Simple Summer Strategies for Speech & Language Support

As routines slow down over the summer holidays, it’s natural for children to take a little step back from the structure of school or nursery. But did you know that your child’s speech and language skills can still grow during this time?

Whether your child is working on speech sounds, understanding instructions, building vocabulary, or speaking in sentences, there are so many opportunities built into your everyday summer activities to keep their progress going.

Here are some fun, realistic, and low-pressure ways to help:

Beach Days & Water Play: Build Vocabulary and Concepts

Whether you’re heading to the seaside or setting up a paddling pool in the garden, water play is a perfect time to:

• Introduce and repeat action words: splash, pour, float, sink, tip, fill, empty.

• Talk about opposites: wet/dry, cold/warm, big/small, fast/slow.

• Encourage describing and comparing: “This shell is rough, this one is smooth. Which one do you like best?”

To support understanding: Use short, clear instructions: “Put the blue cup in the water.” Break down multi-step tasks if needed: “First fill the bucket, then pour it.”

Trips for Ice Cream or Picnics: Great for Speech Sounds and Requesting

Going out for a treat? Use the moment to work on:

• Speech sounds: Practise target words like cone, cold, lick, sweet in a fun way. If your child is working on a particular sound (like /k/ or /s/), model it clearly in context: “That’s a cold cone! Yum!”

• Spoken language: Encourage your child to ask for what they want in a full sentence: “I’d like strawberry, please.”

Tip: If your child finds longer sentences tricky, model them first: “You can say: ‘I want a pink ice cream, please.’”

Nature Walks & Park Visits: Great for Following Instructions and New Words

Being outside is full of rich language opportunities:

• Give instructions using position words: “Put the stick under the bench.” “Find a leaf that’s next to the slide.”

• Talk about what you see, hear, and smell: “That’s a noisy bird!” “Can you find something green?”

• Introduce categories: “Let’s look for things that are soft. Now things that are hard.”

To support understanding: Use gestures, point, or show examples when giving instructions. Repeat new words in different settings.

Crafts, Drawing & Baking: Perfect for Sequencing and Describing

Rainy day? Get creative indoors!

• Talk through the steps: “First we mix. Then we pour. Last we bake!”

• Use sequencing words: first, next, then, last.

• Describe what you're doing together: “I’m stirring the mix. It’s thick. It smells sweet.”

To support speech sound practice: Choose activity words that include your child’s target sound (e.g. if working on /s/: stir, spoon, sauce). Practise saying them together before and during the task.

Board Games & Garden Games: Fun for Turn-Taking and Listening

Play games like Snakes and Ladders, Hide and Seek, or Simon Says to:

• Practise following spoken instructions

• Learn to wait and take turns

• Reinforce vocabulary like numbers, positions (up, down, under, behind), and colours

If your child finds spoken instructions tricky, pair them with visual supports or demonstrate what to do first.

Travel Time: Great for Sound Awareness and Sentence Practice

When travelling or in a queue? Try:

• “I spy” with speech sounds – Choose things that begin with a target sound.

• Sentence building: “I see a red car.” → “I see a red car going fast.” → “I see a red car going fast on the road.”

• Rhyming games: “What rhymes with tree?” This helps develop sound awareness—an important pre-reading skill.

• Keep It Light and Playful

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The goal over summer isn’t perfection—it’s connection and consistency. Little and often is best.

Even 5 minutes a day, woven into something you're already doing, can help maintain and build on the brilliant progress your child has already made.

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Looking for more support this summer?

I'm continuing to offer speech and language therapy sessions during the school holidays both for current and new clients.

Click Here to book summer sessions

Let’s make this summer one of confident communication, curiosity and connection.

You’re already doing an amazing job!