National Day Themes in May - Week 3: Speech Therapy Resources and Hands-On Learning
- shannon | speech hamster
- May 12
- 18 min read
Updated: May 21
May 15 - 21
What do chocolate chips, straw hats, and tree planting have in common? They’re all part of this week's National Days Celebrations, a collection of relatable themes that can offer fresh options for speech therapy activities. Get ready for meaningful conversations and hands-on learning your students will surely enjoy.
Welcome to National Days in May Week 3! From sweet treats on National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15) to skipping the suds on National No Dirty Dishes Day (May 18) and dreaming big on National Be a Millionaire Day (May 20), this week’s themes offer playful, hands-on ways to support speech and language goals across learning environments.
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 third 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 2 (May 8 - 14)
May National Days Week 4+ (May 22 - 31)
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 3
Welcome to Better Hearing and Speech Month!
Date | National Day Quick Links |
May 15 | |
May 16 | |
May 17 | |
May 18 | |
May 19 | |
May 20 | |
May 21 |
May 15:
🍪 National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15)
About: A sweet celebration of one of the most beloved baking ingredients. From cookies and muffins to pancakes and trail mix, chocolate chips add a little bit of joy to every bite.
Fun Facts:
Chocolate chips were first created in the 1930s when Ruth Wakefield added chopped chocolate to her cookie dough.
The first chocolate chip cookie was made at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts.
Chocolate chips come in many varieties, including dark, white, milk, and even mint or peanut butter flavors.
Cookies and Milk Number Match Up: Grab this free, open-ended Cookies and Milk Match Up activity from the Speech Hamster TpT store. Match the cookie numbers to the milk numbers while completing target words or language tasks - OR- have students add real chocolate chips (or similar) to the cookie images to enjoy a nice little treat when the activity is completed!
Semi-Edible Cookie Craft: Students decorate a paper cookie with a real chocolate chip after practicing a target word or completing a language task. Repeat until the cookie is full of chocolate chips. Once completed, students can eat the chocolate chips!
WH Questions with Cookie Props: Use real or pretend cookies to ask questions like “Who would you share this with?”, "Where can you find eggs?", or “What ingredients are used to make cookies?”
Sequencing a Cookie Recipe: Have students sequence the steps of making cookies, then retell them using transition words. For a simple sequencing game, grab the free Let's Bake Cookies Sequencing Game created by Mo Lo's Speech Therapy on TpT.
Count out Syllables: Use mini chocolate chips to represent syllables for words.
Sensory Language Snack Time (if allowed): Talk about taste, texture, smell, and appearance while exploring real or pretend cookies.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – Written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond: A curious mouse asks for a cookie, leading to a chain of humorous events. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen – Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by LeUyen Pham: A girl enters a cookie competition and learns that kindness might be the best prize of all.📖 [Amazon Link]
Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? – Written by George Shannon, illustrated by Julie Paschkis: A rhythmic story that highlights the people behind the scenes of everyday items—including those delicious cookies. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
👒 National Straw Hat Day (May 15)
About: This day marks the seasonal tradition of swapping out winter hats for lightweight, breathable straw ones—signaling the unofficial start of warmer weather. In the early 20th century, men were expected to switch to straw hats on this exact date—May 15.
Fun Facts:
Straw hats have been worn for thousands of years to protect against the sun.
The Panama hat is actually made in Ecuador and is one of the most famous styles.
Straw hats are often seen in gardening, farming, and even in fun costumes.
Straw Hat Craft: Attach a paper bowl to a paper plate and paint yellow. Add cut out straw (strips of yellow paper) and paper patches to the hat. View image here from The Pinterested Parent dot com. Follow up with the Sequencing activity (below).
Sequencing Hat-Making: Create the straw hat craft above and talk through the steps, targeting sequencing words like first, next, and last.
Category Sort Hat Toss: Toss picture cards into a “hat” and name the category each one belongs to (e.g., food, animals, clothes).
Compare and Contrast: Compare straw hats to other types of hats (e.g., winter hat, baseball cap), practicing comparison vocabulary.
Sound Search in the Straw: Hide mini objects or articulation cards in a “straw” bin (paper strips or yellow shredded paper) and have students hunt for their sounds.
Problem Solving: Work together to create a hat out of straws. Brainstorm materials and sequence.
Popular Children's Books:
Hooray for Hat! - Written and illustrated by Brian Won: A grumpy elephant gets a mysterious gift - a hat! He shares it with his friends, spreading happiness in this charming story about kindness and sharing. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Do You Have a Hat? – Written by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Geraldo Valério: A rhythmic, factual exploration of famous hat-wearers throughout history—from Abe Lincoln to Carmen Miranda. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Hat - Written by Jan Brett: As Lisa's woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie discovers it and sticks his nose inside. He attempts to remove it, but the stocking becomes entangled in his prickles — and the adventure starts. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
May 16:
🖍️ National Drawing Day (May 16)
About: Drawing Day celebrates the joy of self-expression through art, whether it's a doodle on a sticky note or a colorful masterpiece. It’s a perfect theme to encourage creativity, storytelling, and communication through pictures.
Fun Facts:
Drawing Day began as an online movement to get a million people drawing on the same day.
Drawing supports brain development and fine motor skills.
Famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci often sketched daily.
Directed Drawing for Articulation: Guide students step-by-step to draw an object that contains a target sound (e.g., sun, fish, hat), saying the word after each step. Subscribe to the Speech Hamster Newsletter to receive this free Articulation Art resource in your inbox.
Scribble Art - iculation: Students can draw scribbles using a different colored crayon after completing a round of speech trials/tasks. Add googly eyes at the end and name each scribble.
Draw and Describe Game: Students draw a mystery object or scene, then describe it while others guess—great for vocabulary and sentence formulation.
Story Starter Doodles: Begin a silly picture and have students finish it, then tell a story about what they created.
White Crayon Words: Write articulation words on white paper using a white crayon. Have students scribble over the paper with a marker to reveal the hidden words.
Emotion Faces Art: Practice perspective-taking by drawing faces that show different feelings, then talk about what might cause those emotions. Use Mobaamal's free Emotions Worksheets - Blank Face Templates (TpT) if you don't want to start from scratch.
Vocabulary: Name words that begin with the letters from D R A W I N G.
Popular Children's Books:
Ish Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds – A young boy learns that art doesn’t have to be perfect and that creativity is all about expression. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Dot - Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds: Vashti believes she can’t draw until her teacher encourages her to just make a mark—a simple dot—which leads to a journey of self-expression and creativity. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
I’m NOT Just a Scribble - Written by Diane Alber: little scribble feels left out because the other drawings don’t accept him, but soon, he shows them that scribbles can be fun, creative, and unique. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🌳 National Love a Tree Day (May 16)
About: Love a Tree Day is all about appreciating trees for the beauty, shade, and clean air they provide. It’s a great opportunity to connect nature with speech and language activities—whether you're learning about how trees grow or imagining life as a squirrel in the branches.
Fun Facts:
Trees can live for thousands of years—some bristlecone pines are over 4,000 years old.
One large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people.
The world’s tallest known tree is a redwood named Hyperion, standing over 380 feet tall.
Some trees “talk” to each other by releasing chemicals to warn of danger or attract helpful insects.
Tree Themed Unit: Speechy Musing offers two tree themed resource units on Teachers Pay Teachers that are packed with activities for speech therapy: check out the Free Tree Theme Mini Language Unit and the Tree Themed Language Bundle.
Leaf Category Sort: Use paper leaves with pictures or words, and have students sort them into categories like food, animals, or places. Use Preschool Pondering's free Family Tree Template (includes printable tree and leaves).
Tree Life Cycle Sequencing: Discuss and arrange the stages of a tree’s growth—from seed to sprout to sapling to full tree. Browse these free tree life cycle resources on TpT.
WH Question Tree Toss: Toss beanbags or balls at a cardboard tree with questions taped to the branches or written on leaves.
Compare Trees: Use photos of different types of trees and have students describe and compare their size, color, or leaf shape.
Thumbprint Tree Craft: Grab Panda Speech's Thumbprint Leaves Freebie or Mandy Munchkins' free Four Seasons Fingerpainting Craft on TpT and use during your speech session as an open ended activity.
Trees Are Important Craft: Use Not A Class's Arbor Day Tree Writing Craft while discussing and brainstorming why trees are important.
Popular Children's Books:
A Tree is Nice – Written by Janice May Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont: This Caldecott-winning book celebrates all the reasons trees are wonderful—from swinging in them to just looking at them. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Our Tree Named Steve – Written by Alan Zweibel, illustrated by David Catrow: A touching story told as a letter, recounting the memories a family shared with the tree in their yard. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
The Busy Tree – Written by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern: This rhyming story introduces the many creatures that live in and around a tree. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 17:
🚲 National Bike to School Day (Variable May Date)
About: Bike to School Day promotes healthy habits, environmental awareness, and community spirit by encouraging kids to pedal their way to school. It’s also a great theme for building vocabulary and sequencing skills through real-life routines and imaginative bike adventures.
Fun Facts:
The first official Bike to School Day was held in the U.S. in 2012.
Biking helps improve coordination, balance, and cardiovascular health.
There are over one billion bicycles in the world—more than twice as many as cars.
Some students bike to school in all kinds of weather, even snow!
Bike Safety Sequencing: Discuss and sequence steps for getting ready to ride safely—helmet, shoes, backpack, etc.
Describe Your Dream Bike: Students describe the colors, features, and accessories of an imaginary bike using descriptive language.
Bike Craft: Grab Dwayne Kohn's Bike Craft with Moving Wheels on TpT and use as a reinforcement activity.
Bike Route Prepositions: Use a simple map or drawing to practice prepositions (e.g., around the corner, past the mailbox, through the gate).
Articulation Bike Path Game: Use Katrina Bevan's free Articulation Roads Interactive Speech Game (TpT) to build a bike route while practicing target words. This free sample targets /p/.
Popular Children's Books:
Duck on a Bike – Written and illustrated by David Shannon: Duck decides to ride a bike around the farm, amusing all the other animals—until they give it a try too! 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Off We Go! – Written by Will Hillenbrand, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand: A group of animals ride bikes and scooters to school in a cheerful, repetitive story with a transportation theme. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
🍕 National Pizza Party Day (Third Friday in May)
About: National Pizza Party Day is a tasty excuse to bring together friends, families, and therapy groups over one of the most beloved foods around. From building pretend pizzas to describing toppings, it’s an ideal theme for language exploration, turn-taking, and play-based speech goals.
Fun Facts:
Pizza is believed to have originated in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century.
Americans eat approximately 3 billion pizzas per year.
The most popular pizza topping in the U.S. is pepperoni.
Pizza was delivered to space in 2001—courtesy of Pizza Hut!
Articulation: Grab Speecha Pizza, a free articulation game for /k/ created by SpeechTacular on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Roll and Practice: Peachie Speechie has made a Pizza Party Roll & Race worksheet that would work well for articulation practice.
Play Dough Pepperoni: Roll dice, Practice the same number of target words then squish red play dough balls into pepperonis and place on a drawn pizza shape.
WH Questions: Play this free WH-Questions Pizza Party Game created by Miss V's Speech World on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Pronoun Pizza: Teach Two Reach has made this Pronoun Pizza activity (TpT).
Following Directions: Use this Build A Pizza counting activity created by Chaney Homeschool (TpT) for following directions.
Free Mini Units on Teachers Pay Teachers:
Pizza Mini Unit (Made for Me Literacy)
Pizza Preschool Unit by Itty Bitty Speech (includes Boom Cards)
Free Boom Cards: Browse these free Pizza Themed Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
Secret Pizza Party – Written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri: Raccoon loves pizza but can’t seem to get any—so he plans a secret pizza party with hilarious results. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party – Written by Kimberly and James Dean, illustrated by James Dean: Pete wants to throw the perfect party, but his friends each bring unusual toppings. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Pete’s a Pizza – Written and Illustrated by William Steig: Pete is having a bad day, so his parents cheer him up by pretending to turn him into a pizza using silly ingredients and lots of imagination. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 18:
🍽️ National No Dirty Dishes Day (May 18)
About: National No Dirty Dishes Day invites everyone to skip the mess and enjoy a day free of washing up. Whether you use disposable dishes, have a picnic, or pretend to eat invisible meals, it’s a fun theme for play-based speech therapy that blends imagination, routines, and social language.
Fun Facts:
The average person spends over 200 hours a year washing dishes.
The dishwasher was invented in 1886 by Josephine Cochrane.
Some people celebrate this day by eating out or using paper plates all day long.
In many cultures, washing dishes is considered a shared responsibility that teaches life skills.
Wiping Down Dishes: Write target words on plastic spoons using a dry erase marker then place the spoons inside a cup. Students take turns drawing spoons, practicing the target word then wiping the word off the spoon with a washcloth, tissue or sponge.
Sequencing: Sequence the steps for washing dishes using transition words such as first, next, before, after, finally. Use Sped Sidekick's Washing Dishes Task Analysis freebie on TpT.
WH Question Cup Stack: Stack plastic cups in pyramid formation while answering WH questions—answer one question before adding another cup to the growing tower. Questions could include:
Who washes the dishes in your house?
What do you use to clean a dirty plate?
Where do the dishes go after they are clean?
When do people usually do the dishes?
Why do we need to clean our dishes?
What happens if you leave dirty dishes in the sink?
Who might work in a restaurant kitchen washing dishes?
Where can you eat without having to do dishes?
What do you do if you drop a dish and it breaks?
Why is it important to rinse your plate after eating?
Sound Search in the Suds: Hide mini articulation items in cotton ball “suds” and let students find and name their targets.
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]
Just a Mess – Written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer: Little Critter can’t find anything in his room until he decides to clean up. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Mom Left Dirty Dishes in the Sink – Written by Holly Carrington and illustrated by Beth Snider: When Mom leaves a messy sink behind, her child is sure something must be terribly wrong. As the story unfolds, the child’s imagination runs wild—until they learn that sometimes, even moms need a break.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 19:
🌱 National Plant Something Day (May 19)
About: Plant Something Day encourages everyone to get their hands in the dirt and grow something—whether it’s a flower, a veggie, or a little sprout in a cup. It’s a natural fit for speech therapy themes like sequencing, describing, following directions, and using garden-related vocabulary.
Fun Facts:
Studies show that gardening can reduce stress and improve focus.
Some plants, like sunflowers, turn to follow the sun throughout the day.
Plants need sunlight, soil, air, and water to grow—students can explore each of these through hands-on learning.
You can regrow certain vegetables like green onions and lettuce from kitchen scraps.
Lifecycle of a Plant: Browse these free plant life cycle resources on TpT.
Plant Something!: Here's a cute little Greenhouse Template for Ziplock Germination created by Ms. Seline's Classroom on TpT. Use this freebie for your students to grow sunflower seeds, alfalfa seeds or broad bean seeds (not included). They will be able to witness sprouting within a week!
Planting Sequence Cards: Grab one of these free Planting Sequencing activities on TpT.
100 Trials Card Game: Download this free 100 Trials Garden theme open ended card game to get high repetition of practice in a playful way!
WH Question Flower Pot: Use a paper pot to hold question prompts students draw and answer such as:
Who helps plants grow in a garden?
What do plants need to grow?
Where can you plant flowers or vegetables?
When is a good time to water plants?
Why do people plant gardens?
What tools do you use to plant something?
Who might sell seeds or plants?
Where do roots grow—in the ground or in the air?
Free Boom Cards: Browse these free gardening themed Boom Cards activities on Boom Learning.
Grow a sound flower garden—cut out paper flowers to glue onto stems. Each flower has a word written on it to say 5 times OR use this popular Flower Building Stacking Toy ($); an all time favorite!
Following Directions: Follow 1- and 2-step directions to build a flower garden with visuals or objects/toy parts (see Flower Stacking toy link above).
Popular Children's Books:
Planting a Rainbow Written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert: A vibrant, simple book that teaches children about different flowers and colors as they grow a garden. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Tiny Seed –Written by Eric Carle: Follows the journey of a tiny seed as it travels, grows, and becomes a giant flower, teaching children about plant life cycles. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt – Written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal: This beautifully illustrated nonfiction story explores what happens above and below the ground throughout the gardening season—from planting to harvesting. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
May 20:
🐝 World Bee Day (May 20)
About: World Bee Day raises awareness about the essential role bees play in pollinating plants and sustaining ecosystems.
Fun Facts:
One bee colony can pollinate over 300 million flowers each day.
Bees communicate by dancing—specifically, a “waggle dance” to show direction and distance.
Honey never spoils; archaeologists have found pots of it in ancient tombs that are still edible.
Bees help grow about one-third of the food we eat, including apples, almonds, and berries.
All About Bees: Grab Rachel Green's free All About Bees Hexagon Shaped Mini Book (TpT) for students to review and summarize.
Honey Bee Tree: If you have this popular game, use the leaf sticks as target word tokens; students practice a target word for each leaf stick they put into the hive.
Cereal Snacks: Familiar with the honeycomb shaped cereal? Add those to Kinder Pal's free Spring Bee Themed Fine Motor Activity so students can collect them while practicing their target speech sounds. Afterward, they can enjoy the tasty treats!
Directed Drawing: Use Proud to Be Primary's free Bumble Bee Directed Drawing Lesson (TpT) for students to follow. There is a a four step or six step sequence for drawing a bee. Students can then describe each step they took to draw the bee.
Bee-Themed WH Questions: Write questions on the back of bee cards.
Who takes care of bees on a farm or in a garden?
What do bees make that people eat?
Where do bees live?
When do bees come out to collect pollen?
Why do bees fly from flower to flower?
What do bees collect from flowers?
Who might wear special gear when working with bees?
Where can you find a beehive?
What color are most bees?
Why are bees important for plants and food?
50 Fingerprint Bee Trials: Download this free 50 Bee Trials activity and color it in using thumb or finger prints. Students can use yellow paint or yellow ink on their thumb or finger to dab each bee while practicing target words.
Bee Themed Language Resource: Speechy Musings created a free Bee Themed Mini Language Unit that is worth checking out (TpT).
Popular Children's Books:
Give Bees a Chance – Written by Bethany Barton, illustrated by Bethany Barton: With humor and science facts, this book helps kids appreciate bees instead of fearing them. Perfect for learning about pollination, honey, and helpful bugs. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Honeybee – Written by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault: A beautifully illustrated, lyrical book that takes readers on a journey through a field buzzing with bees. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Bee & Me – Written and illustrated by Alison Jay: Told without words, this book shows a growing friendship between a child and a bee. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
💰 National Be a Millionaire Day (May 20)
About: National Be a Millionaire Day invites everyone to dream big and think about wealth—not just in dollars, but in ideas, goals, and imagination.
Fun Facts:
A millionaire is someone whose net worth (assets minus debts) equals one million dollars or more.
There are over 20 million millionaires worldwide, with the most living in the United States.
Many millionaires earn wealth by saving, investing, or starting businesses—not by spending.
The word "millionaire" was first used in the 1700s in France.
Millionaire Wishlist Activity: Students create a list of 3–5 things they would buy, they would change, and they would give to others if they had a million dollars.
Pros and Cons: List the pros and cons of being a millionaire.
Design a Dream House or Vacation: Have students draw and describe their millionaire dream home or dream vacation.
Vocabulary: List words that begin with the letters in M I L L I O N A I R E or see how many words students can create using the letters in the word.
WH Questions About Money: Ask questions like “What would you do with a million dollars?” “Who helps people save money?” or “Where do people store money safely?”
Compare Needs vs. Wants: Ask students to define "need" vs. "want". Create a chart that lists "needs" vs. "wants" for students to brainstorm.
Popular Children's Books:
Those Shoes – Written by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones: Jeremy wants the trendy shoes everyone else has, but his family can’t afford them. This touching story highlights needs vs. wants and kindness over material things. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock – Written by Sheila Bair, illustrated by Barry Gott: Twin brothers learn a lesson about saving and spending money in a fun, accessible story. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday – Written by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz: Alexander can’t hold onto his money, no matter how hard he tries. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
May 21:
🍽️ National Waitstaff Day (May 21)
About: National Waitstaff Day celebrates the hard-working servers who take our orders, carry our trays, and make meals more enjoyable. It’s a great opportunity in speech therapy to explore social routines, role-play restaurant interactions, and build vocabulary around food and service.
Fun Facts:
The term "waiter" has been in use since the 1500s, originally meaning “attendant.”
Waitstaff memorize menu items, manage multiple tables, and often walk over 4 miles during a shift.
In some countries, tipping isn’t customary—while in others, it’s expected and part of their wage.
Good waitstaff use strong communication skills to take orders, solve problems, and interact with guests.
Sequencing: Sequence the steps for setting the table using transition words such as first, next, before, after, finally.
Menu Sound Sort: Build a menu with food pictures or words that contain students’ speech sounds.
Waitstaff WH Questions: Ask questions like “Who brings your food at a restaurant?” “What do you order to drink?” or “Where do servers work?”
Order Up Auditory Memory: Take turns ordering 1-5 food related items. One person orders the food while the other person repeats back the order.
Roll and Serve Dice Game: Borrow a school lunch tray (or use a cookie sheet) for this dice rolling game. Roll dice, practice the same number of target words or complete a language task then load the same number of food or dish ware onto the serving tray items using plastic food, plates, cups, utensils, etc. Using only one hand to hold the tray, "delver" it across the room without spilling any food or dishes. Make it harder by using two dice and adding even more items to the tray!
Popular Children's Books:
Hi, Pizza Man! – Written by Virginia Walter and illustrated by Ponder Goembel: A fun read-aloud about a child imagining who might deliver her pizza—maybe a pizza dog or a pizza dinosaur! 📖 [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]
Tapping Into Fun as May Moves On
Whether you’re sorting silly hats on National Straw Hat Day (May 15), drawing stories on Drawing Day (May 16), biking through routines on Bike to School Day (May 17), or planting pretend veggies on Plant Something Day (May 19), these national days offer easy, engaging entry points for meaningful speech and language practice. There’s more to come—Week 4 wraps up the month with another round of creative, student-friendly themes.
See More National Day Themes for May:
May National Days Week 1 (May 1 - 7)
May National Days Week 2 (May 8 - 14)
May National Days Week 4+ (May 22 - 31)
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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