CSS SUMMER NEWSLETTER
Content
- Camp PAL
- Summer Session Highlights
- Therapist Talk: Meet Kelly!
- Parent Tips & Tricks
- What’s New Around the Office
- Fun Corner
- Fall Sneak Peak
- Local Activities
Hello from Camp PAL!
Greetings, campers and families!!
Follow Us On Social Media!
Summer-Friendly Speech & OT Activities for Home
Scavenger Hunts for Language & Sensory Play
- Create themed hunts (e.g., “Things that are soft” or “Things that start with B”). Great for:
- Expanding vocabulary
- Following directions
- Descriptive language (“Find something green that smells good!”)
- Sensory exploration (touch, smell, movement)
Laundry Basket Games
- Pull or push a laundry basket full of stuffed animals across the floor for:
- Heavy work input (great for regulation)
- Gross motor coordination
- Opportunities to label and talk about each toy or item
Sidewalk Chalk Fun (Speech + OT Combo)
- Let your child draw shapes, letters, or hopscotch boards outside. Use chalk for:
- Fine motor skills (grip strength, precision)
- Letter formation (write sight words or speech targets)
- Speech practice (say a word every time you jump or trace a letter!)
Water Play with Purpose
- Use buckets, sponges, or squirt toys outside to:
- Strengthen hand muscles
- Introduce language concepts like “empty/full,” “squeeze/splash”
- Encourage turn-taking and requesting (“My turn!” “More water please!”)
Summer Snack Prep
- Making snacks together = a therapy goldmine. Try:
- Naming ingredients
- Describing textures and tastes
- Practicing sequencing (“First we wash, then we cut…”)
- Building independence and fine motor skills (peeling, pouring, cutting with supervision)
Resources
summer spotlight activity
I SPY
Looking for an easy, screen-free way to keep little minds and bodies active this summer? Try a class game of “I Spy,” but with a therapeutic twist. Whether you’re on a road trip, at the park, or just hanging out at home, this game is a fun way to build speech-language and occupational therapy skills without even realizing it!
Try:
- I spy something round, juicy and red.
- I spy something you wear on your feet at the beach.
- I spy something that starts with the /s/ sound.
What It Supports: S/L
- Vocabulary, sentence formation, articulation, question asking/answering, social interaction.
What It Supports: OT
- Visual scanning, attention, memory, and even fine motor coordination when using tactile or picture-based versions.
Encouragement
- Encourage your child to take turns being the “spy” to build confidence and expressive language skills!
Local activities
UCPAC offers an entertaining and diverse program of performing arts events each season. Our beautiful historic Main Stage theatre is the perfect setting for concerts, comedy shows, dance performances, plays, musicals, films, family-friendly children’s shows, and more. We also host more intimate events at our newly renovated 199-seat Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts. Purchase tickets online or by calling our Box Office at 732-499-8226.
PLEASE NOTE: UCPAC’s Box Office and website are the only authorized sellers of tickets to UCPAC-presented events. Tickets purchased elsewhere may be sold for over face value and/or not be legitimate.
New Jersey and the surrounding areas offer a wide range of fun inclusive activities for children and individuals with Autism, special needs, and different abilities. It’s not always easy to find places that are accommodating for everyone, especially when considering factors like noise and lighting. Many attractions welcome special needs visits, so be sure to ask. Here are some judgment free options to explore.
We’re proud to partner with TUT—an incredible organization making a real difference! Creative Speech Solutions is grateful to work alongside such a passionate and impactful team.
What Our Clients Say
Summit Office
Montclair Office