Sweet & Simple Bilingual Therapy Ideas for December (Perfect for National Cookie Day!)

We are sharing some bilingual therapy activities this December to celebrate cozy winter themes and National Cookie Day!

These activities are fairly open-ended and can be adapted to fit the ages, goals, and language needs of your speech therapy clients. Many of them pair with our free Gingerbread Cookies Activities download (Spanish + English).

Gingerbread Playdough

I love playdough so much—it’s engaging, calming, and works for almost any age. I make a big batch every month, and this month we’re doing gingerbread playdough! My speech team and I try to prep a couple of themed activities every few weeks to share with each other, and gingerbread has been a staple for the holidays.

With this playdough and recipe, you can work on:

• Sequencing: first/then/next/last in English and Spanish

• Following directions (e.g., “Roll the dough,” “Corta el muñeco de jengibre”)

• Describing actions (roll, cut, bake, decorate)

• Practice retelling how to make a gingerbread cookie

We’ve shared “recipe” cards in this free download—one set in Spanish and in English.

There are also blank gingerbread outlines you can use as playdough mats, for drawing/decorating, or for any extra language targets you want to build in.

Reading The Gingerbread Man

We build background knowledge with a story. We are reading El Hombrecito de Jengibre, and I love using a simple FREE Spanish version that works really well on a smartboard or iPad.

Because the text is straightforward, it’s easy to:

• Focus on labeling (characters, body parts, settings)

• Practice commenting (what students like, what surprised them)

• Work on basic sequencing of the story events

• Focus on vocabulary and complete sentences

• Practice past-tense

I typically level up or down depending on the needs of my students. For some groups, we might stick to simple labels and short phrases; for others, we might target more detailed retells or higher-level vocabulary.

To support this, we’re sharing a free download with comprehension questions for this story that you can use directly in your sessions or send home for extra practice.

Follow-Up Sessions With the Gingerbread Cookie Download

After we read the story, I rotate through a few different activities over the next several sessions, staying within the same gingerbread/cookie theme. This keeps things familiar while allowing us to target different goals.

Coloring by Function

One of the activities I love is a coloring-by-function page featuring gingerbread friends:

Students listen to or read clues to a partner and then they color the related object:

• “Sabe dulce y a menta / Tastes sweet and minty”

• “Se usa en la cabeza para no tener frío / You put on your head to keep warm”

• “Se usa para guardar las manos cuando hace frío / Keeps your hands warm”

You can use this for:

• Receptive vocabulary

• Functions of objects

• Attributes (warm, sweet, long, etc.)

• Sentence formulation

Both versions are included in the free download, so you can easily switch between Spanish, English, or use them side-by-side for your bilingual students.

Vocabulary Sorts, Retells, and Grammar

In subsequent sessions I cycle through different activities:

• Vocabulary Focus:
  We work on identifying, describing, and using specific words from the story. For this book, I like focusing on escaparse, saborear, orgulloso, and lejos.

• Story retell:
  We use the same gingerbread characters and visuals to retell the story and make sure to include all the story grammar elements. This is also a great way to challenge students in using their new vocabulary.

• Grammar in context:

  • We highlight gender/number agreement, verb tenses, articles using words directly from the book.

    • Regular verbs from the book include::

      • -AR: cocinar, gritar, acercar(se), escuchar, atreverse, alcanzar, saborear, parar, cantar, encontrar, escapar(se), galopar, llegar, ayudar, saltar, atrapar

      • -ER: correr, comer, ver

      • -IR: decidir, abrir, salir, sonreír

    • Or if you want to do irregular verbs:

    • oír, hacer, poner, ser, sentir, decir, sugerir, estar

All of these can be connected back to the gingerbread visuals from the activity pack so students get lots of repeated, meaningful practice within a familiar theme.

LEGO Gingerbread Set: Describing, Directions, and Articulation

I also have a cute LEGO gingerbread set that I plan on using with my groups.

This one is new but I have a couple of small LEGO bags (like the ones you find at Target) and this is how I use them:

1. Give the LEGO instructions to one student.

2. Hold all the pieces in a bag.

3. The student with the instructions has to use clear, descriptive language to help me (or the group) find the right piece:

   • Size, shape, color, and any special features

   • Prepositions and location words

4. After we find the correct piece, that student adds it and then passes the instructions to the next student.

For articulation students, I layer in speech practice:

• Each student completes 10 repetitions of their target before earning a new LEGO piece.

• While one student is practicing, the next student can look at the directions and plan how they’ll describe the next piece.

This keeps everyone engaged, gives plenty of language practice, and still feels very play-based and fun.

Cozy, Cookie-Themed Bilingual Fun

If you’d like to use these in your sessions, be sure to grab our free Gingerbread Cookies Activities download on our shop page, which includes:

• Spanish & English coloring-by-function pages

• Bilingual “recipe” sequencing cards

• Blank gingerbread outlines for decorating, drawing, or playdough

Happy cookie (and language) season!