Birthday Themed Speech Therapy Activities

I enjoy using themes in my speech sessions because it helps streamline therapy planning. A birthday party theme is a big hit and great because of all the speech-language concepts you can target!

Birthday Themed Speech-Language Targets

1. Birthday vocabulary – Identify and name different thematic words, such as party, invite, candle, guest, celebrate, frosting, and confetti. Discuss various actions and adjectives: blow, open, eat, celebrate, decorate, and wrap. Talk about synonyms/antonyms: happy/excited, big/small (for gifts or balloons) Compare and contrast with tables or Venn diagrams to help build vocabulary.
2. Descriptive language – Use attributes (color, size, shape) to describe party items like balloons, gifts, or cake.
3. Prepositions – Work on spatial concepts! Describe where birthday items are in relation to each other or to other objects.
4. Wh-questions – Use birthday-themed Wh-questions to practice comprehension and expression skills.
5. Following Directions – Give the child multi-step instructions “Put the candle on the cake,” “Give the gift to the girl with the yellow shirt.”
6. Sequencing – Retell the steps to plan a birthday party (make a list, send invites, decorate, etc.)
7. Categorization – Sort and categorize birthday items based on size, purpose, or color.
8. Storytelling – Create a story together about a birthday party. Practice retelling the story story using beginning, middle, and end concepts.
9. Articulation practice – Identify specific speech sounds to work on (e.g., cake (/k/), balloon (/b/), gift (/g/), party (/p/), hat (/t/). You can also work on blends (present, sprinkles, streamers, candles, giftwrap), multisyllabic words (decorations, invitations, celebration), and minimal pairs (cake/take, pop/top, pin/bin). Have the child practice their target sounds while playing with birthday-themed toys.
10. Conversation skills – Discuss your favorite birthday traditions or favorite cake and explain why. Practice small talk at a birthday party. Use conversation prompts to practice generalizing articulation sounds and practicing fluent speech.
11. Perspective-taking – “How would you feel if you didn’t get a gift?” or “What might your friend want for their birthday?”
12. Pretend play – Have a mini party in therapy with play food, stuffed animals, or real props
    

Birthday Themed Wh Questions

Birthday Themed Books

Here is a list of fan-favorite birthday-themed books to incorporate into your speech therapy sessions:

1. “How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?“ by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
   A funny book on how dinosaurs might celebrate a birthday, showing both naughty and nice party behaviors in a playful, rhyming format. Ages 2-4.
   Bear throws a birthday party where readers can count along with balloons, guests, and fun. Ages 2-5.
2. “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” by Laura Numeroff
   This book follows a curious cat whose request for a cupcake leads to a whimsical chain of events, showing how one thing leads to another in a silly, circular story. Ages 2-5.
3. “Happy Birthday, Moon” by Frank Asch
   A little bear wants to give the moon a birthday present and sets out to communicate with it. Ages 3-6.
4. “If You Give a Pig a Party” by Laura Numeroff
   A pig’s party request sets off a fun chain of events filled with birthday-style chaos and surprises. Ages 3-7.
5. “The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday” by Stan & Jan Berenstain
   Sister Bear’s big birthday bash becomes overwhelming, teaching a lesson about expectations. Ages 4-8.
6. “Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish” by Beth Ferry
   A playful guide that outlines the essential (and often silly) steps every creature should follow to make the perfect birthday wish. Ages 4-8.

Birthday Themed Activity Ideas

Birthday BOOM Card Barrier Game – A digital, self-grading Boom Cards barrier game! Use this flexible therapy tool to work on many language goals in an engaging, interactive way! They work exceptionally well for mixed groups, to generalize concepts, and social skills groups! Target: expressive skills (giving directions), receptive skills (following directions), social skills, basic concepts, vocabulary, categorization, sentence formation, and storytelling.

Free Birthday Language Scene – Use this busy picture scene for birthday themed speech therapy – target many language goals with this no prep activity. Includes wh questions, pre-made 1-3 step directions, and conversation prompts! Send home for homework, and use as no prep or no print activity. And perfect for celebrating birthdays in speech or the classroom!

Birthday Themed Toy

Lakeshore Surprise Party

I own this toy and it is a popular item! There are 10 present boxes with a surprise mini object inside.

Each numbered gift box opens to reveal a small, themed toy, making it perfect for targeting core vocabulary (e.g., “open,” “more,” “in,” “out”) and early requesting. You can use the boxes to work on following directions (“Open box number 3” or “Put the cake in the box”) and answering WH-questions (“What’s inside?” or “Who would like this gift?”). The toy also supports categorization (e.g., food, animals, party items) and descriptive language as children describe the color, size, or function of each surprise.

Put the boxes in a sensory bin or put your own mini objects or target words inside!

Do you have any fun birthday-themed activities you use in speech therapy? Comment below!

You might be interested in reading:
Speech Therapy Themes by Month

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