Get Out this Summer

WRITTEN BY SARAH BANKSTON

Easier said than done, right? It can be so tempting to hand a child a phone or tablet when we are busy trying to get things done or wanting to distract them when they’re feeling upset.

Did you know that too much screen time can delay a child’s speech and language development? When toddlers are focused on a screen, they may miss out on developing crucial speech, language and social skills through playing with others, playing by themselves, comforting themselves and learning how to be patient.

Of course, some screen time is OK. The American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following screen time recommendations:

» Under 18 months: No screen time except for video chatting with loved ones.

» 18–24 months: A small amount of highquality programming, if you choose.

» 2–5 years: A maximum of one hour per day. Watch together if possible.

It can be challenging to limit screen time, especially for older children. In this case, one idea is to have your child earn screen time by reading. For every 30 minutes of reading, the child earns 5-15 minutes of screen time.

So, what is the alternative to screen time? Play! Play helps children develop creativity, supports learning and encourages social and speech skills.

This summer, schedule in that outdoor play time. Here are some ideas.

» Bubbles Bubbles create the opportunity to support attention and early language development. Plus, they’re fun! Label and comment what you’re doing while playing with bubbles: “Open. Dip. 3…2…1…blow!”

As your child is learning new words, pause during these phrases and see if they will fill them in for you. (3…2…1…[pause]). Describe the bubbles. Support directionfollowing by practicing different ways to pop the bubbles: “Clap, poke, stomp, catch.”

» Swinging Stand in front of the swing so your child can see you. Describe the motion with simple words: “Up, down, push, high, slow/fast, stop/go.” Practice phrases: “3…2…1…go!” “Push me,” “More, please.” See if your child will request more if you stop them. Model the language for them: “More. You want more swing!”

» Water play Grab buckets of water, cups, spoons and brushes, and practice action words: “Pour, dump, scoop, splash.”

» Observe Observe older siblings and other kids. Describe what they are doing. “Brother has a ball. Bounce, bounce. Kick ball. Go ball.” Narrate what you see and describe your play with your child.

Encourage sensory play outside and help build your child’s vocabulary. Find, touch, feel and describe different objects, like leaves, rocks, flowers, etc. Discuss how they feel, look and sound.

» Scavenger hunt Hide things in a sandbox/bin, find and describe them. Support receptive language skills by having your child guess the item you are describing. Support sentence and vocabulary development by having your child describe what they find.

» Go for a nature walk. Look for items that fall into categories: green items, crunchy items, things that smell good. Describe what you find.

» Create an outdoor obstacle course. Teach your child how to recall information, sequence steps and follow directions. Support your child’s development of listening and auditory memory skills. Provide a simple sequence they can remember and repeat: “Go down the slide, spin around two times, then climb the wall to the top.”

» Encourage pretend play and social engagement with peers. Suggesting an idea for pretend play can introduce a world of wonder for children.

• Pirates in a boat: use a playset or anything else that can be a “boat”

•Chefs: gather leaves, rocks and sticks to make a pretend dish

•Artists: paint the driveway with water or color with chalk

•Dino dig: hide fake bones/objects in a sandbox to dig and discover; provide spoons and other tools

•Construction zone: use leftover cardboard, sticks and tape to build

•Racetrack: use chalk to draw lanes for scooters, bikes or foot races

•At the end of the day Practice talking about your day with a family member. Support your child’s recall of information, sequencing of stories and ability to answer a variety of questions.

Some questions you can use as prompts: Where did you go today? Who went with you? What did you do? What did you see?

Learning, exploring the world and strengthening speech, language and social skills can easily be a part of a child’s daily activities. Enjoy your summer!

Sarah Bankston, MS,CCC-SLP, is a Speech Language Pathologist at Intermountain in Helena. She is accepting new patients. If you know a child who is struggling to express themselves verbally, understand language, produce speech sounds or interact with others, and you think they could benefit from therapy, call Intermountain at 406-442-7920.