Welcome to the SLP Center’s Home Enrichment series! These daily activities are designed to promote home carryover of your child’s speech and language therapy goals. Each post includes a description of the activity and the tie-in to general speech and language therapy goals (including articulation, receptive/expressive language, etc.). We’ll be posting a new activity every evening. We hope you have fun!
Homemade Play-Dough
Homemade play-dough offers so many opportunities to target your child’s speech and language goals! Your child will benefit from both making the play-dough and playing with it later!
Ingredients: 1 cup of flour (whatever kind you have on hand), ¼ cup of salt, 1 Tbsp cream of tartar (optional), ½ cup of warm water, 5 drops of food coloring
Instructions:
1. Mix together the flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Mix together ½ cup of warm water with a few drops of food coloring.
3. Slowly pour the water into the flour mixture, stirring as you pour. Stir until combined, then knead with your hands until the flour is completely absorbed. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour until it doesn’t stick at all.
4. Repeat process for whichever colors you want to make.
Speech and Language Connections:
Articulation – while making and playing with the play-dough, keep an ear open for any words containing the speech sound your child is currently working on in therapy. Some examples include: roll, red, ready for targeting "r" or spoon, spill, stir for targeting consonant blends. It would be easy to target speech pacing and multi-syllable words (e.g.: measuring cup, mixing bowl, food coloring). Play activities are a great opportunity to target difficult speech sounds in a stress-free, natural environment.
Sequencing – review the steps of making the play-dough with your child, and see if they can help figure out the next step while you are making it! Try to have the child use full sentences and incorporate transition words like "first" and "next".
Expressive language – describe the play-dough (e.g. how it looks, feels, smells, etc.). Once the play-dough is made, try molding it into different shapes/objects and have your child name them!
Following directions – have your child follow 1, 2, or 3 step directions while making or molding the play-dough (e.g. "roll it" or "roll it into a ball and then throw it to me").