Speech Therapy Christmas
Functional, Play-Based Language & Speech Practice
Christmas trees are naturally motivating, familiar, and packed with opportunities for meaningful speech and language practice. If your child or students celebrate Christmas, decorating a tree (real or printable) can support vocabulary, grammar, following directions, articulation, executive functioning, and social communication—all through play.
No tree available? No problem. A printable Christmas tree and ornaments works just as well in therapy rooms, classrooms, or at home.
Download Christmas Tree Activity Now!
Why Christmas Tree Activities Work in Speech Therapy
- High motivation and engagement
- Repetition without drill fatigue
- Easy to adapt for any age or goal
- Naturally supports carryover through real-life routines
This page shares simple, flexible ways to target speech and language skills while decorating
Speech Therapy Christmas Language Activities
Vocabulary: Toddler to Early Elementary
Skip flashcards. Vocabulary sticks best when it’s tied to action.
Use the tree or printable ornaments to model and practice words like:
Core & Descriptive Vocabulary
- cut, glue, hang, lights, ornaments
- colors, sparkly, round, tall, bright
- branches, sticky, prickly
Tip: Model words in short phrases (“sparkly ornament,” “hang lights”) and expand what the child says.
Following Directions: Preschool to Early Elementary
Following directions requires a person to know vocabulary, have working memory skills, and adequate attention.
Below are speech therapy Christmas practice ideas for following directions while decorating the tree. Pay attention to the "direction" words you are using, your child's vocabulary level, and attention level (i.e., may want to to do one step directions vs two step).
Try These Direction Types:
Basic (1-step)
- “Hang the star.”
- “Find Santa.”
Sequential (multi-step)
- “First hang the red ornament, then the green one.”
Temporal (before/after)
- “Put the train on before the angel.”
Spatial (prepositions)
- “Put the bell under the candy cane.”
- “Glue the ornament next to the star.”
Start simple. Increase complexity only as the child shows success.
Complex Language Tasks: Toddler to Early Elementary Students
The speech therapy Christmas game listed below targets both expressive (speaking) and receptive (listening) skills.
Expressive Language & Grammar: “No Hands” Game
How to Play
Lay ornaments on the table. The child chooses one—but can’t point. They must describe it using attributes or a target sentence structure.
Targets
- Vocabulary (color, size, shape, pattern)
- Full sentences (“I want the blue ornament with the snowflake.”)
- Grammar (articles, adjectives, subject-verb agreement)
Cueing Tip
Gradually remove visual choices as descriptions improve to build precision and independence.
Cueing strategies: If a child is having trouble describing their desired decoration, I use the decorations themselves as visual prompts.
For example, if a student says "I want a present," I lay out all the presents in front of him or her. Then, I verbally prompt for another category such the color of the wrapping paper. As the student adds another descriptive vocabulary word, I take the necessary presents away and this will continue until one present is left.
Then, the student repeats the whole phrase. For example, "I want the blue present with a silver ribbon."
After a few times with this game, oral vocabulary improves!
Expressive Grammar
Use of full sentences: The student says “I want the ....….”
- Subject-verb agreement: Reinforce use of correct verb tense
- Etc….This has to be adjusted to individual goals
Receptive & Expressive Language: I Spy
Once the tree is decorated, play I Spy.
- Add one descriptive clue at a time
- Encourage deductive reasoning
- Switch roles to target both listening and speaking
This game strengthens categorization, vocabulary, attention, and inference skills.
Executive Functioning Through Decorating
Tree decorating naturally supports:
- Planning and sequencing (“First the tree, next the lights…”)
- Inhibition and safety awareness
- Task completion
Talk through steps out loud and use sequence words to support cognitive-language development.
Social Communication Opportunities
Practice social skills during shared decorating:
- Asking for help or a turn
- Making comments (“That’s my favorite ornament.”)
- Asking and answering questions
- Sharing personal stories
These skills generalize easily to classroom and peer interactions.
Articulation Practice (All Ages)
Use ornaments as reinforcement during drill or structured practice:
- Earn an ornament after X productions
- Practice target words naturally while decorating
Christmas vocabulary contains nearly every speech sound, making this activity highly flexible.
Read articulation therapy for how to do speech therapy at home and access free word lists.
Sounds | Initial | Medial | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
B | Big | Above | Bulb |
CH | Children | Branches | Branch |
D | Done | Candy | Red |
F | Fun | Colorful | Elf |
G | Gift | Again | Big |
J | Joy | Imagine | Orange |
K | Cookie | Sparkly | Magic |
L | Lights | Yellow | Ball |
M | More | Family | Game |
N | Need | Ornament | Green |
P | Put | Happy | Up |
R | Round | Decoration | Star |
S | Small | December | Christmas |
SH | Short | Emotion | Finish |
T | Tall | Little | Next |
TH | Thank You | Something | Beneath |
V | Vacation | Over | Above |
Z | Zillion | Present | Please |
Want More Functional Holiday Activities?
Explore additional ideas organized by age and skill level inside the Speech Therapy Talk Membership—designed to reduce planning time and increase carryover.
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