5 Under $5: Easter Must-Have Items for Your Therapy Room

Searching to add some "cheep" and "egg-citing" items to your Easter-themed therapy? Here are 5 must-have items, each under $5, to add to your toolbox for hands-on therapy this Easter!

MINI EGGS

These mini-eggs are nice for quick reinforcement for drill-type activities. Pair them will any "Feed The ___" activity (many of which can be found on Teachers Pay Teachers) for an instant hit with your preschool-1st graders. Or, give each student a mini Easter basket (extra points if you put some Easter grass inside!) and see who gets the most eggs in their basket!

For older students, scatter empty tissue boxes (or the empty tin buckets, like those mentioned here) across the floor and toss the eggs inside. Place point values on the boxes for added competition!

These eggs came from Dollar Tree, but they're also available on Amazon*.

BUBBLE WANDS

. Use these bubble wands as a seasonal variation to target initiation (want!),  requesting (open bubbles), and increased sentence length/syntax (I want bubbles). Keep the lid on tight so the student HAS to make some attempt to request help from you to open up the bubbles. Talk about the verbs "blow", "pop", "chase", "catch", and "float". I also use bubbles to emphasize final consonants because you can talk about "pop" over 1000 times during a bubble-blowing session.

If you want them for under $5, you're going to need to visit your local Dollar Tree, Walmart, or Target dollar spot!

PLASTIC EASTER EGGS

I'm sure you've already figured out how to use plastic Easter eggs in therapy, but here is how I use them. I buy them in 2 sizes-- the jumbo and regular size. By doing so, I can target words such as "big", "little", "bigger", "smaller", etc. Inside, place mini-objects (can be used for articulation or for later sorting into categories), pictures (verbs, articulation cards, 1-2 step directions, etc) or assorted colors/sizes of pom-poms* (descriptive language- "I found the big yellow egg with the small pink pompom inside!"). Hide them around the room (keep the hiding spaces more obvious for your smaller children and tougher for your older students). You can also target following directions by giving clues as to where they are hidden (ex: "Look under the thing you sit on" or "Look between two bookshelves") or play a game of "Hot or Cold" ("You're getting warmer...!").

Pro tip: make a master list of where you hid the eggs!

These are available EVERYWHERE! Mine came from Walmart, but you can also get them on Amazon*, Dollar Tree, Target, etc.

EASTER GRASS

My primary use for Easter grass is as a filler for a sensory box. I typically buy enough green Easter grass to last me all through spring (paired with beans as a garden-themed box), and multiple colors for my Easter-themed box. It usually takes 4-5 bags to fill up my large sensory box. Within the box, I may hide plastic eggs, small items for articulation or categorization, etc. Really, I use the grass as a filler and just use my sensory box the way you would typically use a sensory box! The grass is super cheap at Walmart and the Dollar Tree, but also available on Amazon*.

STRETCHY TOYS/SLINGSHOT

Two words-- target practice! Tape a target* (or two) on the wall and aim the bunnies at the target! This game is best for older students because it does take some extensive coordination to hit the target, but it's a pretty quick reinforcer for your somewhat reluctant speech-language students. I've also heard other SLPs talk about using stretchy items to teach flexible thinking. Lots of possibilities with this one!

Mine came from the Dollar Tree, but there are similar variations on Amazon*. Just watch the prices-- some are outrageous! ALWAYS check your local Dollar stores first!

BONUS

As always, Teachers Pay Teachers has some affordable options for under $5 as well. One activity that I use every year is my Easter Egg Basket Categories activity!

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