Screen-Free Summer Fun That Builds Speech and Language Skills
Summer is almost here! Lately, there’s been a big shift toward bringing back the kinds of summers many of us remember growing up with. Think: less screen time, more outdoor play, simple crafts, and afternoons spent outside. In a world filled with tablets and constant digital stimulation, that kind of simple summer magic sounds… incredible!
Summer is also a great time to slow down and enjoy meaningful moments with your child. And while summer should absolutely be fun and relaxing, it doesn’t mean learning has to stop. The “summer slide” is real and keeping skills active over the break can make a big difference. Read more about the summer slide here.
Screen-Free Play Supports Language Development
Leading pediatric organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, remind us that children learn language best through real-life experiences and everyday interactions. At the same time, children today are spending more time on screens than ever before, often starting at very young ages. Research continues to show that screen time can impact vocabulary growth, communication skills, attention, and even emotional well-being. Language develops through connection, movement, play, and interaction, not just passive watching.
Screens are a part of everyday life and they aren’t always harmful, but finding a healthy balance is important for supporting speech and language development.
Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids
As pediatric speech-language pathologists, we love helping families support their child’s development, so we’ve gathered some of our favorite easy summer ideas in this blog. The best part is you don’t need a bunch of new toys or worksheets, just everyday moments that naturally build conversation and learning!
Bubble Play
Who doesn’t love bubbles? Bubble play is one of the easiest ways to encourage communication.
You can target so many skills like:
requesting (“more bubbles!”)
turn-taking (“my turn”, “your turn”)
joint attention
action words (“pop,” “blow,” “catch”)
early speech sounds (“wow”, “woah”, “wee”, “pop”, “go”, “up”)
We love keeping mini bubbles on hand for quick, on-the-go fun— perfect for speech therapy sessions or for parents to bring along during moments like waiting for a table at a restaurant or running errands! These mini travel bubbles for toddlers are one of our favorites. We also love using bubble wands during outdoor play.
Pro SLP tip: If your child wants to practice blowing bubbles independently, tape the bubble wand container to an outdoor table! It keeps everything stable, prevents spills, and lets you stay hands-free so you can join in on the fun instead of constantly holding the bubbles.
Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk chalk = speech and language outdoor fun! It’s a great way to practice writing, spelling, and speech production skills.
Try:
drawing animals or foods and naming categories
practicing colors and shapes
creating obstacle courses with words like “jump,” “turn,” and “stop”
drawing scenes and talking about what’s happening
For writing practice, have your child write their name or favorite summer words. For speech sound practice, encourage them to draw items that begin with their target sound or think of words containing their speech sound.
We especially love these dustless sidewalk chalk options for children who may not enjoy the texture of chalk on their hands.
Water Play
Water play is always a crowd favorite! It provides calming sensory input while naturally encouraging interaction and communication.
During water play, model:
action words (“pour,” “splash,” “fill”)
location words (“in,” “out,” “under”)
requesting and commenting
Some of our favorites include:
Even simple activities like watering plants, washing toy cars (or even their dirty toys!), or filling cups can become language-rich moments.
Backyard Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses are fantastic for building listening and language skills through movement and play.
Use words like:
over
under
through
around
fast
slow
You can increase the challenge by giving multi-step directions like: “Jump over the towel, crawl under the chair, and run to the cone!” This is a fun way to target following directions, sequencing, and spatial concepts.
Pretend Play Outdoors
Pretend play is one of the BEST ways to encourage language development.
Ideas include:
lemonade stands
camping adventures
pretend grocery stores
pirate treasure hunts
restaurant play
Pretend play supports so many skills like conversation, storytelling, problem-solving, social communication, and imaginative language.
Looking for More Summer Ideas?
We have tons of fun summer-themed activities on our blog!
Check out some easy summer snacks:
We also have adorable crafts like:
Heading to the beach this summer? Don’t miss our favorite speech and language activities for the beach.
And be sure to explore our summer-themed children’s book list for language development.
Summer doesn’t need to be packed with structured learning to support speech and language development. Some of the best learning opportunities happen during simple moments together. And we’re all for a ‘90s summer!
Questions about speech therapy? Reach out to schedule a free phone consultation or speech-language evaluation. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way!