Summer In A Can - A Classic Auditory Verbal Therapy Activity

Summer in A Can is one of my classic LSL auditory verbal therapy activities that really get kids talking and sharing while focusing on time elements and past tense storytelling skills. Kids relish collecting and filling their can with memories and treasures and have no idea they are growing listening and spoken language skills.

You’ll Need an empty plastic or metal coffee can. If the child wants to make the can personal, they can wrap it in construction paper and decorate it.

Directions The child collects mementos from summer adventures and keeps them in their can. A seashell from the beach, a feather from a bird, a rock from a hike, pictures from a brochure, a ticket stub, a toy car that reminds them of a road trip, or anything to jog memories. If they begin early in the summer and they will have a can full of memories.

Summer in A Can is an easy and rich activity to build spoken language skills all summer long.

Summer Bucket Lists For Kids With Hearing Loss

Creating a Summer Bucket in auditory verbal therapy is a listening and language-rich activity that I introduce each year to children who are deaf and hard of hearing. I begin a bucket list with listeners who have just graduated kindergarten and repeat it annually with older kids. Brainstorming for a bucket list is a terrific transition from the school year to summer break. 

There are countless listening and language goals to target and include summer vocabulary, categories, describing places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly, listening to others, asking and answering questions, and speaking one at a time about the topics, building on others' talk in conversations, using clear speech and more. 

Summer is a time to relax but, also an opportunity for extended learning, building language, and adventures whether in the backyard or on a vacation. Parents and kids alike enjoy thinking, talking together, dreaming, and setting summer goals with a bucket list.

How to Guiding Parents and Children When Creating a Summer Bucket List
I begin with a bucket craft made simply from construction paper and target listening and following directions. Next, I introduce printed shapes of summer categories such as a swimming pool, a playground swing, minivan, sunglasses, library book, and more. The parents write the child's goals for each category as we brainstorm and talk together. 

☀️ Summer Bucket List Categories ☀️
Places I want to visit
Things I want to see
Things I want to try
Summer foods I want to eat
Crafts I want to make
Sunny day activities
Rainy day activities
Nature activities
Playground goals
Sporting goals
Water activities
Swimming goals
Books I want to read
Reading Goals
Camping activities
Carnival rides to try
Fourth of July activities
Beach activities
Summer music concerts
Celebrations to attend
Travel plans
Road trips
Fun with friends

"I'm BORED!" Here's Help For Kids With Hearing Loss

Listen With Lynn Free Download

This mini-poster is a terrific home and family resource to post on your fridge. It provides ideas for kids to find something to do and bust the boredom! This was originally created at the beginning of the Covid and long months of quarantine but serves a great purpose especially as the long dog days of summer begin.

If this isn't helpful, you can try what I did when my girls when were young. If they couldn't find something worthwhile to do I would happily assign chores. 😉 Parenting is hard but remember that you are your child's first and best teacher. Even on your worst day, ninety percent of parenting is being there. So, good for you. You’re doing a great job.

Remember it may be hard for kids to decide what to do because their time is usually so structured that they aren’t used to much “free time” and finding fun things to do. School typically takes up much of their days and downtime is often screen time. Thus, many children and teens aren’t experienced in looking inside themselves for direction. If there is no one to play with they may have not yet discovered things they like to do by themselves. 

Parenting is hard but remembers that you are your child's first and best teacher.
Even on your worst day, ninety percent of parenting is being there.
So, good for you. You’re doing a great job!

❤ You'll love all the Listen With Lynn FREE resources including the Boredom Buster reminder!  

➼ Click here: FREEBIES!

Planting Flowers A Barrier Game For Kids With Hearing Loss

Nothing is much more fun than siblings competing while playing a barrier game and planting flowers. The barrier keeps both players from seeing each other’s garden and focus on listening alone. The TALKER gives verbal directions to help the LISTENER choose the critical elements describing the stems, leaves, and flowers to plant their flower garden in exactly the same way. A spring and summer favorite activity that targets auditory comprehension and expressive language skills such as:

🌼 Listening carefully to directions and details.

🌺 Giving clear and concise directions.

🌸 Questioning for clarification and accuracy.

🌼 Comprehending and expressing basic concepts.

🌺 Using and understanding vocabulary.

🌸 Using describing words such as adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions.

🌼 Discussing and reflecting on an activity.

Lazy Days of Summer No Prep Activities For Kids With Hearing Loss

The birds are singing, flowers are bloomin’ and summer is around the corner. Take it easy with no-prep summer resources for growing listening and spoken language.
Go on and make it a great day! It's the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors.

Kids love the Found Sounds outdoor scavenger hunt that builds listening and descriptive language skills. You'll love that it's only two bucks!

Grab another $2.00 winner the classic,  I’m Going On A ________ activity that's perfect for spring and summer. No wonder it’s well-loved and popular with adults and kids.

First, choose a category.
No sweat!
20 are printed on the game board. Kids are so motivated because the letters of the alphabet are provided which boosts memory skills.
It's an easy game that targets listening, vocabulary, categories, auditory memory, and auditory recall.

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Make your summer sessions and lessons easy and carefree with this SUMMER Bundle of Six popular activities
for growing listening and language.

Listen, Search & Find Games Summer
Summer Vocabulary Flexible Language Game
Summer Idioms Listen and Learn
Listen, Riddle & Rhyme Summer
Listen and Draw At The Pool
Summer Auditory Skills
It's a savings of $7.00!

Check out the new June - Listen By The Month resource and as always grab the
 FREE monthly riddles and jokes.