May is Better Hearing & Speech Month, and with warmer weather approaching, bubble play is the perfect tool to facilitate speech. Here are some tips from NAPA SLP Lisa on how to use bubbles in your everyday routine. Have fun, and find more Better Hearing & Speech Month ideas to enjoy at the bottom of this page!
Getting your child to play along will be easy because who doesn’t love bubbles, right? Your child is likely to have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re doing something therapeutic. Bubbles can be used to not only encourage speech but also help to develop motor skills.
This creates a temptation for your child to get something out of reach, encouraging them to tell you they want to play with the bubbles. This also encourages them to point, reach, or otherwise gesture to you that they desire this item.
This prompts your child to ask you to open the bottle if they are unable to open it themselves creating a natural dialogue. You can have them say “Help” or “Help me” if they are saying one to two words. Give them time to ask for help before rewarding them by opening the cap.
Whether you’re playing with just your child or you’re with other children, take turns. When it’s your turn, say “My turn.” This encourages your child to utter words like “Your turn” or “My turn” when it’s their turn, therefore building verbal routines.
Use verbal cues like “Ready, Set, Go” or “1, 2 , 3” and encourage your child to say these with you each time before they blow bubbles.
Parents can catch a bubble on their wand and then say “Pop” when they pop the bubble. Encourage your child to say “Pop” by letting them have their turn to pop the bubble.
Lead your child in choosing descriptive words to describe bubbles. You can focus on the different size bubbles by saying “Big bubble” or “Tiny bubble” or the direction the bubble is going by saying “Bubble up” or “Bubble down.”
We hope you enjoy participating in this activity with your child. If you are looking for more Better Hearing and Speech Month activities, here are some of our favorites:
At NAPA Center, we take an individualized approach to therapy because we understand that each child is unique with very specific needs. We embrace differences with an understanding that individualized programs work better. For this reason, no two therapeutic programs are alike. If your child needs our services, we will work closely with you to select the best therapies for them, creating a customized program specific to your child’s needs and your family’s goals. Let your child’s journey begin today by contacting us to learn more.
