Bubbles are a magical development stimulant for language development in young children. Often used as an ice breaker activity within groups and classes, bubbles aren’t just all fun and games in the world of speech therapy. Very powerful when encouraging communication skills. As a concept, they play as a great motivation for the little ones, as they are simply just so much fun! Bubbles can be used to help children learn new vocabulary, teach sound, help them imitate words and even encourage appropriate social behavior.
The use of bubbles, especially for parents wanting to practice at home in their own environment, is definitely one worth investing your time into. It allows you to not only support your own children with their development but also bring an essence of fun and enjoyment into their learning!
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Here are some reasons why you should start incorporating bubbles into speech therapy at home:
1. It introduces new vocabulary as speech therapy
Bubbles are definitely a beneficial way to begin introducing new words to your children. A fun way to begin may be to use adjectives and verbs. Words like big, small, pop, again and play. Introducing body parts may also be a way to use the bubbles. For example when the bubble lands on the head, you say ‘head’, and the same for the rest of the body! It is an easily adjustable activity and can be catered for a child’s developmental stage.
2. It can encourage speech therapy and to ask questions
Bubbles can create an inquisitive environment for children. Therefore encouraging them to both ask and answer questions. Why not hand the bubbles over to your child (with the lid screwed on tightly, of course) and see how they respond. Maybe they will ask for help, or you could even prompt them to do so. Taking the lead in questioning can be very beneficial here. It allows you to focus on certain areas of speech. For example, you could focus solely on ‘wh’ questions like “where did the bubble go?” or “who wants more bubbles?”. This could also be transformed into a yes and no answer exercise. It is so open and full of many opportunities!
3. Encourages eye contact
Eye contact is so important in speech therapy activities for children and bubbles are definitely able to encourage it. By blowing bubbles around it will capture the attention of your child. Allowing them to practice using eye contact in a social setting. This is extremely beneficial and an example of being simple but undeniable effective!
4. Practice taking turns
This kind of activity can be excellent for promoting turn-taking and sharing. By passing the bubbles between one another and asking if you can hold them, it is a recipe for understanding social situations. For this one, the bubbles don’t even have to be blown!
The development of children is so important and some of us struggle with finding the best way to go about it. The reality is, there is no better way. It is all about finding what works the best for you and your child. The methods are out there and there are many places to find support and encouragement! We are all in this together.
Here are my all time favorite bubbles that I use during my speech therapy sessions: