On the Go Language Growth: Tips for Summer Travel with Kids

Written By: Abigail Raines, Speech-Language Pathologist, AAC Specialist

Summer is right around the corner, and many families are starting to make travel plans. Summer travel is a great opportunity to support your child’s language development in fun and natural ways! Whether you're heading out on a big trip or taking day trips around town, everyday moments can turn into meaningful communication opportunities. Below you will find some fun and helpful ways to support your child’s language during your summer travel plans.

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Use social stories to prepare for new experiences

If your child may feel unsure about changes (like flying, staying in a hotel, or visiting new places), consider creating a social story. A social story is a short, simple story designed to help children understand what to expect in a situation and how to respond.

Here are some tips for making a social story:

• Keep it short and simple

• Describe what will happen and how your child might feel

• Include expected behaviors (e.g., “I will sit in my seat on the airplane”)

• Add pictures of real places when possible

Read the social story with your child each day leading up to your trip to prepare your child for the new travel experiences.

Prepare for routine changes with a visual schedule

Travel often creates a change in your child’s routine. Changes in routines can be difficult for children, but visual schedules can help prepare them for these changes. A visual schedule is a tool that uses pictures to outline a sequence of events for a child’s daily events or for a specific activity. A visual schedule helps promote independence and helps reduce anxiety around schedule changes.

Here are some tips for making a visual schedule:

• Make a visual schedule for travel days (e.g., wake up → car ride → snack → hotel → swimming)

• Use pictures or drawings to show what will happen next

• Review the schedule together before and during the change in routine to help your child feel prepared

Involve your child while packing

Packing isn’t just a chore; it can be an opportunity to work on language skills!

Here are some fun ways to work on language skills while packing:

• Following directions: Give simple to multi-step directions (e.g., “Put your socks in the suitcase, then get your pajamas.”)

• Use descriptive words: Give directions that include adjectives (e.g., “Pack the blue shorts,” or“Find the striped shirt”)

• Linguistic Concepts: While packing, talk about categories (clothes, toiletries), quantity (2 shirts, 1 pair of shoes), and location (e.g., put the shirt in the suitcase, put your socks next to your shoes)

Packing is also a great time to create communication opportunities for your child. While packing, let your child make choices and encourage them to use language to choose what they want to pack (e.g., “I want the pink shirt.”).

Turn travel time into talk time

Travel days mean lots of downtime and time to fill with activities. Car rides, plane trips, and waiting times are the perfect opportunity to play language-building games!

Here are some easy language-focused games that can be played anywhere:

• I Spy: “I spy something green” (great for describing and vocabulary)

• Categories: “Name all the animals you can think of”

• Would You Rather: Encourage reasoning and expressive language

• Story Building: Take turns adding to a silly story

• Guessing Games: Think of an object and give clues about the object. Then have your child guess the object (e.g., “I’m thinking of an animal that has 4 legs and barks”)

Language learning doesn’t have to stop in the summer. By incorporating communication opportunities into travel activities, you can support your child’s language growth while having fun together.

Safe travels and happy talking!