Speech Therapy On the Go: Fun Activities to Boost Your Child’s Speech in the Car

As a parent, you’re always looking for ways to help your child grow and thrive and sometimes, the best opportunities are right in your back seat! Every car ride is a chance to build your child’s speech and language skills. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or on a quick trip, here are simple games to try:

“I Spy” With a Twist: Take turns saying, “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and add a colour, shape, or sound clue.

If your child struggles with a certain sound, pick words that give them practice (e.g. focus on spotting things that start with “s” – like “sign,” “sun,” or “seatbelt.”)

Red Light, Green Light Talking: When you stop at a red light, take turns naming words in a category (e.g., animals, foods). When the light turns green, stop talking!

This helps with turn-taking, expanding categories, and practising articulation in a fun, timed way.

Story Starters: Start a story with one line: “Once upon a time, a dog got on a bus…” Then take turns adding a sentence each.

This supports sequencing, using complete sentences, and building expressive language.

Sing and Rhyme: Sing favourite nursery rhymes and pause for your child to fill in the missing word. Or make up silly rhymes together about things you see outside!

Sound Search: Pick a “sound of the day” (e.g., “k” or “f”). See who can spot the most things that start with that sound!

Licence Plate Letter Hunt: Look for a letter on licence plates and say a word that starts with it.

Opposites Game: You say a word, your child says its opposite. For example, “big – small,” “fast – slow.”

Chat About Your Day: Talk about what you see, what you’re going to do, or what you did today.