National Day Themes in June - Week 1: Playful Learning for Speech Therapy Fun
- shannon | speech hamster
- Jun 1
- 20 min read
Updated: Jun 6
June 1 - 7
Looking for themed activities that fit right into your speech therapy or classroom plans? The first week of June is packed with National Days that inspire creativity, support speech and language goals, and bring plenty of fun to the learning space.
Welcome to National Days in June Week 1! From letting heads or tails choose the adventure on National Flip a Coin Day (June 1), to collecting balloons on National Hot Air Balloon Day (June 5), and stacking up on fun for National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (June 7), this week offers low-prep, high-interest ways to make therapy both structured and sweet.
This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase through them, with no extra cost to you.
Use the table below to explore some of the national days celebrated the first week in June. To avoid scrolling fatigue, use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.
View other weeks in June:
June National Days Week 2 (June 8 - 14): coming soon
June National Days Week 3 (June 15 - 21): coming soon
June National Days Week 4+ (June 22 - 31): coming soon
To view themes for all 12 months head over to 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning.
*Free resource links listed here may change over time. Please check the original source for current availability and terms.
June National Days Week 1
Date | National Day Quick Links |
June 1 | |
June 2 | |
June 3 | |
June 4 | |
June 5 | |
June 6 | |
June 7 |
June 1
🪙 National Flip a Coin Day (June 1)
About: National Flip a Coin Day is all about chance! Celebrated every year on June 1, this day encourages people to make decisions the old-fashioned way, with a simple coin toss. It’s a fun way to introduce kids to probability, choices, and even a little history.
Fun Facts:
• Coin tossing dates back to Ancient Rome, where it was called “Navia aut caput” (ship or head).
• A U.S. penny has a 50/50 chance of landing heads or tails, but some studies suggest tails wins slightly more often!
• Astronauts on Gemini missions used coin flips to decide who exited the spacecraft first.
• Some people use coin flips to settle small debates, like who gets the last cookie!
Coin Cards: Download these Open Ended Penny and Coin Cards and use for articulation practice. Write target words on back of penny cards (or paperclip image cards to back of penny cards). Have students practice words to collect pennies. Collect 5 pennies for a nickel, two nickels for a dime and so on. How much money can each student collect while practicing their target words? This resource also comes with a 50 Penny Trials worksheet.
Articulation - Heads or Tails: 2 Player articulation game. Using 16 real coins, place 8 heads up on the table and 8 tails up. Assign sides: Heads or Tails. Goal: Be the first person to flip all the coins to one side. To Play: Roll a die and practice the same number of target words. Then flip over the same number of coins to "heads". Player 2 rolls, practices, then flips same number of coins to "tails". Repeat until all coins are either heads or tails.
Phonological Awareness - Heads or Tails Coin Flip:
If it's heads, name the beginning sound of words. If it's tails, name the final sound of words.
Rhyming: Heads = name a word that rhymes with "head" or "heads". Tails = name a word that rhymes with "tail" or "tails".
Following Directions: Have students listen to the conditional concepts before flipping a coin and following the direction (e.g., “If it’s heads, hop like a bunny; if it’s tails, clap your hands”).
Open-ended: Ask, “What would you let a coin decide?” and practice explaining choices.
Graphing: Browse these free* coin flip graphing resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Sentence / Story Builder: Create coin toss vocabulary cards or story prompts. Example:
Popular Children's Books:
Just a Little Luck – Written by Mercer Mayer:Little Critter learns about luck, chance, and what really matters when things don’t go as planned.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Patrick Picklebottom and the Penny Book – Written by Mr. Jay and illustrated by Gary Wilkinson: a boy named Patrick discovers that even a single penny can buy a world of imagination when spent on the right book. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Worthless Penny – Written by Greyson Masters: A penny feels insignificant compared to more valuable coins. Through various encounters and a lesson in kindness, the penny discovers its true worth, reminding readers that even the smallest or most overlooked things can have great importance. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Benny’s Pennies – Written by Pat Brisson, illustrated by Bob Barner: Benny has five pennies and uses each one to do something kind for a family member.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🦖 National Dinosaur Day (June 1)
About: National Dinosaur Day is a chance to celebrate the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the Earth.
Fun Facts:
The word “dinosaur” means “terrible lizard,” even though dinosaurs weren’t actually lizards.
Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens, while others were longer than a school bus.
Scientists believe modern birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs.
Fossils give us clues about what dinosaurs looked like, what they ate, and where they lived.
Phonological Awareness: Practice syllable counting using dinosaur names.
Dinosaurs as tokens: Use dinosaur counters or small plastic dinosaur toys as game board pieces.
Dinosaur Craft: The Daily Draw has a Dinosaur Art Project that pairs with book If the Dinosaurs Came Back.
Roll & Roar Dice Game: Roll a die to pick an action (roar, stomp, fly, munch, chase, nap). Say a sentence or complete a silly challenge using your speech target and action.
Dinosaur Eggs: Use plastic "dinosaur" eggs to hide target words or mini objects.
Sensory Bin: place small dinosaurs inside a sensory bin filled with rice, sand, beans, etc. Search for dinosaurs then describe each one as it's found.
Free Printable Resources: Browse these free dinosaur themed resources on TpT (filtered by subject "speaking & listening")
Free Boom Cards: Browse these free dinosaur themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
If the Dinosaurs Came Back – Written and illustrated by Bernard Most: This imaginative book explores what life might be like if dinosaurs returned to the modern world, helping with everyday tasks like mowing lawns or rescuing cats from trees. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Dinosaurs Love Underpants – Written by Claire Freedman, illustrated by Ben Cort: This silly story imagines that the real reason dinosaurs went extinct is their obsession with underwear. Full of bright illustrations and goofy fun, it’s a kid-favorite.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Dinosaur Who Discovered Hamburgers – Written by Adison Books, illustrated by Jenny Leigh: This imaginative story follows a hungry dinosaur who stumbles upon the idea of stacking meat, buns, and toppings—accidentally inventing the hamburger. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? – Written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague: Dinosaurs model both good and bad table manners in this humorous rhyming story. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? – Written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague: A playful look at bedtime routines with some not-so-sleepy dinosaurs who pout, stomp, and roar their way toward lights out. It’s a mix of humor and heart with rhythmic text.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
June 2
😁 National I Love My Dentist Day (June 2)
About:
Fun Facts:
The first toothbrush with bristles was invented in China in the 1400s and was made from animal hair.
Tooth Themed Card Game: Download this free Tooth-Themed Open Ended Card Game which comes with a 50 Tooth Trials for articulation practice too!
Dental Health Themed Resources: These are some free* resources found on Teachers Pay Teachers you can browse through for inspiration.
Crocodile Dentist: This is a children's favorite for sure. These are free* TpT resources specific to this activity.
Speech Therapy Activities: Check out these free* resources specific to speech therapy (yep, on TpT again).
Boom Cards: Boom Learning has some free* dental themed activities.
Popular Children's Books:
Bear's Loose Tooth Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman: Bear has a loose tooth, and his animal friends help him feel better about losing it. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Let's Meet a Dentist Written by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Kyle Poling: Dr. Florez is a dentist. She welcomes a class full of curious visitors as they try out her dentist's chair and look at X-rays of teeth. They also learn how she helps patients keep their teeth clean and healthy. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Going to the Dentist Written by Annie Civardi and illustrated by Stephan Cartwright: A gentle introduction to what happens during a visit to the dentist’s office. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss Written by Theo LeSieg: A playful look at teeth—who has them, what they do, and why they’re important. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 3
🥚 National Egg Day (June 3)
About: National Egg Day celebrates the versatility, nutrition, and all-around egg-citement of eggs. From scrambled to hard-boiled, eggs play an important role in many meals and offer a fun way to explore language and learning.
Fun Facts:
• Chickens usually lay one egg per day, but it can take 24–26 hours for each egg to form.
• The color of a chicken’s eggs depends on its breed. White, brown, blue, and even speckled eggs exist!
• The largest egg in the world comes from an ostrich and can weigh over three pounds.
• Eggs have been used in cooking and celebrations for thousands of years across many cultures.
WH Question Egg Hunt: Hide egg cards around the room with who, what, where, when, or why questions. Students find and answer them aloud for expressive language practice.
Egg Opposites: Use plastic eggs to hide opposite word pairs (e.g., on/off, hot/cold). Place one word in each egg. Students then open an egg and name the opposite, then try to find it's opposite match.
Egg Carton Games: Check out Power Speech and Language's free Egg Carton Artic / speech therapy activities on TpT for inspiration on how to use egg cartons in your speech therapy sessions.
Egg Toss: Complete speech/language tasks before tossing a plastic egg into a basket set up across the room. Another option is to carry the plastic egg on a spoon across the room and drop it into a basket.
Roll and Crack Dice Game: Roll a die and say that number of articulation or vocabulary targets. Then “crack” open a paper egg to reveal a silly prompt, riddle, or sticker surprise.
Free Egg Themed Resources: Browse these free egg themed resources for speech therapy on Teachers Pay Teachers or browse free egg themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
Egg – Written and Illustrated by Kevin Henkes : A story about friendship and patience follows four little eggs, three of which hatch—but one stays still until a surprise moment brings them all together.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Good Egg – Written by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald: An egg who always tries to be good eventually learns that it's okay to crack under pressure. It opens up great conversations around feelings, expectations, and self-care. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Green Eggs and Ham – Written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss: In this rhyming tale of persistence, Sam-I-Am encourages a picky eater to try something new—with surprising results. It's a playful way to work on negation, turn-taking, and expressive language. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 4
🧀 National Cheese Day (June 4)
About: National Cheese Day celebrates all things cheesy—from string cheese snacks to gooey grilled cheese sandwiches.
Fun Facts:
There are over 1,800 types of cheese in the world.
Cheese was likely discovered more than 7,000 years ago by accident.
The holes in Swiss cheese are created by bacteria that release gas during fermentation.
Cheddar is the most popular cheese in the United States.
Stinky Cheese Game: Grab Melissa Williams' free Stinky Cheese Game Cards (TpT) to use as an open ended activity for any of your student's speech - language targets. use the numbered cards for students to choose and practice target words or use the blank cards to fill in with WH questions, following directions or target words.
Articulation Boom Cards: Grab Cat Got Your Tongue's free R Articulation Chase the Cheese deck on Boom Learning.
Mouse and Cheese Dice: Use Kids 'n Kids free Mouse and Cheese Dice printable as a fun way to roll and practice speech and language targets.
Word Search: Discover names of all types of cheese in this free Types of Cheese Word Search form Created By Rankin (TpT).
Cheesy Food: Ask students to list as many cheesy food items they can think of while you write out the list. Choose one or two of the items on the list that would requre preparation and have students list the sequence of how to prepare it.
Associations: Tiny Tigers 321 created this free Mousey Association Cards that can be used for working on receptive/expressive vocabulary.
Cheeze Crackers: Make a 10 Frame and have students practice speech - language targets or complete tasks to fill it with yummy square cheeze crackers.
Popular Children's Books:
Cheese Belongs to You! – Written by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz: Little Rat finds some cheese—but who gets to claim it? This funny story explores sharing, ownership, and rules through playful, descriptive language and illustrations. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Big Cheese – Written by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald: This story follows a cheese who prides himself on being the best—until he crumbles under pressure and realizes that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With humor and heart, it explores themes of confidence, humility, and the power of being yourself. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales – Written by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith: This collection of twisted fairy tales parodies classic stories with absurd humor and unexpected endings. The title story features a smelly cheese-headed character that no one wants to chase, turning the Gingerbread Man tale completely on its head. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
June 5
🎈 National Hot Air Balloon Day (June 5)
About: National Hot Air Balloon Day lifts us into the skies to celebrate one of the oldest forms of flight. With their bright colors and floating magic, hot air balloons capture the imagination and provide a fun springboard for speech and language activities.
Fun Facts:
The first passengers in a hot air balloon were a sheep, a duck, and a rooster in 1783.
Hot air balloons rise because warm air is lighter than cool air.
Balloons are often made of nylon and can reach heights of over 10,000 feet.
The largest balloon festivals in the world can include hundreds of balloons at once.
Free Boom Cards: Add this free Collecting Hot Air Balloons open ended activity to your Boom library on Boom Learning.
Articulation: Grab Meredith Taylor SLP's Apraxia Paths Hot Air Balloons (TpT) for early sounds and sequences practice.
Design a Hot Air Balloon: Make Writing Magical has put together this free Design a Hot Air Balloon creative writing activity that can be adapted for expressive language targets.
Hot Air Balloon Crafts: Browse through these free hot air balloon crafts on TpT for inspiration.
Balloon Fun: Blow up balloons and use them as reinforcing movement activities such as pass the balloon while practicing target words, making sure not to let it touch the ground.
Other free Resources on TpT: There are so many other free hot air balloon themed resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride – Written and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman: A picture book that tells the story of the Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon flight with animal passengers and a whole lot of wind.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Great Balloon Hullaballoo – Written by Peter Bently, illustrated by Mei Matsuoka: When Simon the squirrel runs out of ingredients for pie, he and his friends take a balloon trip to space and back. This whimsical adventure blends fantasy with fun vocabulary and silly surprises.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🍪 National Gingerbread Day (June 5)
About: National Gingerbread Day celebrates the spiced treat that’s been around for centuries, from crunchy cookies to cozy houses. While traditionally linked to winter holidays, gingerbread can sweeten up speech therapy any time of year.
Fun Facts:
Gingerbread was first made in Europe as early as the 11th century.
In Germany, decorated gingerbread hearts are often sold at fairs and festivals.
The largest gingerbread house ever built was over 21 feet tall and could fit a family inside.
Gingerbread is usually made with molasses, cinnamon, and of course - ginger!
Dress a Gingerbread Man: Panda Speech offers this free Dress a Gingerbread Man reinforcing activity that can be used after any speech language session.
Sequencing: Grab this free Gingerbread Man Sequencing Activity created by The Mom Wife Teacher Life on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Syllable Clap or Snap: List gingerbread-themed words (e.g., frosting, candy, gumdrop, cookie) then clap (or snap) out the syllables.
Gingerbread Words: Ask students to create as many words as they can using the letters from G-I-N-G-E-R-B-R-E-A-D.
Gingerbread Crafts: Browse these free gingerbread crafts on Teachers Pay Teachers for inspiration.
Gingerbread Boom Cards: Browse through the free* Gingerbread Boom Cards on Boom Learning or grab this Find the Gingerbread Man ($) articulation activity:
Directed Drawing: Have students follow this free Gingerbread Baby's House Direct Draw Craft activity created by Jonelle Bell (TpT, A Place Callled Kindergarten) after reading The Gingerbread Baby (see below).
Popular Children's Books:
The Gingerbread Man – Retold and illustrated by Gail Yerrill: This gentle retelling of the classic tale follows a freshly baked gingerbread man who escapes from a series of hungry pursuers. With soft illustrations and repetitive phrasing, it’s perfect for young readers to predict what happens next and join in the fun. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Gingerbread Baby – Written and illustrated by Jan Brett: When Matti opens the oven too soon, out jumps a gingerbread baby who’s full of energy and sass. Jan Brett’s signature artwork and side-story panels make this a rich story for describing and retelling. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Catch That Cookie! – Written by Hallie Durand, illustrated by David Small: When the cookies go missing from the classroom, the kids follow a trail of crumbs and clues to find them. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
June 6
👓 National Eyewear Day (June 6)
About: National Eyewear Day celebrates the role of glasses, sunglasses, and other vision aids in helping us see clearly and express our personal style. Whether it’s protecting your eyes from the sun or rocking a new pair of frames, eyewear makes a big difference in daily life and learning.
Fun Facts:
The first eyeglasses were invented over 700 years ago in Italy.
Bifocals were invented by Benjamin Franklin.
Over 60% of people in the U.S. wear glasses or contacts to correct their vision.
The first sunglasses designed for vision protection were created in the 20th century for pilots.
Glasses Props: Amanda Keyt has created a full array of glasses that can be printed and used as props. Check out her website’s free glasses page and use with the following activities or let your imagine take over!
Frame It! Create glasses-shaped cutouts with target words on the lenses. Students wear or hold up the frames and say the word clearly to “focus” their sound.
Describing: Use real, play, or paper glasses in different shapes and colors. Students describe the frames using adjectives, or compare two pairs using comparative language.
Following Directions Give step-by-step directions like “Put the red glasses next to the blue case, then move the sunglasses above the notebook.”
100 Trials – Smarty Dots: Download this free 100 Trials Smarty Dots card game activity. Every dot is wearing glasses and there are 10 different facial expressions. Each facial expression comes in two different colors. This activity is open-ended but could be used as a “Guess Who” style game for describing or following directions.
100 Trials Open-Ended Card Game that can be used for National EyeWear Day Perspective Taking: Blooming and Belonging has created this free Perspective Glasses Activity (TpT) to support students in building emotional awareness and flexible thinking.
Design Your Own Sunglasses: Grab Ananda studio 101’s free Design Your Own Sun Glasses template/coloring page (TpT).
Glasses Crafts: Have students get creative using craft materials such as pipe cleaners, craft sticks, construction paper, rubber bands, paper cups, egg cartons etc. to create different kinds of glasses. Reference Carla’s Glasses (see below) for inspiration.
Popular Children's Books:
Carla's Glasses – Written by Patricia Clark Smith, illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles: Carla doesn’t want to wear her new glasses, worried that they’ll make her look different—but soon realizes how much better she can see and how fun glasses can be. This gentle story encourages self-confidence and adjusting to change with support from family and friends.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Douglas, You Need Glasses! – Written and illustrated by Ged Adamson: Douglas the dog keeps bumping into things—until he gets glasses and sees the world clearly for the first time. This humorous and relatable story is perfect for introducing the idea of wearing glasses in a positive way. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Rosie’s Glasses – Written and illustrated by Dave Whamond: In this nearly wordless picture book, Rosie sees the world in dull, grey tones—until she finds a pair of bright red glasses that help her rediscover color, joy, and imagination. The story gently explores mood and perspective, using vivid illustrations to show how one small change can shift how we experience the world. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🍩 National Doughnut Day (First Friday in June)
About: National Doughnut / Donut Day is a delicious celebration of one of the world’s most beloved treats. Originally established in 1938 to honor Salvation Army volunteers who served doughnuts to soldiers during WWI, the day now blends history, food, and fun in one very tasty theme.
Fun Facts:
The first doughnut machine was invented in 1920 by a Russian immigrant in New York City.
The classic doughnut hole was created to help the center cook more evenly.
There are filled, frosted, powdered, ring-shaped, twisted, and even square doughnuts.
The world’s largest doughnut weighed over 4,000 pounds.
Open Ended Sprinkles Activity: Grab Doodle Thinks' free Donut theme Numbers Mats (TpT) and use pages 1-2 as an open ended activity. Roll dice, complete the same number of tasks then add the same number of sprinkles to the donut mat. Examples of tasks:
Practice the same number of target words
Name the same amount of items in a given category
Ask or answer the same number of questions (write the question types on the sprinkles)
Follow the same number of directions
Use the same number of words in a sentence
Name the functions of the same number of words
Identify the same number of words
List the same number of descriptive words
Donut Syllable Stack: Stack foam or paper donuts labeled with 1–4 syllable words (or use the popular children’s ring stacking toy). Students clap and sort as they build a tall tower of donuts.
Vocabulary: Download this free donut themed compound word and opposite pairs resource. Students find the matching pairs to build compound words or match opposite pairs.
Following Directions: The Missing Donut: Hide a pretend donut in the room. Students follow spatial clues to locate it (e.g., It’s under/behind/in something green). Switch roles and have students hide and give clues.
Word Building: Have your students list as many words as they can using the letters from D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T.
Sequencing: Check out Eleana Weiss’ Dangerous Donut Writing Activity (TpT) to use for a narrative or sequencing activity.
Donut Crafts: The Kinder Kids offers a free Donut Day Crowns activity (TpT) and Simply Be Wild and Free (TpT) created a doughnut craft template along with a related blog post to see the finished product.
Boom Cards: Browse through the free Donut Themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Dog a Donut – Written by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond: A hungry dog asks for a donut, which sets off a chain of funny and unexpected events. The circular structure of the story makes it great for sequencing and cause-and-effect. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Arnie the Donut – Written and illustrated by Laurie Keller: Arnie is a talking donut who’s shocked to find out his purpose is to be eaten—but he’s not going down without a plan. Packed with humor and wordplay, it’s a fun story about identity and creative problem-solving. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Hello, Arnie – Written and illustrated by Laurie Keller: Arnie the Doughnut is excited to meet someone new – you - and spends the story trying to figure out who you are and what you like. With playful narration and interactive humor, this story invites young readers into a silly conversation with a donut who just wants to be friends. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
June 7
🍫 National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (June 7)
About: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day gives everyone a reason to cool off with a classic favorite. From cones to sundaes, chocolate ice cream offers a rich, sensory theme that’s perfect for sparking conversation, vocabulary, and tasty creativity.
Fun Facts:
Chocolate was one of the first ice cream flavors ever made, even before vanilla.
In the U.S., chocolate is consistently one of the top three favorite ice cream flavors.
Ice cream cones became popular at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.
June is also National Dairy Month—perfect timing for a scoop or two!
Hole Punch Sprinkles: Grab Green Tea Speech Therapy’s free Ice Cream No Prep Craft (TpT) and use colorful hole punches to decorate ice cream cones while practicing speech and language targets. This resource comes with craft pages for vocalic “r”.
Pom Pom Ice Cream: Check out Mrs. Learning Bee’s Fine Motor Pom Pom Ice Cream activity to use as an open ended activity for any of your speech and language sessions.
Ice Cream Scoops: The Bilingual Classroom offers a free Build Your Own Ice Cream Cone Number Sequence Game (TpT). Use the numbers to represent how many target words to practice, how many items in a category to name, how many directions to follow, etc.
Ice Cream in a Bag: Use Rachel Lynette’s Ice Cream in a Baggie recipe resource (TpT) to engage your students in a yummy experiment. Then have them repeat back the sequence of directions before giving them the recipe card to take home.
Pronouns: The Type B SLP offers a free Ice Cream Language Game for Pronouns (TpT) that include differentiated sentence strips.
Comparatives / Superlatives: Teach Speech 365 has created a free I Scream For Comparatives and Superlatives resource (TpT) that includes stacking vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream scoops.
Category Challenge: Have students list items in the following categories: desserts, ice cream flavors, frozen items, things that are scooped, etc.
Boom Cards: Browse through these free Ice Cream Themed Boom Cards activities on Boom Learning.
Digital Escape Room: Solve different puzzles and problems to unlock the mystery of the missing ice cream using Sweet Integrations’ free Digital Escape Room: The Missing Ice Cream (TpT).
Popular Children's Books:
Should I Share My Ice Cream? – Written and illustrated by Mo Willems: Elephant Gerald gets a delicious cone but isn’t sure if he should share it with Piggie. This simple, expressive story gently explores decision-making and friendship. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise – Written by Margret & H.A. Rey, illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young: George tries to help the ice cream man on a hot day and (as usual) causes a little chaos. This story highlights problem-solving and kindness through playful misadventure. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Pete the Cat Screams for Ice Cream – Written by Kimberly and James Dean, illustrated by James Dean: Pete and his friends take a trip to the ice cream shop, where they learn to stay cool and work together when things get messy. This colorful story blends friendship, problem-solving, and a sweet treat into one fun adventure.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Get a Taste of Week 1: Say "Cheese" for Dinos & Donut Fun!
June Week 1 offers a playful mix of themes that lend themselves to meaningful speech and language work. From creating crafty dinosaur drawings on National Dinosaur Day (June 1) to getting all cheesy for National Cheese Day (June 4) and sprinkling in some speech practice on National Donut Day (First Friday of June), there’s plenty here to support your therapy goals with creativity and purpose.
See More National Day Themes for June:
June National Days Week 2 (June 8 - 14): coming soon
June National Days Week 3 (June 15 - 21): coming soon
June National Days Week 4+ (June 22 - 31): coming soon
Quick Link to View All 12 Months: 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning (each month's themes are noted at the end).
Hi! I'm Shannon, creator of Speech Hamster. If you have found the information in this blog post useful, there's more where that came from! Subscribe to the Speech Hamster Newsletter to gain access to the Free Resource Library; a hub containing a host of National Days downloadable resources and so much more!
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