National Day Themes in May - Week 2: Fun and Fresh Ideas for Speech Therapy
- shannon | speech hamster
- May 3
- 13 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
May National Days continue to deliver a playful mix of engaging themes that spark imagination and language-rich conversations. This week brings cupcakes, magnets, frogs, and chickens—just the kind of quirky variety that turns everyday speech therapy sessions into something memorable and fun. C'mon, you never know what kind of language will arise from the Chicken Dance!
Welcome to National Days in May Week 2! From sweet treats on National Give Someone a Cupcake Day (May 8) to letter play on National Alphabet Magnet Day (May 9), this week offers a variety of fun and flexible themes. Whether you're tapping into tidiness on National Clean Your Room Day (May 10) or exploring movement and humor with National Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14), these days offer plenty of creative ways to keep students talking, thinking, and connecting.
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Use the table below to explore some of the national days celebrated the second week in May. To avoid scrolling fatigue, use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.
View other weeks in May:
May National Days Week 1 (May 1 - 7)
May National Days Week 3 (May 15 - 21)
May National Days Week 4+ (May 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.
May National Days Week 2
Welcome to Better Hearing and Speech Month!
Date | National Day Quick Links |
May 8 | |
May 9 | |
May 10 | |
May 11 | |
May 12 | |
May 13 | |
May 14 |
May 8:
🧁 National Give Someone a Cupcake Day (May 8)
About: A sweet celebration of kindness, sharing, and frosting-covered joy. Whether homemade or store-bought, cupcakes are a fun way to brighten someone’s day and spark small moments of connection.
Fun Facts:
The world’s largest cupcake weighed over 1,200 pounds.
Cupcakes were originally called “number cakes” because of their easy-to-remember ingredient ratios.
Red velvet and chocolate are among the most popular cupcake flavors.
Cupcake Category Sort: Print or draw cupcakes with different pictures or words (e.g., foods, animals, clothing). Have students sort them into categories.
Design a Cupcake Game: Students decorate a paper cupcake with pictures representing their speech sounds or vocabulary targets and describe their creations. Grab Positively Bright's Cupcake Draw and Color Activity on TpT.
Cupcake WH Questions: Use cupcake images or pretend play props (see # 4) to ask questions like “Who would you give this to?” “What flavor is it?” “Where would you eat it?” Here are some more Wh Question examples:
Cupcake Props: Use cupcake props. Check out ABC Cupcake Toppers by Learning Resources. It can be used in many ways. Put mini objects inside each one that target speech sounds, have students sort mini objects or pictures by categories or speech sounds, create your own toppers with play dough, hide them around the room and have students follow spatial directions to find them, etc.
Cupcake Craft: Use this free Foldable Cupcake Card by Primary Workshop (TpT). Add target words or word categories to the card for take home practice. Kim Bos also has a free 100 Days of School Cupcake Activity. Have students practice target words or complete language tasks before add the paper strip "sprinkles" to the cupcake.
Digital Boom Cards: Browse through these free Cupcake Themed Boom Cards speech / language activities on Boom Learning.
Sequencing Activity – Baking a Cupcake: Walk through the steps of making cupcakes and practice using “first, next, then, last” language. Thank you, Kiddo Can Do, for offering this free Cupcake Multi-Activity Recipe Book (TpT).
Cupcake Compound Words: Match cupcake bottoms to toppings to create compound words. Marcia Murphy offers a free Compound Cupcakes activity on TpT.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake – Written by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond: A cat gets a cupcake and starts a whimsical chain of events that leads to a wild day of adventures. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes – Written by Kimberly and James Dean, illustrated by James Dean: Pete and his friends discover their cupcakes are missing and work together to solve the mystery. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Peanut Butter & Cupcake – Written and illustrated by Terry Border: Peanut Butter is new in town and looking for a friend to play with, but everyone is already busy—Hamburger has a soccer game, Egg is relaxing, and Cupcake is practicing for a party. With clever food photography and playful rhymes, this story explores friendship, perseverance, and the joy of finding someone who says “yes.” 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
May 9:
🔠 National Alphabet Magnet Day (May 9)
About: Celebrate those colorful, chunky letters often found on refrigerators and classroom whiteboards. Originally created for fun, these magnetic letters have become a favorite tool for learning the alphabet, spelling, and playful word-building.
Fun Facts:
Alphabet magnets became popular in the 1970s as educational toys for preschoolers.
Early versions were made of wood before plastic became the norm.
Some sets include numbers, punctuation, or even emojis today.
Magnetic letters are often used in speech therapy, early reading instruction, and even poetry.
Sound Hunt with Magnets: Give students a speech sound target (e.g., /s/) and have them find and name words starting with that letter.
Name Building Practice: Use magnets to build student names or vocabulary words, then describe or categorize each word. If you don't have magnets, go to any primary classroom and ask for any extras! Otherwise you can shop for these (or other) Alphabet Magnets with it's own flat, storage container.
Virtual Letters: Add Learning at the Primary Pond's free Virtual Teaching Manipulatives or the virtual magnet letters at toytheater.com.
Letter Match for Articulation: Place articulation word cards on a flat surface. Have students draw a letter and match it to a target word that contains that letter/sound.
Sensory Bin: Fill a bin with magnet letters and other items (pom poms, craft sticks, mini objects, etc.). Students can sort through the bin to find specific letters or use Kindergarten is Crazy's free Alphabet Letter Matching Mat to match letters to images.
Magnet Board Game: Have students draw a game board on a magnetized white board. Add magnet letters to the squares. Use magnet tokens as game pieces. Students can name words that begin with each letter/sound as they move around the board.
Silly Sentence Builder: Draw 3–4 random letters and have students name words that begin (or end) with each letter/sound. Then use those words to create silly sentences.
Popular Children's Books:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – Written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert: Letters climb a coconut tree in this rhythmic, high-energy alphabet story full of rhyme, repetition, and vibrant visuals. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Alphablock – Written by Christopher Franceschelli, illustrated by Peskimo: This chunky board book introduces each letter with bold illustrations and cutout pages that invite tactile interaction with the alphabet. 📖 [Amazon Link]
ABC and You and Me – Written by Corinna Luyken, illustrated by Corinna Luyken: An illustrated alphabet book that invites kids to move, stretch, and interact with each letter through gentle rhyme and imaginative prompts. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 10:
🧹 National Clean Your Room Day (May 10)
About: A friendly reminder to tidy up your space and enjoy the satisfaction of a clean, organized environment. While it may not be every child’s favorite task, it’s a great opportunity to build independence, responsibility, and pride in one’s surroundings.
Fun Facts:
The average person spends about a year of their life cleaning!
Studies show that tidier environments can help with focus and reduce stress.
Cleaning and organizing are great opportunities to practice sorting and sequencing skills.
Some people turn cleaning into a game or play music to make it more fun.
Clean the Room Sorting Game: Place objects or picture cards around the room and have students "clean up" by sorting them into categories (e.g., clothing, toys, school supplies). Another option is to "clean up" household object cards by sorthing them into which room they belong in.
Following Directions Task: Take turns giving 2- or 3-step directions related to cleaning (e.g., “Pick up the book and put it on the shelf, then find the pencil and place it in the box”).
Describing Object Cleanup: Students describe each object they clean up using size, color, and category clues.
Sequencing Cleaning Steps: Talk through the steps for cleaning a room (e.g., make the bed, put away toys, throw away trash). Students can draw or retell the steps.
Digital Activity: If you are a green screen user, grab Go Anywhere Speech and Language's free Clean Your Room! virtual activity to discover what is hidden under the bed! Or browse through these free Cleaning Themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Pretend Play Cleanup Scene: Use a mini room setup (or draw one) and have students role-play cleaning tasks while using target vocabulary or speech sounds.
Articulation Clean-Up Toss: Toss “messy” articulation cards around the room. As students clean them up, they practice each word 5 times.
Chore Chart: Have students create chore charts for OTHER people (e.g., parents, teachers, principal) using temporal words such as first, next, after, etc.
Popular Children's Books:
Pigsty – Written by Mark Teague, illustrated by Mark Teague: When Wendell refuses to clean his room, pigs move in and make things even messier—until he decides it's time for a change. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Henry Helps Clean His Room – Written by Beth Bracken, illustrated by Ailie Busby: Henry learns to tidy up with a little help and a lot of determination.
📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud - for core word "all done"]
May 11:
🍽️ National Eat What You Want Day (May 11)
About: A playful celebration of food freedom—where you can enjoy your favorite meals, snacks, and treats without guilt. This unofficial holiday was created by Thomas and Ruth Roy to promote a stress-free approach to eating.
Fun Facts:
Pizza, ice cream, and french fries are some of the most commonly chosen “treat day” foods.
Some people use this day to try something new instead of sticking with their usual favorites.
Foods can represent emotions, traditions, or special memories—making them great conversation starters.
Food Category Sort: Use plastic food or photos for students to sort into categories like fruits, vegetables, desserts, or snacks.
Guess What Food Descriptions: Lay out food photo cards and have students take turns describing one of them for the other's to guess.
Would You Rather: Food Edition: Download this free Would You Rather - Food Edition activity.
Articulation Menu Game: Create a pretend menu with target speech words as “menu items.” Students order and say each item multiple times.
Sequencing Snack Time: Use real or pretend food to practice sequencing (e.g., setting table, gathering or preparing snacks, opening snacks, ).
Social Skills Role Play: Act out scenarios like ordering food at a restaurant or sharing a snack with a friend.
Popular Children's Books:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Written by Eric Carle, illustrated by Eric Carle: This classic story follows a caterpillar who eats his way through many different foods before transforming into a butterfly. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Dragons Love Tacos – Written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri: A humorous story about dragons and their love for tacos, perfect for practicing sequencing and vocabulary. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett – In a town where food falls from the sky, meals get out of hand, literally. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
May 12:
🏥 National Hospital Day (May 12)
About: National Hospital Day honors the people and places that care for us when we’re sick or hurt. It's a time to recognize doctors, nurses, aides, and all hospital staff who work hard to keep patients healthy and safe—especially during times of crisis.
Fun Facts:
Hospitals can have hundreds of rooms and treat thousands of patients a year.
The first hospital in the United States opened in Philadelphia in 1751.
Hospitals include many departments: emergency, surgery, radiology, and more.
Some hospitals have visiting therapy dogs to help patients feel calm and happy.
Hospital Vocabulary: List hospital themed words and name functions, categories, location, etc. These are some free resources on TpT to look through.
My Ideal Teaching has a free Hospital Jobs Poster.
The Kinder Kids created a free "At the Hospital" Word List with images.
ResourcesByKrupang offers free Hospital Flash Cards.
Mrs. Swans Teaching Resources has a vocabulary word search inside the Word Problem Surgery resource.
Describe the Job Game: Give clues about hospital jobs (nurse, surgeon, ambulance driver, x-ray tech), and have students guess who it is.
Articulation First Aid Box: Fill a box with “speech sound tools” (pictures/words) and have students “treat” a toy patient by practicing words before applying a bandage.
Sequencing a Doctor Visit: Talk through what happens when you visit the hospital or doctor—from check-in to getting a lollipop (wait, is that even a thing anymore?).
First Aid Kit Items: Show or describe items like a stethoscope, thermometer, bandages, wraps, gloves, etc. Students guess what tool it is and explain it's function. Grab Go Wild with Paper's free Puppet Props image pages on TpT.
Healthy Habits: Have students create a list of healthy habits they could then break down into sequenced steps (e.g., washing hands, brushing teeth, putting on a bandage, making a healthy lunch, getting ready for bed, covering a cough, etc.). Visit goblin.tools and use the Magic To Do to break down activities into sequential steps. Game changer.
Body Part Simon Says: Play a quick round of Simon Says with a focus on body parts (e.g., "Touch your elbow," "Point to your ankle") to reinforce vocabulary and following directions.
Popular Children's Books:
I Want to Be a Doctor – Written by Laura Driscoll, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri: A young child learns about how doctors help people, from checking on fevers to listening to heartbeats. This simple story introduces medical vocabulary and community helpers in a relatable way. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Sick Simon – Written and illustrated by Dan Krall: Simon loves going to school, even when he feels terrible, but he soon discovers that spreading his germs to everyone else isn’t very fun after all. This humorous story teaches the importance of healthy habits like covering coughs, washing hands, and staying home when sick. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 13:
🐸 National Frog Jumping Day (May 13)
About: a quirky holiday inspired by Mark Twain’s short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” It’s a great chance to celebrate frogs, jump into movement-based activities, and explore amphibian life through language and play.
Fun Facts:
Some frogs can jump over 20 times their body length.
Frogs drink water through their skin rather than their mouths.
There are over 7,000 species of frogs in the world.
Frog Jump Articulation Game: Place articulation target cards in lily pad shapes and have students “jump” a frog (plastic toy or finger puppet) onto a card and say the word 3–5 times.
Sequencing Frog Life Cycle: Use pictures or visuals to sequence tadpole to frog and describe each stage using transition words. Mrs. Teachergarten has a nice, free Lifecycle of a Frog resource on TpT.
Frog Themed Articulation: Browse through free frog themed articulation resources on TpT.
Boom Cards: Browse through free frog themed boom cards for speech therapy on Boom Learning.
Jump and Describe: Play a movement game where students jump like frogs, first describing where they will jump and then describing what they just did.
Make a Frog Craft: Search through these free frog craft activities on TpT.
Frog-Themed Barrier Game: Set up a simple pond scene. Students give each other directions to place flies, frogs, or lily pads in the right spots using prepositions and descriptive language.
Popular Children's Books:
Jump, Frog, Jump! – Written by Robert Kalan, illustrated by Byron Barton: A simple, repetitive story about a frog escaping danger in the pond. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Froggy Gets Dressed – Written by Jonathan London and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz: Froggy wants to play in the snow, but he keeps forgetting different pieces of clothing. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Tadpole’s Promise – Written by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross: A tadpole and caterpillar fall in love—until nature takes its course. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog! – Written by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee: In this springtime twist on the classic rhyme, the Old Lady swallows a frog, followed by some dirt, seeds, and even a rake—building up to a garden surprise. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🐔 National Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14)
About: National Dance Like a Chicken Day celebrates the silly, wiggly, clucking fun of the Chicken Dance! Often played at parties and parades, this dance is a great way to laugh, move, and get everyone involved in something lighthearted and rhythmic.
Fun Facts:
The Chicken Dance was written in the 1950s by Swiss accordionist Werner Thomas.
The song was originally called “Der Ententanz” or “The Duck Dance.”
The dance moves include beaks, wings, and tail feathers — just like a chicken!
It became popular at Oktoberfest celebrations and later spread to parties around the world.
Dance and Describe: After dancing, students describe how they moved using body part vocabulary and descriptive language (e.g., flapped, spun, wiggled). Afterward, have students create their own "animal of choice" dance.
Sequencing the Chicken Dance: Break the dance into 4 steps (beaks, wings, hips, clap) and have students sequence and explain the steps in order.
Chicken Sound Articulation Game: Hide articulation target cards under paper chickens or eggs and have students pick and practice words. KarensKindKorner offers a free spring Chicken Minimal Pairs Game for /s/ blends on TpT.
WH Questions:
Grab Speech Dream's free Spring Speech Therapy Chicken and Eggs activity. It includes WH questions as well as blank "eggs" to create your own targets/tasks.
Place questions in plastic eggs for students to choose from.
Chicken Craft: Grab this cute, free Crazy Chicken Hats craft activity by The Art Barn on Teachers Pay Teachers to use as an open ended craft activity.
Popular Children's Books:
Chicken Dance – Written by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat: Two chickens enter a talent show where the prize is tickets to see Elvis Poultry. With humor and heart, the book celebrates persistence and trying something new. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Barnyard Dance! – Written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton: A lively rhyming book where all the farm animals join in a dance, including chickens. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May Week 2: Fun, Frogs, and Frosting
From cupcake kindness to hospital heroism, Week 2 is packed with hands-on activities and language-rich opportunities. Whether your students are hopping like frogs, organizing imaginary rooms, or dancing like chickens, these national days are full of energy and imagination. Keep the momentum going—Week 3 has even more playful ways to support your student's speech and language goals!
See More National Day Themes for May:
May National Days Week 1 (May 1 - 7)
May National Days Week 3 (May 15 - 21)
May National Days Week 4+ (May 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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