Does your family like to go to one of the popular sno cone stands? If so, you have the perfect setting to build language skills with your special needs child.
Why go to a sno cone stand?
Besides the fact that sno cones taste great and can cool off every member of your family, the sno cone stand offers other benefits for the child with disabilities.
- Oral motor skills are easy to address with a favorite flavor of sno cone. Encourage your child to lick the sno cone as well as any syrup that is running down the container. For more reluctant kids, parents can "paint" the sides of their lips with the sweet mixture. Those tongues will naturally come out to lick it off. Remember that strengthening the tongue is an important skill for speaking.
- Language development is sure to happen while you are ordering and enjoying that shaved or crushed iced. Who would have guessed that adding a little flavored syrup could have such great outcomes?
What langugae can be learned there?
- Words for temperature can be used at the sno cone stand. It was hot enough to go in the first place. Then the cold sno cone will cool your child off.
- Words for texture describe if the ice is chunky, smooth, soft, or hard.
- Words for color can include the many shades of cone: red, yellow, blue, purple, brown, pink, orange, etc.
- Words for taste can range from sweet to sour.
- Social language phrases are important such as Please and thank you.
What are some similar language-building outings?
- The ice cream stand
- The donut shop
- The pizza shop
- The candy store
Where will you take your child with special needs today? Remember, it is all in the name of learning!
If you are looking for other great Fourth of July ideas read Building Cognitive Skills with Fourth of July Fun Pages and Tactile Defensiveness and Fourth of July Foods.
