Summer Therapy Activities For Kids To Do At Home
Summer is a time for fun in the sun with family and making memories, and it can also be a great opportunity to keep important developmental skills growing.
The good news is that supporting your child's speech, language, fine motor, and sensory skills doesn't have to feel like work. Many everyday summer activities can be turned into fun learning experiences right at home!
Whether you're heading to the park, enjoying a backyard adventure, getting creative with crafts, or simply spending quality time together, there are plenty of easy ways to incorporate speech and occupational therapy activities into your family's routine.
In this guide, we're sharing simple, engaging summer therapy activities for kids to do at home that encourage learning through play and building confidence and skills all season long.
1. Ice Cube Rescue
What You Need
Bowl, water, small toys/figurines
Optional: toy hammers/tools, spoons
What Is It Good For
Speech Therapy: Vocabulary development, requesting/commenting, describing actions (melt, crack, cold, stuck)
Occupational Therapy: Sensory exploration, hand strength, fine motor skills, problem-solving
How It Works
Place small toys in a bowl of water and freeze overnight. Once frozen, encourage your child to “rescue” the toys by melting the ice with warm water or chipping away at the ice using play tools.
2. Shadow Tracing
What You Need
Paper, markers/crayons/pencils, any toys/figurines
What Is It Good For
Speech Therapy: Vocabulary development, following directions, describing shapes/objects, spatial concepts
Occupational Therapy: Visual-motor integration, pencil grasp, hand-eye coordination, visual perception skills
How It Works
Place toys in sunlight or shine a flashlight to create shadows on paper. Have your child trace the shadow outlines and decorate or color them afterward.
3. Color Walk
What You Need
Optional: small journal or paper to record findings
What Is It Good For
Speech Therapy: Vocabulary development, sentence expansion (“I found a red flower”), categorization, describing skills
Occupational Therapy: Grounding/regulation, attention, sensory awareness, visual scanning
How It Works
Choose a color together before going on a walk, and try to find as many things as possible. (ex: red - lady bug, car, fire hydrant, bird, flower, paint, roof, door, etc.)
4. Chalk Obstacle Course
What You Need
Chalk, outdoor space/sidewalk
What Is It Good For
Speech Therapy: Following directions, sequencing, action vocabulary, spatial concepts
Occupational Therapy: Gross motor coordination, balance, motor planning, body awareness
How It Works
Draw different movements or directions with chalk, such as jumping, hopping, spinning, balancing, or animal walks. Have your child move through the obstacle course by following the directions.
5. Write and Illustrate a Summer Story!
What You Need
Paper/notebook, pencils/markers/crayons
What Is It Good For
Speech Therapy: Narrative skills, sequencing, sentence formation, expressive language, storytelling
Occupational Therapy: Fine motor skills, handwriting, creativity, visual-motor integration
How It Works
Encourage your child to create their own summer-themed story. They can draw pictures and write words, sentences, or offer ideas for an adult to write down.
6. Visit Your Local Library Summer Reading Program
Visit your local library to participate in their summer reading activities, story times, and reading challenges. Children can track books they read and earn incentives while exploring new topics and interests. This can encourage literacy development and vocabulary growth as well!
Stay connected to community stories, therapist insights, and supportive care!