When it comes to speech therapy materials, there is definitely not a shortage of Christmas-themed activities to choose from. Since it is such a big theme, I like to break it down into a few sub-themes (which surprisingly, is not a made-up word!).
Using a more specific Christmas theme allows me to target particular concepts and vocabulary more explicitly. Plus, it streamlines my planning by making it less overwhelming!
What is a kid's favorite thing about Christmas? Okay, other than the gifts. And the never-ending cookies. Christmas lights! The twinkling lights excite kids (and adults!) all month long. So, might as well use them to ignite some enthusiasm in your sessions, too!
Check out all of these links to FREE activities to "brighten" your speech therapy sessions this holiday!
Christmas Lights Games for Speech Therapy
This activity on ABCYa.com is so fun for younger students! They can click and drag the mouse (or use their finger on the screen) to "hang" strings of lights, then watch the lights flash to music. If you're doing teletherapy and can't give mouse control to your student, just have them describe to you where to put the lights!
This strategic maze game is great for your older students. It has that video game feel, so it's sure to be a hit đ
Other Activities to use in Speech Therapy
You can't go wrong with a quick coloring activity! I use thecolor.com for digital coloring pages all the time. This digital coloring page works great for the Christmas lights theme. This one or this one would work well for printing!
I love "spot the difference" pictures, especially to target negation (isn't, doesn't, etc.). This one will challenge even your older students!
This Christmas lights puzzle is a quick freebie for email subscribers! It opens in Google Slides and makes a nice cooperative group activity or a time-filler for the last few minutes of a session.
Virtual Light Displays
The website christmasdesigners.com has rounded up the most impressive light displays across the Eastern and Western United States. I love this activity for comparing and contrasting. And videos are included!
This website links to some amazing Christmas markets and light displays around the world! Ooooh.... ahhhhh....
Be sure to grab this FREE Christmas lights scavenger hunt from my store! You can pair it with any photos or videos of light displays that you have or find online. This is another great group activity, and will also provide so many language opportunities!
Articles about Christmas Lights
Newsela has this article about how Christmas lights work. This would be especially great for older students who are learning about electricity in science class.
This article from Time, which discusses the history of Christmas lights, is great for your oldest students. Since it's not specifically written for kids, it has some advanced vocabulary for targeting context clues.
Don't miss this article discussing how an upstate New York family just beat their own world record for the most Christmas lights on a residential property. It includes a video that your students will enjoy, too!
Quizzes about Christmas Lights
If your students love random trivia, they'll love this quiz about Christmas lights on howstuffworks.com!
And who can resist a good personality quiz? Even if it is just to determine which Christmas lights match your personality type đ Try this one from christmaslightsource.com! It'd be a helpful activity for students to make inferences as to why they got the results they did!
Pick and choose your favorite activities from this list, and then watch your students glow with excitement all week! Make sure to grab something holiday lights-themed for your older students, too!
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