Thanksgiving Activities for Speech Therapy Fun at Home
Updated: Aug 25
Use this yummy and simple recipe with your kids to target any speech therapy goals they may be working on.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It's one of our favorite holidays at Better Speech, because we are reminded of how thankful we are - for our colleagues and and for all of our clients. Since the spirit of the holiday is in the air, parents can start working on some Thanksgiving speech and language activities with their children while targeting any speech and language goals.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
A Taste of Thanksgiving
For anyone who enjoys the flavors of this holiday, this is a great activity. Take out some of the foods you've made during the fall season or even look at magazines from this month to see photos of many of the common holiday foods.
You can work on many different goals, such as:
Describing with Adjectives: sweet, salty, hot, cold, sour, juicy
Categories: soups, drinks, vegetables, deserts
Expanding Sentence Length: turkey > brown turkey > brown yummy turkey
Thanksgiving is a good time to teach new concepts.
It's a Family Thanksgiving
What would Thanksgiving be without the family. Even if some people can't join the festivities at your house, it doesn't mean your child shouldn't know everyone's name. Here are 2 game ideas you can play with photos of family members:
Family Bingo: print out 2 copies of each family member, turn them over and take turns matching family. You can target: memory, naming (grandma, Mary), turn taking.
Flashlight Fun: Tape photos of family members on the wall and turn out the lights. Give your child a flashlight to find the person you name. You can target: naming, giving clues ("I'm thinking of someone with a blue shirt."), following directions ("point the flashlight up")
Make a Treat
This activity is brought to you by Myia S., one of our speech therapists. She likes to make these treats with her kids and thought you would enjoy making it with yours.
You can work on:
Colors & Descriptions: orange, brown, yellow, mushy, crunchy
Following Directions: first we get the pretzels, then put the chocolate on top
Turn Taking: You get one pretzel then I get one pretzel
CANDY PRETZEL TURKEY BITES
Ingredients
12 Pretzel Twists
36 Pieces of Candy Corn
12 Rolos
12 Reese's Pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or baking mat.
Place pretzels with the salted side down with the double rounded end pointed toward you.
Unwrap Rolo candies and place them in the center towards the top of the pretzel.
Place them in the oven until the chocolate softens, about 1 minute.
Beginning decorating by placing the candy eyeballs towards the middle, slightly towards the top, of the Rolos candy. Take a Reese's Pieces and turn it sideways and insert it below the eyes. Finally, take three pieces of candy corn and insert them along the top of the Rolos for the feathers.
Place them in the freezer to solidify. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
These little turkeys can be made ahead, just store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Make sure you watch your Rolos while in the oven to make sure they don't melt too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of Thanksgiving activities actually help with speech and language goals at home?
Cooking together, reading holiday books, and playing storytelling games with turkey-themed pictures are all great options. These activities naturally encourage vocabulary building, sentence formation, and conversation practice. The key is to keep it playful and low-pressure so your child stays engaged and motivated throughout the holiday season.
How can I use Thanksgiving dinner to practice speech skills without making it feel like therapy?
Try asking open-ended questions like 'What are you thankful for and why?' or have family members take turns describing a dish using texture and taste words. These casual conversations build expressive language skills without feeling like a structured lesson. The more naturally speech practice fits into daily routines, the more your child benefits.
Are there specific Thanksgiving vocabulary words I should focus on with my child?
Start with concrete nouns like turkey, stuffing, harvest, and cornucopia, then layer in descriptive words like golden, crispy, or warm. For older children, introduce gratitude-related words like appreciate, generous, and tradition. Repeating these words across multiple activities during the week helps them stick in your child's memory.
How do I know if my child needs professional speech therapy and not just more practice at home?
If your child consistently struggles to be understood, avoids conversation, or is falling behind peers in language milestones, a licensed speech-language pathologist can give you a clear picture. Better Speech offers licensed, insurance-ready care with no waitlists, so families can get started quickly without the usual delays. A professional evaluation takes the guesswork out of knowing where to focus your efforts.
Can Thanksgiving activities help adults working on speech goals too, not just kids?
Absolutely. Adults working on articulation, fluency, or language recovery after a stroke can benefit from holiday conversations, reading recipes aloud, or narrating what they are doing while cooking. These real-life contexts make practice meaningful and motivating. Pairing home activities with guidance from a licensed speech therapist helps ensure the practice reinforces the right skills.
About the Author
Aycen Zambuto
I’m a seasoned educator in speech therapy with over six years of experience helping people navigate challenges in communication. Throughout this time, I’ve found joy in guiding individuals through a variety of therapeutic journeys, from toddlers with apraxia to seniors with dysphonia.
I’m passionate about demystifying this complex world of speech therapy and helping readers around the globe achieve clear and effective communication. When I’m not writing about speech, you’ll often find me reading, traveling or spending time with friends and family.
