Why Do Speech Therapists Love Bubbles?!

The answer is simple~Because kids love them!

My speech therapist brought bubbles AGAIN! I've gotten this from parents before. My guess is the therapist isn't explaining WHY she is blowing bubbles with the kiddos for the 100th time. In this blog I will share 5 benefits to using bubbles in therapy. But as is with any therapy technique or activity, the child must be interested and engaged for it to work! Bubbles just happen to be one of those activities that most kiddos enjoy.

5 Ways To Use Bubbles in Speech Therapy

1. Joint attention

2. Requesting

3. Repetitive words and phrases

4. Turn taking

5. Oral motor

Joint Attention: Bubbles are a fantastic way to work on joint attention. Point at the bubbles as they fall to the ground. See if your child will look where you're pointing or even point on their own! Use exclamatory words like "Look!" It's a great activity to engage children in and since there is a movement component, it's often one of the first joint attention activities they will engage in.

Requesting: Blow the bubbles. STOP! Wait. Allow the child to ask for more! This may look differently for each child. Here is what requesting may look like:

• Gesture: reaching for the bubbles, making a choice between two items, pointing to bubbles, grabbing your hand to bring you to bubbles

• Signs: signing "more" or "bubbles,"

• Pictures: pointing to or exchanging a picture of bubbles

• Vocalizing: any vocalization!

• Single words: bubbles, more, give me, blow, open

• Phrases: more bubbles, bubbles please, I want bubbles, blow bubbles

**Tip** If you have taken the easy way out and have a bubble machine, no worries, you can still work on requesting by turning the bubble machine on and off!

Repetitive Words & Phrases: Kiddos respond well to repetition! You know that already right? Did you know that there is some sort of magic rule of 3? I didn't either. But so many of the children I work with respond well to repetition, such as "Up-up-up!" or "pop-pop-pop!" Try it and pair with some gestures!

Turn Taking: If you're brave enough to hand over the bubble wand (I am with a select few children), then you can work on turn taking. Turn taking not only teaches sharing, but also WAITING! You can use language like: my turn, your turn, my bubbles, your bubbles and wait.

Oral Motor: First and foremost, I am not concerned if my 2 year old kiddos are not blowing bubbles but a lot of parents wish that they were able to! As a speech therapist, sometimes I prefer they can't blow because then there's more opportunity for requesting. Plus when I give them the wand, it's all over and I'm never getting it back and will probably be left with an empty bubble container. BUT it is a functional way to work on oral motor.

**Tip** If your child is having a difficult time blowing bubbles, blow them yourself and catch one on the wand. Then have your child blow that bubble.