Winter Themed Language Boosting Activities!

With the onset of winter in the Chicagoland area, you’re probably trying to find activities both indoors AND outdoors! Luckily, there’s a flurry of activities to work on speech and language skills in your home, across the many sceneries of the holiday season, outdoors (if you dare!), and in your community! 

Below are five winter-themed language activities that you can work on with your child to boost their communication skills both in and out of the house!

1. Take a walk around your neighborhood or local park and comment on what you see on the way (icicle, snow, tree, lights, etc.) Talk about the colors, shapes, sizes (big/little), and quantity (one/all/more/most) you see, as well as the different sounds you hear. Use phrases such as “I see,” “I spy,” “I found,” and “I hear.” During this time, you should expand on your child’s utterances. For example, if your child points out a “snowman”, acknowledge and expand on their phrases, such as “You see a BIG snowman!” or “Silly snowman!” This is a great way to provide a language model, expose them to novel vocabulary, and encourage the use of phrases/sentences.
2. Make a list of winter items and go on a scavenger hunt!
   

   Winter Item and Vocabulary Suggestions: 

   Snow 

   Snowman 

   Snowflake 

   Shovel 

   Scarf 

   Glove 

   Hat 

   Scarf 

   Boots 

   Jacket 

   Hot Chocolate 

   Mug 

   Sled 

   Cold 

   Ice 

   Fire 

   Reindeer 

   Skate 

   Penguin 

   Socks

3. Play hide-and-seek in the coziness of your own home with winter vocabulary picture cards! You can utilize the same items listed above to target vocabulary. You can take pictures of these objects or do a simple Google search to create the cards. Discuss where the picture cards were found during your game of hide-and-seek. For example, “I found snow behind the chair,” “I found scarf under the tree,” or “I found hat on the stairs”. This is ALWAYS a hit if you have relatives visiting! 😊 
4. Play a matching game with winter vocabulary picture cards. Have your child identify what they have found and whether they found the “same” or “different” picture. You can also match the picture cards to the actual items you have handy to work on object-to-picture matching, too!
5. Read winter-themed books with your child, and use your outdoor surroundings to point out real-life things you see that are in the book! For those snowy or extra chilly days when you can’t get outdoors, reading books is a great activity to do with your child!
   

   Winter-Themed Books: 

   I See Winter by Charles Ghigna

   Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak

   Winter by Gerda Muller

   Flannel Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan

   The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

   The Mitten by Jan Brett

    

   Most importantly, have fun with your child and stay warm this winter!!!

   -Taylor Kent-Kowalski