Favorite Thanksgiving Apps for Speech-Language Therapy
I often use apps to supplement speech-language therapy. I work primarily with preschool and elementary-aged children, and I've found a lot of fun apps to use over the years!
Here are my favorite Thanksgiving apps:
Hand Turkey (Free)
Summary: This is a super simple app. Simply "high five" your iPad to create a turkey, then decorate away! You could use this to disguise your turkey (and talk about WHY a turkey might want a disguise around Thanksgiving). Name your turkey, then add leaves and rake them up. You can even watch a stampede (a turkey parade of sorts) cross the screen once you're done. This activity may be best paired with a book about a turkey in disguise, such as Turkey Trouble.
Therapy Targets: Verbs (smack/hit, high five, rake), parts of a whole (turkey vocabulary), reasoning/inferencing (why would a turkey want to dress up in a disguise?).
Thanksgiving Puzzles (Free with paid option)
Summary: This is a puzzle app with 4 free puzzles, each with 9 pieces. It allows you to change the ease of the puzzle by adding (or removing) a background picture of the finished puzzle and by adding (or removing) the outline of the puzzle pieces. It even plays a cute animation when the puzzle is completed! The paid version includes 12 puzzles, the option to change how many puzzle pieces (9-24 piece options).
Therapy Targets: Requesting pieces, core words "more", "want", "my turn", "your turn", etc., combining words/expanding utterances, Thanksgiving-themed vocabulary.
More Holiday Dinner! ($1.99)
Summary: Create your own Thanksgiving feast with this fun app! Don't let the $1.99 price tag deter you-- this is my favorite app for Thanksgiving. Prepare the main dish (turkey, ham, goose, roast, beef, lamb), salad (cranberry, carrot-raisin *ew, no thanks, ambrosia), bread (rolls, cornbread), sides (mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mac-n-cheese, dressing), and a dessert (pie, cake, pudding). My favorite part is that the food is NOT clip-art... they use real pictures! In the end, serve the food and enjoy!
Therapy Targets: Thanksgiving food vocabulary (including TONS of ingredients), following directions (first put ___ in the bowl, then mix), verbs (mix, pour, squeeze, pinch, tap, tilt, zest, crack, swirl, steam, serve, bake, etc.), life skills (kitchen practice with real pictures and kitchen vocabulary).
More Pie! ($0.99)
Summary: Time to make a pie! Follow simple recipes to make the pie of your dreams. Choose from a variety of pies to bake, each with a recipe included. Make the crust (from scratch, or go with pre-made), mix your filling, bake, and enjoy! Making pie is ALWAYS a hit.
Therapy Targets: Cooking vocabulary (including different types of ingredients), following directions (first put ___ in the bowl, then mix), verbs (mix, pour, squeeze, tap, slice, crack, swirl, serve, bake, etc.), life skills (kitchen practice with real pictures and kitchen vocabulary).
