindfulness with calming activities like tracing patterns in sand or sharing deep breaths before group activities.
Celebrate and Communicate with Speech & Beyond Pediatric Therapy
The holiday season is full of opportunities for fun, growth, and connection. By incorporating these Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa-themed activities into speech therapy sessions, children can practice communication skills while celebrating the season in meaningful ways.
At Speech & Beyond Pediatric Therapy in Jenks, OK, we specialize in creating personalized therapy plans that cater to your child’s unique needs and interests. Whether it’s building vocabulary, improving social skills, or managing sensory challenges, our team is here to support you.