Ok, Round 2 features games that you can use to target just about anything if you have a stimulus or something to practice…just have the student do one before taking each turn.
- This is a great activity for articulation drill practice. Have the child produce a word with their target 5 times or say a target word in a sentence!
- Have fun with their vocabulary & Spelling lists for class…ask them to give you the definition or spell a word from their list.
- Work on following directions by giving the student a simple command to complete, like “Raise your hand and touch your nose.”
- Practice syntax by giving them a word to put in a complete sentence.
- Build word knowledge by having them name objects in a category, synonyms, or antonyms.
That list could go on forever, but you get my drift. Basic board games are also good for working on social skills like turn taking and basic communication. You can also model good language by describing what is happening in the game and engaging the child in conversation. The possibilities are endless! Here are some of my students' favorites:
CandyLand. Duhhhhhh. This is a favorite that I don't think is EVER going to go away. This one is also great for working on colors!
Jenga. I have three different Jenga games in my room (all of which are knock-off versions, but we still call them all Jenga). You can also write words on the blocks if you wanted to target something specific…I have one for synonyms and one for antonyms!
Another classic, Uno is pretty popular in my room. You can also target numbers/colors with this one!
Are we on a roll with the classics? Apparently there aren't many new games that I own! Lol. Checkers is another good one, which can also be used for strategy and higher level thinking for older kids.
Ok, this is a funny story. I bought Poppin Hoppies this summer on clearance at Target…and I had pretty low expectations. So needless to say, this is the new most popular game in my room. I have one 4th grader who asks to play every time he comes to speech. Every. Single. Time. Basically, all the little hoppies pop up and you have to catch them. It is super fun and I have found that kids from Kindergarten, all the way to 5th grade like it. Crazy, huh?
Pass The Pigs is another new one for this year and it is a hit! Who doesn't want to roll pigs around and score points??? My kids also like learning the names for all of the positions that the pigs can land in!
Those are all of our favorites! Some other games on the chart that got no votes at all were:
- Chutes & Ladders
- Don't Spill The Beans
- Cootie
- Ants In The Pants
They don't get a ton of play time, but I still like them!
What a list! Are any of your favorites here? What other games do you love for your speech & language students?
Sharon Schackmann says
My kids love Jumping Monkeys! I had never heard of it, but I have kids who ask for it every time they come to speech.
-Speech with Sharon
Rhonda Ryder says
Don’t forget Don’t Break the Ice, for an open-ended game! I also found a great, inexpensive card game, Déjà Moo, that has loads of great cow characters-great for describing, as you play it like Go Fish! Another cool game I found at Big Lots many years ago- Buster’s Bugs! Buster is a cute dog that you place in a fence. I have kids practice targeted skill 3-5 times, then they place a Velcro bug on his back. When all the bugs are placed, Buster starts “itching”- turn him on, he wiggles, and kids use Velcro “bug-catchers” to remove the bugs! Even 5th graders like this one!
SLP Gone Wild says
Confession: I hate Don’t Break The Ice. Lol. It’s so loud! I will have to look for the others!
Katie says
There is also a Guess Where? game that is great.
It’s a lot harder to find than Guess Who, but for kids working on answering where questions, it’s great!
Sher says
My students love to play Go Fish – and I can use any cards that have matching pairs. That means we can play with artic cards, Thomas the Tank Engine cards, I Spy cards, any kind that have pairs. Because I work on pragmatics and game skills alot, plus maintaining focus, this game is my fave.
Ally says
Thank you for the list! It saved me some searching!
Karon says
I love “Spot It Junior” — it’s a small tin that I can easily fit in my bag for taking from location to location, and it’s quick and easy to play. The kids love to try to beat me. 🙂 “Pop the Pig” is another favorite at our office.
Cristina Avena says
Two of my favorites ar Take the Cake and Feed the Kitty. Great for this time of year, Take the Cake has the students shake out sprinkles to decorate cakes based on matching shapes. Feed the Kitty is basically like the children’s version of Left, Right, Center. If you don’t know LRC it is basically a game of luck in which you roll three dice to see what way. Your chips or I. This game mice will go, but watch out your mouse may go into the kitty’s bowl. You might be able to save him, but if you loose all your mice don’t worry, if your neighbors still have them they may pass them to you.