7 Fun Fine Motor and Gross Motor Activities for Speech Therapy (That Keep Kids Moving AND Learning!)

If you’ve ever had a student wiggle their way through an entire session, you know that sitting still isn’t always the best way to make progress. Sometimes, the most meaningful speech and language gains happen when little bodies are moving and hands are busy. That’s why I love blending fine motor and gross motor activities into speech therapy—it’s fun, functional, and keeps everyone engaged!

Here are seven of my favorite ways to get your students moving and talking, whether you’re in the classroom, therapy room, or working on home carryover.

1. Yoga Word Poses
Have your students pick a card with a target word, say it, and then hold a yoga pose while repeating it five times.

SLP Tip: Try pairing each sound with a themed pose—“snake for /s/,” “lion for /l/,” “tiger for /t/.” Add silly sound effects for bonus giggles (and extra repetitions).

2. Roll & Dot Game
Pair articulation or language targets with a simple roll-and-dot page. Students roll the dice, find their number, and dot the matching word.

3. Cut, Paste, and Play Crafts
Quick crafts like cutting out pictures or gluing together themed scenes sneak in a ton of fine motor practice.

4. Gross Motor Action Cards
Turn your therapy space into an obstacle course! Each action card includes a movement (jump, spin, crawl) plus a target word or phrase.

Turn your room into a mini obstacle course! Each card includes a movement (jump, crawl, spin) paired with a target word or phrase.

You can:

• Hide cards around the room for a scavenger-hunt feel

• Have kids perform the action while saying their sound

• Add turn-taking for social language goals

Why it works: Movement increases engagement, focus, and memory—especially for sensory seekers or kids working on apraxia.

 
5. Swat the Word

The easiest (and most hilarious) speech game ever! Write target words on sticky notes, place them around the room, and hand out fly swatters.

Call out a word—first to “swat” it gets a point and says it aloud.

You can adapt this for almost any goal area: articulation, WH-questions, categories, or describing.

💡 Group Tip: Give each student a different target list so they can play together without overlapping goals.

6. Spin & Say
Attach goal pictures to a spinner (or a pencil and paperclip). Wherever it lands, that’s the word to say!

7. Table-Top Sports

Bring out the mini basketballs, paper soccer, or ping-pong balls for tabletop sports. Each “turn” equals a repetition opportunity—say your target five times, take a shot, celebrate!

For language goals, describe what happened (“I scored!”), answer WH-questions, or predict outcomes (“I think I’ll miss this time!”).

Wait… This Sounds Great, But Who Has Time to Prep All That?

Right?! As much as we love being creative, most of us don’t have hours to prep, laminate, or reinvent every activity. That’s exactly why I created the Speech and Language Therapy Fine Motor & Gross Motor Activity Worksheets — a no-prep, print-and-go resource that makes all of this easy.

It’s like having a full year of movement-based therapy ideas organized in one binder.

These black-and-white worksheets include:

• Fine motor favorites like tracing, cutting, dabbing, and coloring

• Gross motor games like yoga, sports, and movement cards

• Classic activities like roll-and-dot, tic-tac-toe, and board games

• Goal strips for articulation, phonology, apraxia, and language

• Mix-and-match flexibility: pair any goal strip with any activity

✨ Why SLPs love it: You can grab this binder, walk into any session, and instantly have an activity ready for every student. No cutting, laminating, or sorting—just print and go.

👉 Grab the Speech and Language Therapy Fine Motor & Gross Motor Activity Worksheets on TPT

☕ FAQ: Fine Motor and Gross Motor Fun in Speech Therapy

Q: What’s the difference between fine motor and gross motor activities?
Fine motor activities use the small muscles in the hands and fingers—think cutting, coloring, or gluing. Gross motor activities get the big muscles moving—jumping, crawling, or balancing. Both can boost engagement and support speech and language learning.

Q: Can I use these ideas with preschool or kindergarten students?
Absolutely! These activities are perfect for young learners who need movement to stay focused. Just adjust the challenge level and language targets for your group.

Q: How do motor activities help with speech and language goals?
Movement increases attention and body awareness, which can help students process and retain new language skills. Plus, pairing movement with speech gives kids a multisensory experience—they’re learning through play!

Q: Do I need special equipment?
Not at all! You can use everyday items like dice, paper, markers, or sticky notes. The goal is to make learning active, not complicated.

Q: What if I have students working on different goals?
These activities are easy to adapt! Choose a shared game (like “Spin & Say”) and give each student their own target words or sounds. Everyone plays together, but each practices what they need.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Here’s the truth: movement isn’t just an “extra” in speech therapy — it’s often the missing piece that keeps students motivated, focused, and connected.

When you weave fine motor and gross motor play into your sessions, you’re not just targeting speech sounds… you’re helping kids feel their success.

Whether you create your own activities or grab a ready-to-go resource like my Speech and Language Therapy Fine Motor & Gross Motor Activity Worksheets, you’ll never run out of ways to get kids moving and talking.

Because let’s be honest — the best sessions are the ones where everyone (including you!) is smiling, moving, and learning together.

👉 Grab the Speech and Language Therapy Fine Motor & Gross Motor Activity Worksheets on TPT