33 Easy Non-Halloween Themed Activities for Speech and Language Therapy

It can be hard to want to do a Halloween theme in the schools, but not be allowed to due to policy restrictions. So…how do you still have fun non-Halloween themed speech and language therapy activities without crossing into a Halloween theme?

There are several different themes that are perfect for October speech that are Halloween-like. Some of them include skeletons, pumpkins, monsters, and ghosts.

Non-Halloween Theme #1: Skeletons

A skeleton theme can be a great addition to your speech therapy sessions because everyone has some personal experiences with bones…We all have bones in our bodies and several of our students have broken a bone or know someone who has. Some of our students may also have dogs, who eat bones.

Here is a list of THE BEST skeleton-themed activities for speech therapy:

• Read a book about skeletons (such as Skeleton Hiccups). 
• Learn about the bones in your body. Where are they? What makes them strong? What happens when your bones break?
• Cut out some paper skeletons or bones, and write target words/vocabulary on each one and fling it off of a parachute. Practice the words as you find the skeleton/bone. While using the parachute, you can also target up/down, high/low, fast/slow, etc.
• Hide paper or plastic bones (or skeleton heads) around the room and talk about "where" you found them.
• Grab a bunch of cotton swabs. Organize them into different-sized piles. Talk about quantity concepts including which piles have more/less, the most/least, a few/couple, several/lots, etc.
• Using lots of cotton swabs, spell out letters and names. You could also line them up and talk about which line is long/longer/longest, short/shorter/shortest, etc.
• Using cotton swabs and craft glue, make a skeleton on a black piece of construction paper. Draw the face using a piece of chalk. Label the different parts of the body.
• Go on a “bone dig” in a sensory bin. Grab some sand, dirt, or brown crinkle paper and some plastic bones (or cotton swabs). You could also grab some bone-shaped table scatter, craft foam stickers, mini objects, etc. Or, just print off some different bones, laminate, and place them in the sensory bin. If using paper cut-outs of bones, write target vocabulary on them. See who can find the named target vocabulary word. Use small scoops or measuring spoons as “shovels.” You can even use small construction trucks.
• Using a piece of poster board or butcher paper, make a “bone excavation” area. Put bone or full skeleton cut-outs on it with your target vocabulary written on them (or pictures). Have students take turns choosing a bone/skeleton from the pit and practicing their speech and language targets.
• Look up a movement song online such as “Skeleton Dance - Dem Bones.”

Non-Halloween Theme #2: Pumpkins

Pumpkins are such a fun theme to cover around Halloween, especially because of how many different types of pumpkins/squash there are! 

Here are some of THE BEST pumpkin-themed activities for speech therapy:

• Read a book about pumpkins (such as Stumpkin).
• Bring in several different types of pumpkins/squash. Describe what they look like and feel like. If you’re feeling really brave, cut a few open and talk about how different the inside feels.
• Hide paper pumpkin cut-outs around the room and talk about "where" you found them.
• Make a pumpkin patch (dirt and vines) on a piece of poster board or butcher paper. Put pumpkin cut-outs on it with your target vocabulary written on them (or pictures). Have students take turns choosing a pumpkin from the patch and practicing their speech and language targets.
• Have a couple of large pumpkins, a small rubber mallet, and some golf tees. Use the rubber mallet to pound golf tees into the pumpkin rind. Pound holes in different ways to create shapes, letters, or numbers. Use core vocabulary words like “more,” “again,” and “oops/ouch.” Talk about different quantities of golf tees including more/less, some/few/couple, several/lots, etc.
• Make a pumpkin out of modeling dough. Target fringe vocabulary words such as squish/squeeze, mold, roll, and pound/smash.
• Try a recipe using canned pumpkin (make sure to check for allergies first!). You could try making a pumpkin pie parfait, pumpkin spice playdough, etc.
• Buy a few of the really little pumpkins (Jack-Be-Little pumpkins) and put them in a water table. Add some toothbrushes or scrub brushes and water. Watch the pumpkins float and have fun scrubbing and cleaning them!
• Make a simple pumpkin patch sensory bin. Grab some green crinkle paper and some mini plastic pumpkins. You could also grab some pumpkin-shaped table scatter, craft foam stickers, mini objects, etc. Or, just print some different pumpkin pictures, laminate, and place them in the bin. Write target vocabulary on them. See who can find the named pumpkin.

Non-Halloween Theme #3: Monsters

Monsters are another great Halloween-like theme to use in your speech therapy sessions in October. Make sure the students know that monsters aren’t real.

Here are some of THE BEST monster-themed activities for speech therapy:

• Read a book about monsters (such as Go Away, Big Green Monster).
• Create a monster using modeling dough and additional items such as googly eyes, toothpicks, twist ties, pipe cleaner pieces, and disposable straw pieces. Describe your monster. Talk about what it looks like, but also tell a story about it. What does your monster like to do? What does your monster like to eat? Is your monster similar or different than your friend’s?
• Hide paper monster cut-outs around the room and talk about "where" you found them.
• Make a room/cage/grassy area on a piece of poster board or butcher paper. Put monster cut-outs on it with your target vocabulary written on them (or pictures). Have students take turns choosing a monster from the picture and practicing their speech and language targets.
• Make a simple monster-themed sensory bin. Grab some different colored crinkle paper and some mini plastic monsters. You could also grab some monster-shaped table scatter, craft foam stickers, mini objects, etc. Or, just print some different monster pictures, laminate, and place them in the bin. Write target vocabulary on them. See who can find the named monster. If you use several monsters with different features, describe one of them and see which student can find the one that’s described.
• Label different parts of a monster, especially the face. Talk about how monsters may look different than people and describe why.
• Create your own monster using different colored pieces of construction paper. Cut out different shapes and sizes and glue them together. Describe your monster.
• There's another monster activity described at the bottom of this post. Click HERE to check it out.

Non-Halloween Theme #4: Ghosts

A ghost theme can be fun or scary…So make sure you’re careful not to make it too scary for your students! Check out some of the best themed activities below.

Here are some of THE BEST ghost-themed activities for speech therapy:

• Read a book about ghosts (such as Ten Timid Ghosts).
• Create a ghost-themed sensory bin. Use crinkle paper, rice, beans, or any other kind of filler. Add some ghost-shaped table scatter, craft foam stickers, mini objects, etc. Or, just print some different ghost pictures, laminate, and place them in the bin. Write target vocabulary on them. See who can find the named ghost.
• Make a haunted house or graveyard on a piece of poster board or butcher paper. Put ghost cut-outs on it with your target vocabulary written on them (or pictures). Have students take turns choosing a ghost from the haunted house/graveyard and practicing their speech and language targets.
• Hide paper ghost cut-outs around the room and talk about "where" you found them.
• Create a picture of a ghost using mini marshmallows and craft glue. It works best if you use black (or another dark-colored) construction paper.
• Use large or mini marshmallows and dip them in white craft paint to create a “stamp.” Stamp a ghost outline on a black (or another dark-colored) piece of construction paper. You could also print off a ghost outline and have students fill it in using the “stamp.”
• Create a ghost treat using a large sucker (such as a tootsie pop) and a tissue. Place the sucker in the middle of the tissue and wrap the ends of the tissue around it. Use a piece of ribbon or rubber band to secure the tissue in place. Then draw a ghost face on the tissue using a black permanent marker.

🤔Are you looking for an additional monster-themed activity that is engaging, fun, and vocabulary-rich without being too scary for your younger students?

🎉Read a story about Slurp the Monster who eats just about anything! Easily target textures using a simple, repetitive text and interact through hands-on learning.

Click the picture below to check it out👇