OK, so for all of you out there who are thinking to yourselves…”this looks an awful lot like that game I used to play in college, except we weren’t filling the cups with target articulation words…” YOU WOULD BE RIGHT. The inspiration for this activity did, in fact, come from my undergrad college days, but I can assure you that it’s a killer activity for your artic clients to get their repetitions for lots of great sound practice.
The game is easy. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- big plastic cups (red or blue, although the red ones were just a bit…too…college party for me)
- a pingpong ball (or a giant pom pom; basically just something that can be thrown, but isn’t heavy enough to knock the cups over)
- target words/syllables/etc. to place inside each cup
Set your cups up in whatever configuration you’d like (you can mix it up each time so the game stays interesting and challenging for your kiddo). I chose to do a classic beer artic-pong pyramid configuration. Then, stick a target word (or two or three) in the bottom of each cup. I made a few cups “special” by putting M&Ms in them too, so he would get a fun little surprise once in a while.
Have your kiddo throw the pingpong ball from behind a set line, and have him/her say whatever word(s) are in the cup that the ball lands in! The game will get harder as more and more cups are taken away. SO, your client will love being challenged and you’ll love all the practice they’re getting in!
That’s the whole shabang!
Hanna B. SLP 
I just had to giggle at the game idea. However, I can imagine using it. One of our supervisors is totally against using games in therapy. She says “Speech is a motor movement and must be practiced intensely and repetitively – no games!” …I disagree and would willingly use your idea in therapy 🙂
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No games? How do you survive? My sessions were 50 straight minutes of iPad, basketball, boardgames, soccer-bowling combo, and articpong and I was getting TONS of repetitions and productions! Bless your heart that you can get through your sessions with kids using no games. I’m impressed! Just think though…soon you’ll be your own supervisor and you’ll play games with kids all day long 🙂
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