Fluency Therapy Activities for Fall

Happy fall, y’all.  I’ve got my PSL in hand (#basic) and wearing my fall colors and pretending that this Louisiana weather isn’t still scorching hot.  At least it’s officially fall in my speech room. How about yours?

I’ve pulled out all the fun fall activities for my articulation and language kids, and they are loving it.  Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to find engaging and themed activities for fluency students. Don’t worry, I got you.  Check out this list of my favorite fall fluency activities!

1. Fall scavenger hunt

Make a list of things to find.  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You could even make a list on a sticky note! Have your students make a sentence with each object they find using their fluency strategies.  They could also use the objects they find as representations. This is when you make an object represent an aspect of fluency (i.e. pine cone = bumpy speech since it feels bumpy). 

2. Pine cone and acorn crafts

Have a more in depth discussion of bumpy and smooth speech while making a craft with pine cones and acorns.  Talk about how they each feel different when you touch them. Similarly, our mouth and muscles feel different when we are bumpy and smooth.  I love this pine cone craft from Buggy and Buddy and this acorn DIY treat from Through Her Looking Glass.

3. Fall sensory bin

Fill your sensory bin with things that will help you talk about the different aspects of fluency.  This is a great activity for preschoolers. Some things I like to include:

• Orange sand – moving hands in the sand fast and slowly
• Leaves – show how they fall slowly
• Bumpy and smooth objects – pine cones, pumpkins, corn, apples, etc.
• Mini football – talk about needing to throw it just right – not too hard, not too soft – just like our speech tension needs to be just right
• Use small fall objects for pacing like acorns or fall-themed mini erasers or stickers.

4. Styrofoam cup bowling – apple style!

My students love bowling with styrofoam cups.  I make it themed by attaching specific pictures to the front of the cups.  I let them use a small ball or round object to roll at the cups (like a mini football or plastic apple in this case).   Whichever cups they knock down, they have to say a sentence about the picture on that cup using a strategy. You can also write strategies on the cups and have them define them.  

*Mixed Group TIP: Hide articulation cards inside the cups for them to practice too!

5. Fall themed books

Fall themed books are always a great option for my fluency students.  They can practice different strategies while reading (if they are readers).  I like using highlighter tape or washi tape to place pauses at the correct spot to practice that strategy.  You can also have them use their strategies while retelling the story after it’s read aloud.

6. Speech machine mummy

OK, this one is a big hit!  Around Halloween I let me kids make a speech machine mummy!  We use an outline of a person and label the parts of the speech machine.  Then, we glue shreds of tissue paper all over to turn him into a mummy! It’s silly and fun.  If you want this freebie you can check it out in my TPT store!  

7. Fall fluency binder add-ons

Of course, we always need those quick worksheets for the busy days around progress reports when there’s no time to plan.  You can grab these cute fall-themed fluency worksheets from my TPT store. They are meant to be an add-on to my original Interactive Fluency Binder, since the activities are mostly strategy practice activities. It’s a big packet with lots of fall themes and holidays to choose from.

I hope some of these activities get you in the mood for fall and help make your speech sessions just a little bit more fun!  If you need fluency activities for spring/summer, check this blog post. Have a great week!