Easter Fun: A Peek Through the Keyhole Edition

With over two, snow-free weeks, buds on the trees, and some green popping out from the ground, I think it's safe to say that spring is making itself known in the Midwest!  I nearly did some sad looking cartwheels on my front lawn when I saw our green flower stems bursting through the cold ground!  After this winter in Chicago, I can honestly say that I've never been more excited to see temperatures in the forties.  Feels like a heat wave after months of crazy, below zero days.  In celebration, I decided to post what spring looks like in my speech room at Naperville Therapediatrics.

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about three activities incorporating plastic eggs that I use at my elementary school site.  Today, I will show you some of the preschool Easter activities I recently created for my private clients.  Since the majority of my private caseload is in preschool through first grade, these activities seemed most appropriate for little ones working on communication.

First, I put together a matching game with plastic eggs shaped like cars.  I used my son's, former basket to hold matched items and I cut the plastic eggs apart so they could be scattered in my grass-filled sensory table.  My goal was to have my client successfully match the same colors and then request help from an adult to put the two pieces together.  In previous sessions, I had him sorting colored bears into cups, but this task with eggs seemed a bit more functional and appropriate for this time of year.

Next, I took some Easter stickers and cut each one in half.  Then, I placed each half of the sticker along the seam of one egg.  This task is for a few of my older, preschool clients that are working at a higher level for matching.  Once the pairs are assembled, I set three eggs at a time on my therapy table and work on color and picture comprehension by asking clients to "get", "give", or "show" a target.

I am also working on comprehension skills while having some clients identify a target sticker in a field of three while making a cute, Easter craft with foam die cuts. Sometimes, I use this same activity for one client who is practicing making requests and responding to directions with her voice output device.  She is very good at identifying and expressing colors, so this craft task is perfect for her!

Before you know it, we will be fully launching into spring with activities about bugs and flowers!  Be sure to check in next month again to peek through the keyhole at my private speech and language practice!  Happy Spring! We earned it this year!