National Day Themes in June - Week 3: Speech Therapy Ideas for Summer Learning
- shannon | speech hamster
- Jun 9
- 15 min read
June 15 - 21
June Week 3 brings a mix of outdoor, real-life, and conversation-rich themes that can naturally support your speech therapy sessions. From everyday routines to seasonal activities, these ideas may bring a fresh take on tried and true activities as you target a wide range of speech and language goals.
Welcome to National Days in June Week 3! The week begins with social and functional themes like National Smile Power Day (June 15) and National Fresh Veggies Day (June 16), which easily support social-emotional learning along with describing and vocabulary development. You can also incorporate real-world learning with National Garbage Man Day (June 17) and outdoor-focused activities like National Go Fishing Day (June 18) and International Picnic Day (June 18).
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 second 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 1 (June 1 - 7)
June National Days Week 2 (June 8 - 14)
June National Days Week 4+ (June 22 - 30): 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 3
Date | National Day Quick Links |
June 15 | |
June 16 | |
June 17 | |
June 18 | |
June 19 | |
June 20 | |
June 21 |
June 15
😊 National Smile Power Day (June 15)
About: National Smile Power Day highlights how something as simple as a smile can brighten someone’s day. While its exact origin is unclear, the day has been recognized as a reminder of the positive impact small gestures can have on others.
Fun Facts:
Smiling uses fewer muscles than frowning.
Your brain can release “feel-good” chemicals when you smile ... even if you pretend at first.
Babies can recognize and copy smiles before they can talk.
Some animals, like chimpanzees, use facial expressions that look like smiles to communicate.
Smile Sound Practice: Students practice target words while smiling into a mirror. Compare how speech sounds look and feel with a smile versus a neutral face.
Smile or Frown Sorting: Show pictures of different situations. Students decide whether the situation might make someone smile or frown and explain why.
Make Someone Smile Challenge: Brainstorm ways to make others smile at school or home. Extend by role-playing kind actions or conversations.
WH-Question Smile Prompts: Ask questions like “What makes you smile?” “Who makes you laugh?” and “When do you feel happy?”
Following Directions – Draw a Smile Face: Give step-by-step drawing directions using descriptive concepts like big/small, above/below, and next to.
TpT Free Resources: World Smile Day Writing Activity (Rebekah Poe Teaching), SPEECH Large Smile Face Letters Room Decor (Emily B Speech), Apple Smiles (Fabulous Preschool Activities) is a fun snack craft.
Articulation: Collecting Smiles Articulation Game for Speech Therapy 18 Phonemes Plus Clusters ($)
Popular Children's Books:
The Smile Shop – Written by Satoshi Kitamura, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura: A young boy spends the day searching for something he can afford to buy and eventually discovers that kindness and smiles can be shared freely. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? – Written by Carol McCloud and illustrated by David Messing: A book that teaches the value of kindness through the metaphor of filling someone's invisible bucket with care and positivity. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
When I’m Feeling Kind – Written and illustrated by Trace Moroney: This story explores what it means to be kind through simple examples, like helping others, sharing, and saying nice words. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 16
🥕 National Fresh Veggies Day (June 16)
About: National Fresh Veggies Day encourages people to enjoy fresh vegetables as part of healthy eating. The day was created to promote nutritious food choices and introduce a variety of vegetables into everyday meals.
Fun Facts:
Carrots aren't always orange. They can be purple and yellow, too.
Broccoli is actually a flower that hasn’t opened yet.
Some vegetables, like cucumbers and tomatoes, are technically fruits.
Corn can grow taller than most adults.
Veggie Category Sort: Sort vegetables by color, where they grow (above or below ground), or how they are eaten (raw/cooked).
Following Directions – Build a Salad: Give sequence directions while making a salad.
Veggie Guessing Game: Give clues such as “I am orange and crunchy.” Students guess the vegetable using descriptive language and inference skills. More examples:
I am green and look like tiny trees.→ broccoli
I am yellow and grow on a cob.→ corn
I am round, red, and often sliced for salads.→ tomato
I am small, green, and pop out of a pod.→ peas
I grow underground and can be mashed or baked.→ potato
Open Ended Dice Game: Roll a die to complete veggie-themed challenges like naming vegetables in a category, describing a veggie, or saying target words before adding an item to the pretend salad bowl.
Would You Eat It? Conversation Game: Show unusual vegetables (e.g., romanesco broccoli, purple carrots, rainbow swiss chard, dragon tongue beans) and have students explain whether they would try them and why.
Would you taste it once or never?
Would you eat it raw or cooked?
What food does it remind you of?
Would you try it if a friend liked it?
What would make it easier to try?
Popular Children's Books:
Eating the Alphabet – Written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert: The book introduces fruits and vegetables from A to Z. The colorful pages support vocabulary building. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Too Many Carrots – Written and illustrated by Katy Hudson: Rabbit collects more carrots than he can handle, leading to a funny adventure about sharing and problem-solving. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
The Vegetables We Eat – Written by Gail Gibbons, illustrated by Gail Gibbons: This nonfiction book explains how different vegetables grow and how they are harvested and eaten. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 17
🚛 National Garbage Man Day (June 17)
About: National Garbage Man Day recognizes the important work of sanitation workers who help keep communities clean. The day has been observed for many years to show appreciation for this essential service.
Fun Facts:
Garbage trucks can weigh as much as several elephants when full.
Some trucks can pick up trash cans using robotic arms.
Recycling one aluminum can can save enough energy to power a TV for hours.
Sanitation workers often start their day very early in the morning.
Garbage Grab Articulation Toss: Write target words on paper “trash” items. Students practice the word, then toss it into a mini trash can or recycling bin.
What Happens Next? Trash Day Sequencing: Sequence the steps of taking out the trash. Example: pull trash bag from can, tie bag closed, carry bag outside, place in garbage bin, roll garbage bin to curb. Other sequencing ideas: recycling, cleaning up a messy room, garbage truck route, reusing instead of throwing away.
What Doesn’t Belong? Recycling Edition: Show groups like banana peel, soda can, newspaper, shoe. Students explain which item does not belong and why.
Mystery Trash Bag: Place common objects in a bag. Students feel an item without looking and describe it using clues before guessing.
Garbage Truck Articulation (or Open Ended Activity): Grab this free Pick Up the Trash! garbage truck articulation resource by Small Talk SLP (TpT). Tape the images to the outside of a long tissue box and have students fill the box with "garbage" as they practice their speech/language targets. Ideas for garbage items could be pom pom, crumpled up tissue paper, picture cards, etc. You can also use the black/white image to glue small, crinkled up tissue paper "garbage" squares to the back of it for a fun and easy caftivity.
Other Free Resources: Browse these free garbage truck activities and resources on TpT.
Popular Children's Books:
I Stink! – Written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by Jim McMullan: A noisy garbage truck proudly describes its busy day picking up trash around the city. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Trashy Town – Written by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino: Mr. Gilly drives his garbage truck through town collecting trash from different places in the community. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Michael Recycle – Written by Ellie Bethel, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo: A superhero teaches a messy town how to recycle and care for the environment. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
June 18
🎣 National Go Fishing Day (June 18)
About: National Go Fishing Day encourages people to spend time outdoors and enjoy fishing. While its origin is unclear, it has become a popular way to celebrate nature and relaxation.
Fun Facts:
Some fish can breathe air and survive out of water for short periods.
The largest fish in the ocean is the whale shark.
Fish use gills to breathe underwater.
There are more types of fish than any other group of animals with backbones.
Classic Catch-a-Word Articulation Fishing Game: Attach paper clips to fish cards with target words. Students “catch” a fish using a magnetic fishing pole or magnetic stick and practice the word before keeping their catch. You can adapt Sprinkles and School's free Write the Room Rainbow Color Fish activity (TpT) by cutting off the color names and color-coding the fish for specific speech/language targets.
Following Directions – Build a Fishing Scene: Give directions like “Put the fish under the boat, then place the worm next to the bucket.”
Phonological Awareness Ice Fishing: Use Preschoolers and Sunshine's Polar Bear Letter Ice Fishing freebie (TpT) for naming words that begin with the sound each letter spells.
Fishing Stories: Help students create fishing themed word lists for building a story. Organize words into categories to help students plan characters, settings, actions, problems and story details. Examples:
Characters: fisherman, captain, child, grandpa, bear, pelican
Settings: lake, river, boat, dock, ocean, pond
Fishing Gear: rod, bait, hook, line, net, bucket, tackle box
Fish and Water Animals: trout, catfish, shark, salmon, crab
Action Words: cast, reel, splash, catch, float
Problems: line gets tangled, fish escapes, boat leaks, bait disappears, storm rolls in, caught a boot
Story/Sentence Comprehension: Check out SpeechRUs' free Penguin Short Story Boom™ Cards for a no-prep comprehension activity.
Popular Children's Books:
Just Fishing with Grandma – Written by Mercer Mayer, illustrated by Gina Mayer: Little Critter spends the day fishing with his grandma, but the trip includes plenty of unexpected surprises and humorous moments. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing – Amy Hest, illustrated by Erin Stead: Big Bear and Little Bear spend a quiet day fishing together while enjoying conversation, patience, and time outdoors. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Anansi Goes Fishing – Retold by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens: Anansi the Spider likes to eat fish but is much too lazy to catch one himself ... so he decides to trick Turtle into catching one for him. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
🧺 International Picnic Day (June 18)
About: International Picnic Day celebrates eating meals outdoors with family and friends. Its origins trace back to European traditions of sharing meals outside, and it continues to be a fun way to enjoy food and nature.
Fun Facts:
The word “picnic” comes from a French word that means sharing food.
Ants can carry food that weighs many times more than their own body weight.
Picnics were once considered a fancy activity in the 1800s.
Some people have picnics at night, called “moonlight picnics.”
Articulation:
Picnic Time Game: DE Speechie has created a open-ended picnic theme game that could be used for articulation and so much more. Grab the Picnic Time Game Freebie on TpT.
Hide and Find: Hide a picture of a picnic treat under one of five articulation cards. Students practice words while searching for the food item.
Fan Favorite: You can't go wrong with the Learning Resources Sorting Surprise Picnic Basket activity ($) – an amazing resource that can be used in a variety of ways. It's a fan-favorite in my therapy space.
Teddy Bear Picnic: Sandy's Learning Reef created this free R Controlled Vowels Teddy Bear's activity/game board on TpT.
Food Puzzles: Use Simply Special Ed's free picnic themed Cut and Paste Fine Motor Puzzles on TpT as an articulation activity. Cut apart the puzzles and place all of the pieces in a basket. Students roll a die and practice the same number of target words then choose the same number of puzzle pieces from the basket. Who will be the first to collect all four pieces to a puzzle?
Phonological Awareness:
Syllables: Clap and count syllables in picnic-related words (e.g., wa-ter-mel-on, cook-ie, bas-ket).
Sound Sort: Sort food picture cards by beginning sounds.
Blend or Segment simple words like “grape,” “cup,” or “bug.”
Sound Deletion: Play a sound-deletion game with food names (e.g., “Say ‘banana’ without /b/”).
Language:
Descriptive Words: Use food cards and have students describe them using sensory words (e.g., crunchy, cold, sweet).
Follow Directions: Give/Receive directions for setting up a pretend picnic with visuals or mini objects.
Categories: Sort picnic items into categories: food (fruits, vegies, etc), utensils, activities.
Auditory Processing: Jenn Alcorn created a free Picnic Categories resource (TpT) that can be used for a "What Does Not Belong?" auditory processing activity.
Boom Cards: Browse these free picnic themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
The Teddy Bear's Picnic – Written by Jimmy Kennedy and illustrated by Alexandra Day: A musical rhyme that takes readers on a playful journey as teddy bears enjoy an adventurous day in the woods with music, games, and a grand feast. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
We're Going on a Picnic! – Written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins: Three animals pack a picnic and set off to find the perfect spot—but along the way, their food keeps disappearing. This fun, repetitive story is great for predicting and sequencing. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 19
✊ Juneteenth (June 19)
About: Juneteenth honors the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a federal holiday in 2021 and is a time to recognize freedom, history, and community.
Fun Facts:
Juneteenth is a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
It is also called Jubilee Day, Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.
People celebrate with food, music, and community events.
The color red is often used in Juneteenth foods and drinks to represent strength and resilience.
Freedom Word Web: Create a word web using words connected to freedom, community, celebration, kindness, and togetherness. Discuss meanings and connections between words.
Family Traditions Conversation Cards: Students share traditions or celebrations they enjoy with their families and compare them with community celebrations connected to Juneteenth. Example prompts may include: “What is your favorite family celebration?”, “What foods does your family make for special occasions?”, and “What is something your family likes to do together?”.
Did You Know...: Fun to Learn offers a free Juneteenth Day - Did You Know? booklet for emergent readers (TpT).
Juneteenth Flag: Use the Juneteenth flag coloring page from Kim's Colorful Kreations free Juneteenth Coloring Sheets (TpT) to discuss the symbolism behind the flags colors and symbols.
Red Foods: Many Juneteenth celebrations include red foods and drinks. The color red can represent strength, courage, and the resilience of people who worked toward freedom. Have students make a list of red foods/drinks. Common red foods shared on Juneteenth include watermelon, strawberries, cherries, red velvet cake, hibiscus tea, fruit punch.
Other Free Resources: Browse other free Juneteenth resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Juneteenth Is – Written by Natasha Tripplett, illustrated by Daniel J. O'Brien: A young girl learns about Juneteenth through family stories, celebrations, and community traditions. The book explains the meaning of the holiday while highlighting themes of freedom, remembrance, joy, and connection across generations.. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom – Written by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis: A young girl experiences the joy and excitement of the first Juneteenth celebration in Texas.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 20
🥤 National Ice Cream Soda Day (June 20)
About: National Ice Cream Soda Day celebrates the sweet drink made by combining ice cream with soda. The treat became popular in the late 1800s when soda fountains were common gathering places.
Fun Facts:
Ice cream sodas were first made by accident when someone mixed soda and ice cream together.
Root beer floats are one of the most popular types of ice cream sodas.
The bubbles in soda come from carbon dioxide gas.
When ice cream is added to soda, it creates a foamy top.
Science Experiments: Browse through these free Ice Cream Float Science Experiments (TpT)to see which one may entice your students to imagine, predict and observe what happens when soda and ice cream are combined. Best of all? It's an experiment you get to eat!
Ice Cream Soda Recipe Sequencing: Sequence the steps for making an ice cream soda: gather ingredients, add ice cream, pour soda, add toppings, and enjoy. Bonus: Have your first student/group of the day draw the sequence steps on index cards, then share them with the following student/group to see if they can guess the images and the sequence. Repeat throughout your day.
Would You Drink It?: Grab your food related vocabulary cards and put them into two piles: one for soda flavors and one for ice cream flavors. Students take turns drawing cards to create one-of-a-kind ice cream soda flavors and discuss if they would drink/taste it or not.
Flavor Describing Challenge: Students describe flavors using words like sweet, creamy, fizzy, cold, fruity, or chocolatey.
Most Popular Flavors Graph: Students vote for their favorite ice cream and soda flavors and add to a graph for comparison.
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]
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]
Ice Cream Face – Written by Heidi Woodward Sheffield, illustrated by Heidi Woodward Sheffield: An ice cream loving child finds it difficult to wait in line while watching others enjoy his favorite treat. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
June 21
🐚 National Seashell Day (June 21)
About: National Seashell Day celebrates seashells and the ocean life that creates them. The day was created in 2016 to encourage people to learn about and appreciate marine environments.
Fun Facts:
Seashells are the homes of sea animals like sea snails and clams.
Some shells grow bigger as the animal inside grows.
You can sometimes hear ocean sounds in certain shells because of how they reflect noise.
Hermit crabs do not make their own shell like clams or oysters, but live in borrowed shells.
Seashell Memory Game: Grab Little Language Speakers' free Seashell Symmetry Matching Cards as an open ended memory game for students to play while practicing their speech-language targets.
Seashell Barrier Game: One student describes a shell pattern while another attempts to find the matching shell without seeing it. Encourage students to use descriptive language to discuss: color, shape, size, texture, patterns.
Sea Shell Sort: Use Ms. Kinderhop's free Seashell Sorting Maps (TpT) with students to sort shells by size, color, texture, or shape (shells not included).
Sea Shell Creatures: Make a list of sea creatures that live inside shells such as: clam, oyster, mussel, scallop, sea snail, conch, abalone, limpet. *Not a shell: crab, lobster and shrimp have exoskeletons, not shells.
Hunting for Sea Shells: Place sea shells around your therapy space and have students search for them while practicing their speech-language targets.
Build a Beach Scene: Have students give/follow directions for building a beach scene using seashells, kinetic sand, and other beach related items.
Popular Children's Books:
Seashells: More Than a Home – Written by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen: This nonfiction picture book explains how shells protect animals and continue to serve important purposes after being abandoned.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
What Lives in a Shell? – Written by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illustrated by Helen K. Davie: Young readers learn about a variety of animals that live in shells, both on land and in the ocean.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
A House for Hermit Crab – Written and illustrated by Eric Carle: As Hermit Crab grows, he must find new shells and decorate them with ocean treasures. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
June Week 3: Words, Wonder, and the World Around Us
There’s more to explore with meaningful and engaging themes like Juneteenth (June 19), which offers opportunities for thoughtful conversations and learning, along with creative and seasonal activities like National Ice Cream Soda Day (June 20), and National Seashell Day (June 21). These flexible themes make it easy to keep speech and language practice relevant, interactive, and connected to students’ everyday experiences.
See More National Day Themes for June:
June National Days Week 1 (June 1 - 7)
June National Days Week 2 (June 8 - 14)
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!
Portions of this blog post were drafted with AI prompt assistance then reviewed and edited by me.
Comments