Ocean Themed Speech Therapy Activities
I enjoy using themes in my speech sessions because it helps streamline therapy planning. An ocean theme is great summer speech therapy because of all these speech-language concepts you can target!
Ocean Themed Speech-Language Targets
- Animal vocabulary – Identify and name different sea creatures and discuss various actions and adjectives associated with them. Compare and contrast animals with tables or Venn diagrams to help build vocabulary. Expand ocean-related vocabulary with terms like “tidal wave,” “marine biologist,” and “submarine.”
- Descriptive language – Learn descriptive words for animals and objects found in the ocean (e.g., wet, slippery, splash, sharp.)
- Prepositions – Work on spatial concepts! Describe where the animals are in relation to each other or to objects in the environment.
- Wh-questions – Use ocean-themed Wh-questions to practice comprehension and expression skills.
- Following Directions – Give directions involving ocean animals or objects (e.g., “Find the seashell and put it in the bucket” or “Point to the fish that is swimming to the left.”)
- Sequencing – Discuss the sequence of events in a story or information about the ocean ecosystem. Arrange picture cards in the correct order to represent the life cycle of a sea turtle or the stages of a tidal wave.
- Categorization – Sort and categorize ocean animals based on attributes like size, habitat, or type.
- Storytelling – Create a story together about an underwater adventure, using various sea creatures and settings. Encourage descriptive language by asking questions like “What does the ocean floor look like?” or “How does a jellyfish move?” Practice retelling an ocean-themed story using beginning, middle, and end concepts.
- Articulation practice – Use animal names to practice specific speech sounds or to target specific sounds in sentences. For example, practice /s/ and /sh/ sounds with words like “shell,” “seashore,” and “sunfish.” Or work on /r/ sounds with words like “coral reef,” “ocean floor,” and “shipwreck.” Or improve /l/ sounds with words like “whale,” “jellyfish,” and “seal.”
- Conversation skills – Discuss your favorite ocean animals and explain why. Use conversation prompts to practice generalizing articulation sounds and practicing fluent speech.
Ocean Themed Wh Questions
Who is known as the ocean’s gentle giant and loves to sing songs?
Who has eight arms, changes color, and is really good at hiding?
Who is a predator in the ocean?
What is your favorite ocean animal?
What is sand made from?
What do you wear at the beach?
What is the name of the tiny, glowing creatures that light up the dark ocean?
When have you been to the ocean?
When is the best time to go to the beach?
When do you see colorful sunsets at the ocean?
Where do dolphins and whales come up to breathe air?
Where do seagulls like to hang out and look for food?
Where do whales and dolphins live?
Why do some fish swim in groups?
Why do some ocean animals have shells or hard outer coverings?
Why is it important to protect and conserve the ocean environment?
Why do whales migrate?
Why is it important not to litter at the beach?
How does a seashell protect the animal that lives inside it?
How do dolphins communicate with each other?
Ocean Themed Books
Here is a list of favorite ocean-themed books to incorporate in your speech therapy sessions:
- “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister – Ages 1-5 years old.
- “The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen – Ages 1-5 years old.
- “Commotion in the Ocean” by Giles Andreae – Ages 1-5 years old.
- “Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef” by Marianne Berkes – Ages 1-5 years old.
- “A House for Hermit Crab” by Eric Carle – Ages 2-5 years old.
- “Hello Ocean” by Pam Muñoz Ryan – Ages 2-6 years old.
- “The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson – Ages 2-6 years old.
- “Octopus’s Garden” by Ringo Starr – Ages 2-6 years old.
- “Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau” by Jennifer Berne – Ages Preschool – Second Grade.
- “The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor” by Joanna Cole – Ages Preschool – Second Grade.
- “Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist” by Jess Keating – Ages Preschool – Third Grade.
- “National Geographic Kids: Ocean Animals Collection” by National Geographic Kids – Ages Preschool- Fourth Grade.
Ocean Themed Activity Ideas
Ocean Themed Barrier Games – Beach, treasure map, and mermaid barrier games. 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.
Habitats Interactive Book – Learn about habitats in speech therapy while targeting expressive and receptive language goals (categories, associations, following directions, making inferences)! The habitats interactive book is a hands-on tool to foster essential language and communication skills. The PDF includes the pages to assemble the interactive flip book. The book includes 5 scenes: arctic, desert, forest, savannah, ocean. Each scene has 3 animals to match to each scene.
Free What Doesn’t Belong Scenes – Practice negation, association, and categories with this 5-page, no-prep activity! There are 5 things that don’t belong in each scene.
Ocean Themed Apps
- MarcoPolo Ocean – An app to explore and discover ocean life. Children are exposed to STEM concepts and vocabulary while they explore the ocean, learn characteristics of marine plant and animal life, and build an aquarium, boat, or submarine. Ages 4+ FREE.
- Fish School – 123 ABC for Kids by Duck Duck Moose – An educational mobile application designed to help children learn basic concepts such as numbers, letters, shapes, colors, and more. Ages 4+ FREE.
- Sago Mini Ocean Swimmer – An open-play app that allows children to explore under the sea, interacting with fish and other activities. No wifi or Internet is required. Ages 4+ and $3.99.
- Sago Mini Boats – An open-play app that allows children to explore the sea, drive a boat, explore islands, and other activities. No wifi or Internet is required. Ages 4+ and $3.99.
Do you have any fun ocean-themed activities you use in speech therapy? Comment below!
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