Language Based Activities for Valentine's Day

Love is in the Air

Valentine's Day is approaching and love is in the air! Sweeten your speech therapy session by incorporating any or all of these heart related activities.

Have your patients explain these heartfelt expressions. They are a great way to get people talking and can be a nice compliment to your normal therapy activities. 

Write the sayings on construction paper hearts and glue them together to make a wreath (your occupational therapy friends may like this idea, too). Encourage family, friends and caregivers to use the wreath to elicit conversation...it makes a wonderful carryover activity. 

• have a big heart
• eat your heart out
• have your heart set on it
• a heart of gold
• cold-hearted
• pour out your heart
• wear your heart on your sleeve
• cross your heart
• with all your heart
• from the bottom of your heart
• heart and soul
• heart skipped a beat
• change of heart
• heavy heart
• whole-hearted
• half-hearted
• in my heart of hearts

Another way to stimulate speech is with thought provoking questions.  

• What would be a great gift to give a woman/ man on Valentine's Day?
• What is the best/ worst Valentine's Day gift you ever received?
• What happens to people when they fall in love?
• What are some Valentine's Day traditions you enjoy?
• How have dating traditions changed over the years?
• What's your opinion about on line dating?
• What's your idea of a perfect date?

Print copies of this heart shaped word search to address scanning, reading, attention and/or concentration. For extra fun, use a pink highlighter to complete the task.

For patients that need to improve oral motor strength or range of motion, assign homework: ask that they give or blow 10 kisses before your next session. No one has ever refused this assignment! 

Have a conversation using conversation hearts.  Take turns reading  and discussing the sayings printed on the tiny candies.  Feel free to eat as you go! Brainstorm your own list of two or three word expressions that would be appropriate for printing on a heart. To target writing, cut out construction paper hearts and have your patient write a few of these new sayings on the heart shaped candy. Use them for door or window decorations when you're through.

Finally, share these fascinating facts about the heart, providing education and discussing the importance of making heart health decisions now.  To address memory, challenge your patient to recall a few of the facts or recommendations provided in this infographic.

In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.

Swami Vivekananda