Free Speech Therapy Resources And Activities From Playing With Words 365

Dec. 3, 2025, 7:05 a.m.

Tags: playingwithwords365

Playing With Words 365 is a dedicated resource website offering free materials to help children improve their speech and language development. The site provides parents, educators, and speech therapists with accessible, engaging activities that cover various aspects of communication skills. This article explores the available free resources, their applications, and how they can be utilized to support children's language development.

Overview of Playing With Words 365 Resources

Playing With Words 365 maintains a comprehensive "freebies" page that contains numerous free, effective, and engaging activities designed for young learners. These resources span multiple categories of language development, including vocabulary building, writing and reading concepts, and speech and sound development. The materials are structured to be both educational and enjoyable, making them valuable tools for both structured learning environments and casual home practice.

The website collaborates with various speech therapy professionals and educators to curate content that addresses different aspects of communication skills. Many resources are designed to be flexible, allowing them to be adapted for children with varying abilities and learning styles. The site's philosophy emphasizes making speech therapy resources accessible to all, removing financial barriers that might prevent some families from accessing helpful materials.

Types of Free Resources Available

The resources on Playing With Words 365 can be broadly categorized into several types:

Printables and worksheets for various speech and language exercises
Interactive games that can be played at home or in therapy settings
Seasonal activities that align with holidays and school events
Specialized materials targeting specific speech challenges
Gross motor skill activities that incorporate language development

Each category offers different approaches to language learning, allowing parents and therapists to select resources that best match a child's needs and interests.

Seasonal Freebies and Activities

Winter Resources

During winter months, Playing With Words 365 offers snowflake printables designed to get children moving while working on various language skills. These free resources can be used to target:

Letter and number recognition
Vocabulary development
Shape identification
Prepositions and spatial concepts
Basic understanding of grammar
Irregular verb practice
Question formation (Wh-questions)

The winter activities are particularly valuable as they combine physical movement with language learning, addressing both gross motor skills and cognitive development simultaneously. This approach is especially beneficial for children who may struggle with traditional sedentary learning approaches.

Fire Safety Resources

In recognition of Fire Prevention Month and Fire Prevention Week, the site offers specialized materials that incorporate community helper themes with speech therapy goals. These include:

An open-ended game board that can be adapted for various speech targets
Fire Pup Preposition activities focusing on 'in' and 'on' at the sentence level
Theme-based vocabulary related to fire safety and community helpers

These resources serve a dual purpose by teaching important safety information while simultaneously addressing specific speech and language goals. The thematic approach helps maintain children's interest and makes learning more meaningful.

Back-to-School Activities

The website also provides resources for back-to-school season, including materials related to the book "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover." These resources typically include:

Printable story characters (such as the "Old Lady" character with a movable mouth)
Picture cards representing items mentioned in the story
Sequencing activities to help children recall story order

These materials encourage reading engagement while developing narrative skills, vocabulary, and sequencing abilities. The hands-on nature of feeding picture cards to the character adds an interactive element that enhances learning and retention.

Speech Therapy Materials

Articulation Resources

Playing With Words 365 offers materials specifically designed for articulation practice. While the sources don't provide detailed descriptions of all articulation resources, they mention packets targeting specific sound patterns such as 's', 's-blends', and 'sh'. These materials typically include:

Picture cards for sound practice
Homework packets that can be used between therapy sessions
Games and activities that make articulation practice more engaging

Language Development Activities

The site provides extensive resources for language development, including:

Vocabulary building activities
Basic concept instruction
Grammar practice
Question formulation and answering exercises
Sequencing and narrative skills development

These resources are designed to be adaptable, allowing therapists and parents to modify them based on a child's specific needs and progress levels.

Fluency and Stuttering Resources

Specialized materials are available for addressing childhood stuttering, including guest posts that provide:

Information about stuttering and its characteristics
Warning signs to watch for
Strategies parents can implement at home to support children who stutter
Printable resources to supplement therapy

These resources are developed in collaboration with speech therapy professionals and are based on current best practices in fluency therapy.

Bilingual Speech Therapy Materials

The website recognizes the needs of bilingual children and offers resources specifically for bilingual speech therapy. While the sources don't provide extensive details about these materials, they mention tools for distinguishing between language differences and language disorders, which is a critical aspect of bilingual assessment and intervention.

Interactive Games and Activities

"Frosty Says" Game

A winter variation of the classic "Simon Says" game, "Frosty Says" helps children develop listening skills and the ability to follow directions. The game can be adapted for different ability levels and speech targets. Recommendations for making the game accessible and motivating for children with special needs are available on the website.

"Feed the Old Lady" Activity

This interactive activity, based on the book "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover," involves:

Creating a movable character representation
Printing and cutting out items the character "eats" in the story
"Feeding" the corresponding picture cards to the character as the story is read
Sequencing the items after reading to reinforce narrative recall

This activity combines multiple learning domains by integrating fine motor skills (cutting, manipulating cards), language development (vocabulary, sequencing), and literacy engagement.

Other Interactive Learning Games

Playing With Words 365 recommends additional free resources like Turtle Diary, which offers educational games organized by grade level. For preschoolers, specific games mentioned include:

Phonic Train game
Picture Sequencing game

While some games on Turtle Diary require a paid membership, several remain accessible without payment, and there are free trial options for member-only games.

How to Access and Utilize These Resources

Download Process

Most resources on Playing With Words 365 are available as direct downloads. The process typically involves:

Following links to specific resource pages
Clicking download buttons or links
Printing materials at home or through a professional printing service

Some resources may require additional preparation steps such as laminating for durability or attaching to index cards or folders.

Maximizing Educational Value

To get the most benefit from these resources:

Consider the child's specific needs and select appropriate materials
Set aside regular time for practice, even if brief
Incorporate the activities into daily routines when possible
Provide positive reinforcement and encouragement
Track progress to identify areas needing additional focus

Adapting for Different Ages and Abilities

The resources are designed to be flexible and can often be adapted for:

Different age groups by adjusting complexity or expectations
Various ability levels by providing appropriate support or challenges
Individual learning styles by incorporating visual, auditory, or kinesthetic elements

Guest Posts and Special Features

Collaborations with Professionals

Playing With Words 365 regularly features guest posts from speech therapy professionals and educators. These collaborations provide:

Diverse expertise and perspectives
Specialized knowledge on various speech and language topics
Additional free resources created specifically for the blog
Current research and best practices in speech therapy

Special Giveaways and Events

The site hosts special events such as blogiversary celebrations, which include:

Bundled giveaways of speech therapy products
Collaborations with other speech therapy bloggers
Limited-time free resources exclusive to event participants

These events provide additional value to regular visitors and help build a community around speech therapy resources.

Educational Benefits of These Resources

Supporting Speech and Language Development

The primary benefit of these resources is their direct support of speech and language development. Through structured activities, children can improve:

Articulation clarity
Vocabulary knowledge
Grammar usage
Narrative skills
Social communication abilities

Building Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Many resources incorporate motor skill development alongside language goals:

Fine motor skills through cutting, gluing, and manipulating small items
Gross motor skills through movement-based activities like the winter snowflake exercises

Enhancing Literacy and Comprehension

The resources support broader literacy development by:

Building phonological awareness
Improving listening comprehension
Strengthening narrative recall and sequencing abilities
Fostering a love of reading through interactive activities

Creating Engaging Learning Experiences

By making speech therapy practice fun and engaging, these resources:

Increase children's motivation to participate
Reduce anxiety around speech practice
Create positive associations with learning
Support generalization of skills to natural environments

Conclusion

Playing With Words 365 offers a wealth of free speech therapy resources that can benefit children with various communication needs. The site's materials cover seasonal activities, speech therapy printables, interactive games, and specialized resources for different speech challenges. These resources are valuable for parents, educators, and speech therapists seeking accessible, evidence-based materials to support children's language development.

The collaborative nature of the site, featuring guest posts from professionals and special events, adds depth and variety to the available resources. By making high-quality speech therapy materials freely available, Playing With Words 365 helps remove barriers to communication support for children across different socioeconomic backgrounds.

For those seeking additional resources beyond what's available on the site, recommendations like Turtle Diary provide complementary educational games. The combination of these free resources creates a comprehensive toolkit for supporting children's speech and language development in homes, classrooms, and therapy settings.