Is your little one working on attributes and descriptions in speech therapy? This skill is so important as children develop vocabulary knowledge. As our kiddos enter school age, our students are required to use language to inform, persuade and describe. We want them to use these skills to write paragraphs and explain their answers in just about every subject. Helping our language impaired students by building their descriptive language leads them to produce better sentences for such tasks. And the best way to do this is to start by building vocabulary they already know.
What we recommend
Today we’re talking all about Ned’s Head. Have you heard of him? Maybe you’ve seen your child’s SLP or OT with toting around this wacky game? Some of the items included in this game may seem a bit strange, but we guarantee it will be a hit! We’re sure you can imagine why. This gem of a game can be found on Amazon for under $27, a steal when we think of all the therapies it’s used for. It truly is a game for purposeful and meaningful play.
Here’s the gist of Ned’s Head. Each player is dealt a card — that card tells them what to feel around for in Ned’s plush head. Strange, right? There’s no telling what you might find in there. A spider, a dirty sock, maybe even some ear wax! If the player thinks they’ve found the item they can pull it out and see. If it’s a match, great! If not, it’s on to the next player. You may be thinking that this seems too simple for a therapy game, but every therapist we know puts their own personal spin on it. Ned’s Head can be used 100 different ways, most of the time straying from the game’s original rules.
Is your little one working on attributes and descriptions in speech therapy? One at a time, have players reach into Ned’s head and select an object. The object stays inside, but have the player describe its characteristics — squishy, plastic, round, fuzzy, soft, etc. Each player takes a turn guessing the item and ta-da, you’ve made up a new, targeted game for therapy using only their sense of touch!
Are our little friends working on categorizing and labeling items? You can select random objects of your own and place them in Ned’s Head. Play the game as designed and have the kids sort when the object is pulled. Maybe we’re focusing on identifying colors or sorting objects into categories such as animals, modes of transportation, or things we eat. The possibilities really are endless.
How we can help
There you have it! Take our word for it, Ned’s Head is a great pick for a catch-all speech therapy game. Beyond Speech Therapy Specialists and our team of providers are all about play therapy. We truly enjoy engaging with the little ones. So if you’re questioning development and progress in the areas of speech/language, fine/gross motor or social/emotional needs, we are happy to help. Beyond Speech offers in-home therapy and clinic-based therapy and comprehensive assessments, as well as free speech and language and motor screenings. If you are looking for the best pediatric therapy near you, click here.