Hey friends, do you craft in your speech therapy sessions? Whether you work face to face or via teletherapy crafting is an incredible tool to elicit language, while still incorporating an element of FUN into your sessions. Students of all ages can benefit whether you’re working with preschoolers or high schoolers. For the younger students the possibilities are endless. Older students will require a bit more creativity to tap into their interests but STEM related projects and experiments are both educational and engaging!

Recently, I had the privilege of working with preschool-aged children via teletherapy, and let me tell you—it was a mix of challenge and joy! Some days more challenging than joyful but incorporating crafts was a game changer. Crafting with these little ones not only kept them engaged but also created so many opportunities to target their speech and language goals in a natural, playful way. From following directions to expanding their vocabulary, crafting opened the door to meaningful communication.

Why Crafting Works for Speech Therapy

Crafting offers a hands-on, interactive experience that naturally integrates language skills. Little hands and minds tend to be busy. Keeping them focused on a craft helps with attention to task without being overly structured. This enhanced focus serves as a perfect time to naturally sprinkle in language. Here are a few specific ways it benefits your students:

• Builds Vocabulary: Every craft has its own set of materials and actions, offering a perfect opportunity to introduce and reinforce new words.
• Elicits Conversation: Talking about what you’re making (“What color should we use? What comes next?”) encourages spontaneous language and turn-taking.
• Targets Multiple Goals: From requesting materials to describing steps, crafting can be tailored to meet articulation, language, and social-pragmatic goals.
• Keeps Students Motivated: Let’s face it—gluing googly eyes on a paper turkey or decorating a snowman is more fun than traditional drills!

 

Crafting in Teletherapy

Can you craft remotely? Yes, it can absolutely work! Keep in mind, it does take a little extra planning and teamwork but well worth it in the long run. In my recent teletherapy sessions, I partnered with parents and paraprofessionals who helped with prep work. This involved gathering materials and pre-cutting tricky shapes. Having an on-site facilitator to assist with the logistics is a must when working remotely. Their assistance ensured that the session ran smoothly and allowed me to focus on guiding the activity and supporting my students’ language skills.

 

Here are a few tips for successful crafting in speech teletherapy:

• Keep It Simple: remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective. Choose crafts with easy steps and minimal materials..
• Prep Ahead: Share a materials list and clear instructions with your facilitator or parent in advance.
• Encourage Participation: Prompt students to describe their choices (“I want the red shoes”), make requests (“Glue, please.”), and talk about their creations (“My turkey has an orange beak!”).

 

A Few of my Favorite Crafting Ideas for Speech Therapy:

• Disguise a Turkey: This one is perfect for Thanksgiving! It is FULL of LANGUAGE opportunities. In this unit you will receive BOTH a digital and a printable version. The printable craft includes easy to follow instructions and multiple opportunities for students to address their speech targets. With the digital version, you will be able to interact with the content on-screen in a meaningful and engaging way. I typically present the digital version first to introduce the vocabulary and then reinforce it with the hands-on craft.

• Paper Plate Craft: Simple and versatile, this one is an Evergreen favorite. With the ability to take something as simple as a paper plate and transform it into a farm animal encourages pretend play and storytelling. This unit includes printable pieces to help your students easily construct their animals. You will also receive a “Let’s Talk About It” page to keep the conversation going. This one-pager is brief but effective. It showcases to parents and teachers ways to assist with carryover of what has been addressed in the speech therapy session.

• Build a Snowman: Winter is the prefect time to incorporate snowmen! This unit comes with a digital version and printable craft that can be easily paired with a number of fun, engaging hands-on items. I love bringing in different textures using cotton balls and even ice for tactile learning. Allowing students to touch and feel stimuli truly helps facilitate learning. Using different sized paper plates, cotton balls, and googley eyes, can make for an easy to construct snowman. It also includes “Let’s Talk About It” pages in both English and Spanish for continued reinforcement.

These are just a few of the many possibilities. Stay tuned for additional PRINTABLE craft updates coming soon to my Decorate a Christmas Tree and Decorate a Gingerbread House units.

Crafting in speech therapy is so much more than just a fun activity—it’s a dynamic way to connect with students. It not only inspires creativity but it also helps you address essential communication skills. Not to mention the JOY that shines through from the smiles and laughter makes crafting priceless.

So, grab your glue sticks and construction paper, and let the creativity flow! Crafting is truly a place to bring speech therapy and joy together. 💜