--- title: Making Speech Therapy Fun with Barrier Games description: Make speech therapy fun with barrier games! Boost listening, language, and social skills in-person or online with these creative ideas. image: https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-11-11%20121406.jpg --- [![SSG Group Brand](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/TheSteppingStonesGroup_February2021/images/SSG_logo.png?width=1640&height=421&name=SSG_logo.png "SSG Group Brand")](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/) - [Home](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/) - [Careers](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/careers/) - [Search Open Jobs](https://jobs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/) - [Quick Apply](https://steppingstones.careercenter.smartsearch.plus/registration/) - [Transforming Support](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/professional-development/) - [Travel & Transform](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/travel/) - [Refer a friend](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/careers/referral-program/) - [Parents](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/parents/) - [Schools](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/schools/) - [Telepractice](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/telepractice/) - [Referrers](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/referrers/) - [About SSG](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/about/) - [Our Services](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/services/) - [Our Story](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/our-story/) - [Meet Our Team](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/our-story/#leadership_team) - [Contact](https://thesteppingstonesgroup.com/contact/) ![](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-11-11%20121406.jpg) # Making Speech Therapy Fun with Barrier Games Tue, Aug 25, 2026 [![Share on facebook](https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hub/7528304/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_hubspot/img/facebook-color.png?width=24&name=facebook-color.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook) [![Share on linkedin](https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hub/7528304/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_hubspot/img/linkedin-color.png?width=24&name=linkedin-color.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) [![Share on twitter](https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hub/7528302/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_hubspot/img/twitter-color.png?width=24&name=twitter-color.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&url=https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) [![Share on pinterest](https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hub/7528304/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_hubspot/img/pinterest-color.png?width=24&name=pinterest-color.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&media=) [![Share on email](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_hubspot/img/email-color.png?width=24&name=email-color.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/making-speech-therapy-fun-with-barrier-games&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) If you’re looking for new ways to make your speech therapy sessions more interactive and fun, barrier games might be the perfect solution. While they can seem tricky to adapt for teletherapy, with a few creative tweaks, these games can work beautifully in both in-person and virtual sessions.   What Are Barrier Games? Barrier games are activities that two players engage in with a barrier between them, preventing them from seeing what the other is doing. The objective is for the players to have matching results. The genius of barrier games lies in its set up. Players are prevented from seeing what the other person is doing, and this simple detail creates the perfect situation to target many speech and language skills. Players must use their language and listening skills to successfully follow and give instructions to win the game. This game format makes learning engaging and motivating for children. Barrier games are adaptable and flexible too for different age groups and skill levels. Skills You Can Target with Barrier Games Barrier games are incredibly versatile and can be used to support a wide range of speech and language goals, including: - Following Directions: Students can follow multi-step or spatial directions (e.g., “Put the red block next to the blue one”). - Understanding Concepts: Practice positional, qualitative, and descriptive concepts like under, beside, big, small, round, and green. - Expressive Language & Articulation: Students can practice giving detailed, clear directions while incorporating target vocabulary or articulation words. - Social-Pragmatic Skills: These games are great for practicing turn-taking, clarification requests, and communication repair in natural contexts. Examples of Barrier Games to Try Here are some creative ways to incorporate barrier games into your sessions—whether in-person or online: Drawing and Coloring: Have students describe their drawings so their partner can copy them. Use identical coloring pages or drawing prompts. Teletherapy tip: Use Google Slides or Zoom’s whiteboard feature and compare results at the end! Building with Blocks or Legos: Each person uses an identical set of blocks or Legos. One builds a structure while describing it; the other follows the directions to match it. You can also use small toys (like animals or furniture) to create matching scenes. Guess Who: Screen-share an image of the game board and take turns asking yes/no questions to identify the chosen character. Example: “Does your person have glasses?” or “Is your person wearing a hat?” Battleship: Players take turns guessing where the other person’s ships are on a grid (e.g., “B2,” “F5”). Teletherapy tip: Create a grid in Google Slides and place image copies of ships for easy play. Taboo: Use free online versions of Taboo cards. Players describe the target word without using the “taboo” words. To play virtually, stop screen sharing or use a physical barrier so each player can’t see the other’s card.   *Author: Christmas Pammit, SLP* Tags: [fun language therapy ideas](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/fun-language-therapy-ideas), [barrier games for speech therapy](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/barrier-games-for-speech-therapy), [teletherapy barrier games](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/teletherapy-barrier-games), [speech therapy activities](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/speech-therapy-activities), [SLP teletherapy games](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/slp-teletherapy-games), [speech and language goals](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/speech-and-language-goals), [expressive and receptive language activities](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/expressive-and-receptive-language-activities), [pragmatic language skills games](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/tag/pragmatic-language-skills-games) [Back to Blog](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com) Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. The content is based on the author's personal experiences, research, and opinions. It is always recommended to consult with a qualified professional or expert before making any decisions or taking action based on the information provided in this blog. ## Related Articles ##### [Using Figjam to Make Teletherapy Easier](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/using-figjam-in-therapy) If you’re anything like me, organizing teletherapy resources was one of my first big hurdles. At... [Read More](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/using-figjam-in-therapy) ##### [Best Resources to Help You Be Successful](https://blogs.thesteppingstonesgroup.com/best-resources-to-help-you-be-successful) What does it mean to be successful? While it is a rather arbitrary term, it is one that many of us... 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