Many times, during or after a speech therapy session, parents will remark – “I didn’t think of that!” or “How can I work on [insert goal here] with this game?” I decided that I needed to share my experiences of sitting on the floor/at the table with kiddos over the past 19 years, and what better way to do that than through a blog?

For SLPs – if you are a school-based therapist and see a group of children with varying goals – you can address different goals in one game in 1 session for all children in the group for all 3 of these games!! For this post, I chose 3 different games that are easily found online or in your local store.

1. Memory Match Games

This game just SCREAMS open-ended therapy activity!  I have successfully been able to work on articulation, fluency, expressive language, receptive language, social-pragmatic language, and even voice skills using this timeless game.  Sadly, Hasbro no longer makes the “Original Memory Game”, but there are some wonderful alternates available now.  When I am searching for materials to work on vocabulary, I steer towards real-life photos.  I also like to incorporate a variety of categories in a game (in other words, I would choose a ‘100 words’ material over an animal-only material) – you get more bang for your buck!

Some great options for reasonably priced matching games that could work for a variety of communication intervention:

Another option is your local dollar store!  Get 2 sets of flash cards and voila…you have your own matching game!

NOTE: Due to time constraints for therapy or attention/interest level of your child(ren), you can use a smaller set of matches in lieu of completing the entire game.  Another option is to use all the pieces, but keep them turned facing up after a turn has been made. So…how can this easy game from everyone’s childhood be used for a variety of goals?  Let’s break it down:

Articulation/Phonology:
Depending on the level of your child’s progress in therapy, you can:

• have the child find matches that have his/her sound in them
• use a carrier phrase that has your child’s sound when they get a match
  • I found a _____
  • I got a match
• make a silly alliterative sentence when they get a match using their target sound
  • The silly cat sat on the soft sofa.

Fluency:

• have the child imitate a short phrase or sentence using their preferred fluency strategy
• when you make a match, say a dysfluent sentence and have the child identify the type of dysfluency or state a technique to help with fluency
• have the child create a short phrase or sentence using their preferred fluency strategy

Expressive Language:
When a match is made:

Label object/what sound it makes	“It’s a !” “It says ”
Categorize	Put matches in different groups: animals, toys, food
Describe	Color, size, function, material, texture, taste, part, etc. Example: CAR – large, we drive it, made of metal, feels smooth, has 4 wheels
WH questions	Who, what, where, when, why Example: UMBRELLA – who uses it (people), what color is it (green) where do we use it (outside), when do we use it (when it is raining), why do we use it (to keep us dry)
Count/Quantity	How many matches do you have? Who has more matches?
Pronouns	Whose turn is it? (my turn, your turn, his turn, her turn)

Receptive Language:
You can adopt a different method of play when working on receptive language.  Have all the tiles facing up, and have the child locate the matches by:

Location of object	“Find something you would see at a birthday party”
Color	“Find something that is red”
Size	“Find something that is large”
Category	“Find all the animals”
Function	“Find something you can ride”
Multi-step directions	“Pick up the elephant before you pick up the pizza”
Prepositions	“Pick up the object that is next to the dog” “Put the ice cream on top of the rocket”

Social-Pragmatic Language:
This is a great game for multiple players – the box even says it – 1+ players!  Individuals can play, or in groups. Skills that can be worked on:

• problem-solving: sabotage the game by having an uneven amount, or even different game tiles in the box – have the children determine how to solve the problem as a group
• turn-taking: the original rules state that one a match is made, your turn is over.  However, I have played the game that when someone makes a match, they get another turn.  Set your rules before the game starts to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Voice:

• when the child makes a match, have them make a short phrase or sentence using a preferred vocal technique
• when the child makes a predetermined number of matches, have the child take a drink of water (vocal hygiene)

2. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

Yet another game that can address SO MANY different skills and concepts.  I have purchased different Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads over the years and have amassed a variety of pieces, but you can also purchase extra pieces (like the Tater Tub Set or Silly Suitcase).  Take all the pieces and put them in a clear zip-top bag.  That way, you can control what is pulled out, but still give the child a visual so they have the choice control.

This is a truly open-ended activity that can foster multitudes of opportunities to practice and grow language, using speech sounds in different levels of hierarchy (see below), and loads of opportunities for fluency practice.  Even though this toy is recommended for the younger ages (starting at 2 years old) – even my older kids get a kick out of playing with a toy “from when they were little”.

Which ones, you say?  Well, I’m glad you asked:

Articulation/Phonology:

• individual sounds can be targeted (i.e., hat, shoes)
• processes can be addressed (i.e., final consonant deletion, stopping)
• you can use carrier phrases for those with Childhood Apraxia of Speech to work on coarticulation (i.e., I wanna )
• address articulation/phonology in structured sentences and conversation

Fluency:

• with this activity, you can start at the imitative word level (if necessary), and work to more complex utterances, using the child’s preferred fluency techniques
  • i.e., eyes → black eyes → he has black eyes → I will put the black eyes in the top hole

Expressive Language:

Label object	Pull out a piece and have the child name it
Categorize	Body part, part of face, clothing
Describe	Color, size, function, material, texture, taste, part, etc. Example: EYES – blue, small, we see with them, they are round, they are wet
WH questions	Who, what, where, when, why Example: BOOTS – who wears them (cowboys), what color are they (brown) where do we use it (outside), when do we use it (getting dressed), why do we use it (to keep our feet safe/warm)
Count/Quantity	How many are there?
Pronouns	Mr. Potato Head (he, his, him); Mrs. Potato Head (she, hers, her)
Prepositions	Where does the nose go? – below/under the eyes Where are you putting the hat? – on top

Receptive Language:

Location of object	When a piece is chosen, have the child identify that part on themselves
Vocabulary	“Get an arm”
Color	“Find something that is green”
Size	“Which shoes are small”
Function	“Find something used to smell”
Multi-step directions	“Put on the eyes before you choose a mouth”
Prepositions	“Put the arms below the ears”
Action words	Have the child use Mr./Mrs. Potato Head to “act out” verbs (make him/her fly)

Social-Pragmatic Language:
Individuals can play this (in a group that matches the number of heads and pieces you have).  Skills that can be worked on:

• problem-solving: sabotage the activity by having an uneven amount of arms, no eyes, etc. – have the children determine how to solve the problem as a group
• turn-taking: this is good for those children who are more rigid when it comes to choices.  If the preferred piece they want has already been taken, you can work on techniques/use social stories to help them process their feelings and help with flexibility
• teamwork: have a picture of a completed Potato Head, and have the group work as a team to recreate the picture

Voice:

• during the activity, have them make a short phrase or sentence using a preferred vocal technique as they describe what they are choosing and where it is going to go
• when the child makes a predetermined number of choices, have the child take a drink of water (vocal hygiene)

3. Zingo
I purchased this game when it first came out, around 2003.  This was also when I got my Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, so it was time to start accruing materials. (Side note, I am starting my 19^th year, and am still accruing materials).

I really like the set up for the updated version – the red box has a slot where you can return pieces if they don’t match anyone’s card.  The original version does not have this feature – so I make a “done pile” and when we get to the last piece, we put the pile of pieces back in.  Also, the game can be played like a traditional Bingo game (first person to get a row of 3 wins), or you can cover all the pieces on a board before a winner is named (i.e., Blackout).  Zingo never gets boring for many of my kiddos – they LOVE the machinery of the tile box! A great to-go game, I can pull this out of my closet as an adaptive way to work on different goals. 

And, they are:

Articulation:

• individual sounds can be targeted (i.e., ghost, clock)
• processes can be addressed (i.e., consonant cluster reduction, weak syllable deletion)
• you can use carrier phrases for those with Childhood Apraxia of Speech to work on coarticulation (i.e., I gotta )
• you can work on consonant-vowel combinations!
  • the game pieces include: CV, VC, CVC, CVCV, VCVC

Fluency:

• have the child imitate a short phrase or sentence using their preferred fluency strategy
• when you make a match on your board, say a dysfluent sentence and have the child identify the type of dysfluency or state a technique to help with fluency
• have the child create a short phrase or sentence using their preferred fluency strategy

Expressive Language:

Label object	“You/I got a !”
Categorize	Tell what group the piece belongs to (animals, food, clothing)
Describe	Color, size, function, material, texture, taste, part, etc. Example: CLOCK – small, we use it to tell time, made of metal/wood, feels smooth, has hands
WH questions	Who, what, where, when, why Example: CUP – who uses it (Mom/Dad), what color is it (white) where do we use it (kitchen), when do we use it (breakfast), why do we use it (thirsty)
Count/Quantity	How many pieces do you have? Who has more pieces on their board?
Pronouns	Whose turn is it? (my turn, your turn, his turn, her turn)

Receptive Language:
Using their board, or “done” tiles:

Location of object	“Find something you would see in the kitchen”
Color	“Find something that is brown”
Size	“Find something that is long”
Category	“Find all the food”
Function	“Find something that roars”
Multi-step directions	“Place the tile on your board before I take a turn”
Prepositions	“Point to the object that is above to the smile” “Point to the object that is between the cup and bug”

Social-Pragmatic Language:

There are a total of 8 double-sided cards. Skills that can be worked on:

• problem-solving: sabotage the activity by having not enough cards, missing tile box, etc. – have the children determine how to solve the problem as a group
• turn-taking: this is good for those children who are more rigid when it comes to choices.  Have one person select the color board that the children will use. You can work on techniques/use social stories to help them process their feelings and help with flexibility

Voice:

• during the activity, have them make a short phrase or sentence using a preferred vocal technique as they get tiles that match their board
• when the child has a predetermined number of tiles on their board, have the child take a drink of water (vocal hygiene)

This game states it is for children ages 4+, due to the possible choking hazard on the tiles.  And I will say, some of my patients have placed those tiles in their mouth (4-5 year olds).  As I am working with them, I can immediately redirect behavior for safety precautions. 

I hope that this blog helped you get an idea of how many goals you can address with “non-speech” games that you can find in your local stores or on Amazon.  Just think outside the box, and you can use almost anything to generalize skills at home!

Love and light,
Leanna, your friendly speech therapist