Bugs & Insects Lesson Plans for Speech Therapy

GAMES

One of my go-to springtime themes to use in therapy is bugs and insects! There are so many fun ways to use this theme to target all of your students goals; here are some of my favorite!

I LOVE these bugs from the Learning Resource Center and so do my students! The possibilities are endless for their use in therapy. There are six different insects in six different colors. This set includes different games and activities you can do with the bugs, but I also love them for scavenger hunts, making patterns, targeting basic concepts, and they are an absolute must for spring themed sensory bins!

Learning Resource Bugs

Did you see my IG stories recently about this little snack monster?! My students have LOVED playing with him in therapy, so for this theme he loves to eat BUGS! Use any toy bugs you have or grab some adorable clip art from TPT! Search "Bug Clip Art" or "Insect Clip Art," then filter to FREE; there are so many great options! Free sets range from cute and doodle-y to more realistic so there is something for every caseload and every age range without breaking the bank!

Have you ever used fly swatters in therapy?! They are so much fun and can be used with any goal area! Hello cheap, minimal prep therapy activity that works for mixed groups! Target phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, minimal pairs, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, WH questions, articulation or phonology targets, the list is endless! You can spread targets out on the table or hang them on the wall, and have your students swat away! Make it a competition to see who can find the target first, or work together to swat away all those pesky bugs!

BlueTapeSpiderWeb

BLUE TAPE ALERT! A few weeks ago, Jennie Bjorem and I teamed up for the #bluetapechallenge and it was SO MUCH FUN! (Check out this post here for more blue tape therapy ideas) For this theme, I love to use Blue Tape to make a giant spider web! Build a web on your wall, or your therapy table, and use tape to trap other bugs in the spider's web so you can work together to rescue them! I love to target core vocab like UP, STOP, NO, YES, HELP, ON, OFF, IN, DOWN, PUT, FAST, WANT with my preschoolers while we play with the web.

If your students love spiders and webs, why not take it one step farther to create a bigger web on the floor?! You can use blue tape for this, but for something that will hold up better to lots of little feet, Gym Tape is the way to go! (Shout out to all the OTs and PTs who've helped supply me with this over the years) If you are blessed with the floor space, make a GIANT spider web on the floor to play with. I love put a big spider in the center of the web then have my students stand somewhere in the middle and either take steps towards the edge of the web towards safety if they answer correctly, or take a step closer to the spider- OH NO! For activities with a clear correct or incorrect answer, I always give my students the opportunity to think through the question again with support, and offer up another answer! It helps to target self-monitoring, critical thinking and is just much more realistic; who doesn't get a chance to correct themselves if they make a mistake?!

Another way to get up and moving with spider webs in therapy is to create an obstacle course out of yarn! Put toys, bugs, animals, honestly ANYTHING preferred by the child on the far side of the web and have them climb through the web to rescue them! Anyone have any of those big spiders from Halloween decorations?! Bring 'em out, bring 'em out! I love to be in charge of the spider and move it throughout the web to "chase" my student. It definitely brings out the sillies in speech. It's also a great way for students to work together and problem solve in real-time! I encourage all of my students to help their peers navigate the web, and give directions so they can save all of the items!

CRAFT

Firefly Suncatcher: I love to make stained glass suncatchers in therapy! We make them for almost every theme and season. This firefly craft, inspired by I Heart Arts-n-Crafts, pairs perfectly with the story, The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle. I love to make our firefly's and then search therapy room and the school to find things that will help the firefly glow! For this project you will need:

Black Cardstock or Construction Paper

Contact Paper or Laminating Sheets

Tissue paper: I like to use different shades of yellow, but light green or orange work in a pinch too!

Scissors

Glue stick

White crayon or colored pencil to write students name on the back

INSTRUCTIONS:

If you're using contact paper, cut out two pieces per firefly to the size of your choosing
Cut out two wings, one round head and two antennae out of the black paper
Cut tissue paper into small pieces (I used about thirty small pieces for the firefly shown in the photos) ** All three of those steps can be done ahead of time to save time in your session **
Stick pieces of tissue paper onto the contact paper or laminating sheet to cover an area the size you need. You can outline the size you'll need in marker so kids know how much to fill in.
Put through your laminator, or if using contact paper lay the second piece on top to create a seal. Cut this into an oval or teardrop shape.
Glue the wings and antennae onto the head, then glue the tear drop tissue paper shape onto the black body.

Tape to the window, wall, door, wherever you'd like! These little fireflies brighten up any space!