Speech is All Around Us: R Adventures at the Neighborhood Park

Everyday Speech Practice with Kids in Nature

Finally! It's Springtime in Michigan and the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the fresh air is calling. It's the perfect time to take your child to the neighborhood park — and even better, to turn your trip into a fun and natural R sound practice adventure!

(You’re going to the park anyway, right? Why not make it an R Adventure?)

As a speech-language pathologist who specializes in helping kids, teens, and adults master the tricky R sound, one of the most common questions I hear from parents is: "How can we practice the good R sounds our child has been learning with you at home?"

One of my favorite answers: Go outside to your neighborhood park! Today, let's explore all of the speech and language opportunities hiding in plain sight—right by the swings, the slides, and even beside the beautiful Looking Glass River.

R Sound Words at the Park

When you head to the park, you’re surrounded by natural R words that offer the perfect chance for casual, playful speech practice. Here are some target words you can model and encourage your child to say clearly:

• Park

• Playground area

• Dirt

• Grass

• Wildflowers

• River

• Ladder

• Trees

• Birds

• Water

• Fresh air

Take time to talk about what you see! For example: "Look at the river flowing beside the park! Let's walk closer."

Encouraging natural conversation helps your child hear and say the R sound without feeling like they're doing "speech homework."

R Sound Action Words

At the park, movement is everywhere! Get your child physically involved and pair it with R sound practice by emphasizing action words:

• Swinging on the swings

• Hopping across the grass

• Running toward the river

• Jumping off a platform

• Walking on a trail

• Sliding down the slide

• Listening for the birds chirping and singing

You can say things like: "Let's go running toward the ladder!" or "Did you hear the birds singing by the river?"

When children connect movement and language, learning sticks better—and it's a lot more fun!

Using Basic Concepts and Directions with R Sounds

Basic Concepts (like location and size words) are important for both language development and understanding the world around us. The park is the perfect place to model and reinforce these concepts — while also targeting R practice.

Here are some examples you can model naturally:

• "Go under the ladder and then slide down."

• "Walk over the bridge by the river."

• "Stand beside the tree."

• "Run between the swings."

• "Jump above the dirt patch!"

• "Hide below the slide."

• "Line up in front of the playground area."

• "Look behind the wildflowers."

  
  

And don't forget comparisons:

• "Find the largest tree by the river."

• "Pick the littlest wildflower you can see."

• "Show me a medium-sized rock."

• "Are there many or just a few birds today?"

• "Is the river close or far from the playground?"

These words not only boost your child's understanding of everyday language but also sneak in lots of chances to practice clear R sounds!

Tips for Making R Sound Practice Fun at the Park

1. Keep it Playful Speech practice shouldn't feel like a chore. Make a game out of finding R words or seeing who can spot the most R things!

2. Repeat Naturally When your child says an R word, praise them! If you need to correct them, do it naturally: "You almost got it! Try saying river again with your tongue sides up."

3. Model, Model, Model Even if your child isn’t ready to say the R sound perfectly yet, hearing you model it clearly is powerful. Keep using good R sounds yourself.

4. Use Visuals Point to objects as you name them. This helps kids make connections between what they see and what they say.

5. Slow it Down When introducing new words or giving directions, speak just a little slower to give your child’s brain time to process.

Bonus Activity: R Sound Scavenger Hunt!

Make a quick scavenger hunt list before you leave for the park:

• Find a bird

• Find a tree

• Find dirt

• Find water

• Find grass

• Find wildflowers

• Find a ladder

Every time your child finds an item, they can say the word 2-3 times. Celebrate each "treasure" they find!

Download the Worksheet here!

R adventure Park Worksheet for download print.pdf

Download PDF • 341KB

Why Outdoor R Sound Practice Works

Nature engages all the senses. Kids are moving, touching, seeing, and hearing—which makes speech practice more memorable.

When you incorporate R practice at the park, you're helping your child:

• Generalize their new R sound to real-life settings

• Feel confident using R words naturally

• Build a stronger, more flexible language system

Plus, you're building sweet family memories that go way beyond speech therapy.

Wrapping Up Your R Adventure

Next time you head to the neighborhood park—especially one near the gorgeous Looking Glass River—know that you’re doing something wonderful for your child’s speech development.

With just a little intention and a lot of play, you can transform a simple spring outing into an opportunity for growth, confidence, and connection.

Enjoy the fresh air, the swinging, the hopping, the running—and most of all, the sounds of success!

Keep watching this space for more fun ideas on how to bring speech practice into your everyday adventures!

Have you tried R practice at your local park? Share your favorite R word discoveries in the comments below! 🌳🐦🚶‍♂️

Contact Peggy for Online Speech Teletherapy today!

Peggy is available in multiple states to help your child with speech therapy.

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