When $$ are tight and little people are depending on you to make therapy “fun,” sometimes you need to think outside the box. Today, I’m going to share with you 5 ways to expand your bag of tricks on a budget! I recently did a periscope chat on this very topic on SLP Blogger Live, which is a periscope channel you should definitely follow.
1. The Internet
In case this is your first venture onto a speech therapy website, I’d like the pleasure of welcoming you to a world full of fun (and many free!) therapy products and ideas. 😉 Between Pinterest, TPT, and blogs you’re sure to find lots of freebies and practical ideas that you can implement right away. Do a little google search or type into the search bar on Pinterest with the area that you need activities for.
2. YouTube
So I know this is technically also the internet. I’m counting this separately because I wanted to share with you a few channels that you should totally put in your back pocket. First, Simon’s Cat.
These awesome wordless videos are perfect for therapy. I use them to target narratives, articulation, perspective taking, and more. Check out this blog post to know more about how I use it. A couple of my favorite speech therapy channels to check out include teachmetotalk, SLPBloggerLive, and Carrie Clark.
3. Cardboard Boxes
Big or small, my kids love it when I pull out a decorated, repurposed cardboard box. I took a large box and made the speech cave. Isn’t it so cool?! 😉
Check out this blog post for more info on how to make it and how I use it. Tissue boxes also work just as well. I’ve made lots of fun activities using them. See?
4. Outside/Playground
Change up your normal therapy routine by taking your students outside! It’s free! Many schools have playgrounds so (if your students can handle it) take them out and work on their speech skills. Here are some of the things I work on:
- Speech sound scavenger hunt
- Prepositions and basic concepts (up/down the slide, through the tunnel, between the posts, etc.)
- Following directions
- Social skills and turn taking
- MORE
5. Update or recycle old materials
Dig through your closets and boxes and see if there are any old materials you don’t use. Try recycling them into new materials by cutting them, pasting them, adding it to a center, etc. Get creative! Also, try heading to your school library and asking for old magazines or newspapers. Kids can search for their speech sounds, retell stories, and more.
I hope some of these ideas were helpful! Be sure to check out more ways to expand your bag of tricks on my periscope show which airs the first Monday of each month at 7pm CST.
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