Free Early Language Activity Plans – Early Intervention Speech Therapy

Looking for free early language activity plans to use with toddlers and preschoolers during speech therapy?

This FREE Early Intervention Speech Therapy Resource includes six practical activity plans taken from The SLT Scrapbook’s Early Language Units, designed to help Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) support early vocabulary development through play and everyday routines.

Each activity plan includes suggested target words, guidance for implementing the activity and early language strategies to use during interactions with young children.

These activities are particularly suitable for children at the single-word stage of language development, including late-talking toddlers and preschoolers who need support developing their vocabulary and early communication skills.

What’s Included in This Free Download?

You’ll receive six early language activity plans, with one activity taken from each of our six themed Early Language Units.

1. Farm – Songs and Rhymes

A farm-themed songs and rhymes list, complete with visuals, taken from the Farm Early Language Unit.

Use familiar songs and rhymes to introduce farm vocabulary and create opportunities for repetition, imitation and interaction.

2. Transport – Vehicle Racing

A vehicle racing activity plan from the Transport Early Language Unit.

Use play with vehicles to provide opportunities for modelling early vocabulary and encouraging communication during an engaging activity.

3. Verbs – Daily Routines

Practical ideas for supporting verb development through everyday routines, taken from the Verb Early Language Unit.

Help caregivers recognise opportunities to model action words during familiar activities at home.

4. Clothing – Dress a Doll

A doll-dressing activity plan from the Clothing Early Language Unit.

Use familiar clothing items and pretend play to introduce and reinforce early vocabulary.

5. Body Parts – Books

A book-based activity plan from the Body Parts Early Language Unit.

Discover ways to use shared reading to model vocabulary and encourage participation.

6. Food and Drink – Feed a Doll or Puppet

A pretend-play activity plan from the Food and Drink Early Language Unit.

Use feeding activities with a doll or puppet to create opportunities for modelling food vocabulary, action words and early communication.

What Does Each Activity Plan Include?

Each plan provides:

• Suggested target words to focus on during the activity
• Activity guidance explaining how to implement the activity
• Early language strategies to incorporate during play or interaction

These plans are designed to help therapists provide repeated, meaningful opportunities for children to hear and experience target vocabulary.

How Can You Use These Free Early Language Activities?

Early Intervention Speech Therapy Sessions

Use the plans to structure engaging vocabulary-focused activities for toddlers and preschoolers.

Play-Based Language Intervention

Incorporate target words into familiar play activities while following the child’s interests and communication abilities.

Caregiver Coaching

Demonstrate activities to parents and caregivers, explaining how they can use language facilitation strategies during everyday interactions.

Home Visits

Use common toys, books and household routines to support communication development within the child’s natural environment.

Speech Therapy Planning

Keep the plans as a practical source of ideas when preparing early language sessions.

The Approach Behind the Early Language Units

The complete Early Language Units are informed by Focused Stimulation, an evidence-based language intervention approach that provides children with repeated, meaningful models of selected target words.

The units combine adult-directed and child-led activities to create opportunities for children to hear vocabulary in different contexts.

They were developed with reference to research on early vocabulary development, including developmental language norms and principles for selecting target words.

The activities are designed primarily for children at the single-word stage of language development and can be adapted to individual communication needs.

Want More Early Language Activities?

Explore the complete Early Language Activities Bundle.

This free sample includes just six activity plans from the full collection.

The complete bundle brings together six themed Early Language Units:

• Farm Early Language Unit – Farm animal vocabulary, verbs and social words
• Transport Early Language Unit – Vehicle vocabulary, verbs and early concepts
• Verb Early Language Unit – Activities targeting 12 early verbs
• Body Parts Early Language Unit – Activities targeting 12 body parts and two verbs
• Clothing Early Language Unit – Clothing vocabulary, the concepts on and off, and want
• Food and Drink Early Language Unit – Food and drink vocabulary, eat, drink, more, yes and no

The full units provide a much wider range of materials, including therapist activity plans, caregiver handouts, printable activities, interactive books and digital PowerPoint activities.

They also include information about the research and rationale behind the activities and vocabulary targets.

View the Early Language Activities Bundle

Important Information About the Complete Bundle

The full Early Language Units include interactive digital activities in PowerPoint Show format.

These activities require Microsoft PowerPoint and are not compatible with Google Slides or Keynote.

The six-plan free sample described on this page does not include the complete units or their interactive PowerPoint activities.

Who Is This Free Resource For?

These activity plans are suitable for:

• Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Therapists supporting late-talking toddlers
• Preschool speech therapy professionals
• Professionals delivering caregiver coaching
• Therapists looking for play-based vocabulary intervention ideas

Download Your Free Early Language Activity Plans

Try six practical activities from our themed Early Language Units and discover ways to support early vocabulary development through familiar play, songs, books and daily routines.

With suggested target words, implementation guidance and language facilitation strategies, these free plans offer a useful starting point for early intervention sessions.

Download your free activity plans and explore the complete Early Language Activities Bundle for even more ideas!

Important Information

This is a free digital download. No physical product will be shipped.

This resource includes six sample activity plans from the full Early Language Units. It does not include the complete themed units.

The activities are intended for use alongside professional judgement and individualised assessment and intervention. They are not a substitute for a comprehensive speech and language assessment or an individualised therapy programme.

Copyright © The SLT Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

This resource is for use in accordance with the included Terms of Use. Redistribution, resale or public sharing of the original downloadable files is not permitted.