What Is This ‘Bird Craftivity’?

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A bird craftivity for speech therapy is a spring craft activity where students build a paper bird while targeting multiple language goals. This adapted version includes low-tech AAC communication boards, step-by-step books at two levels, sequencing cards, a compare/contrast, Venn diagram, and a writing prompt, making it accessible across a wide range of student ability levels.

Students fold and glue together a paper bird using a body, wing, beak, tail, and eye, all cut from colored paper. What makes this more than a standard craft is that every single step has a speech and language goal built into it. The packet comes with adapted visuals and communication supports, so it works for students from early language learners who rely on AAC all the way to students who are ready to write a full short story.

Why Craft-Based Activities Work in Speech Therapy

It’s worth taking a moment to talk about why this approach is so effective. Research on arts-integrated instruction consistently finds that hands-on projects increase student engagement and provide more natural opportunities for functional language use compared to decontextualized practice tasks (Ruppert, 2006). When students are doing something with their hands, they are highly motivated to communicate.. whether that’s requesting a piece, commenting on what they made, or describing each step.

Craft-based sessions also give you built-in context for every language target. Following directions means something when there’s a real product at the end. Sequencing has purpose because the order actually matters to the outcome. And for students who use AAC, the requesting opportunities woven throughout the craft are genuinely communicative, not just drilled practice.

That’s a big deal when you’re trying to make every minute of session time count across a mixed caseload.

How to Prep This Spring Speech Therapy Craft in less 10 Minutes

Prep is genuinely quick for this one. Here’s the full rundown:

Print the stencil page on cardstock, or print the ready-to-cut pages directly on colored paper (the packet prints enough parts for up to 10 birds)
Pre-cut the parts ahead of time for students who need that support
Print the communication boards, sequencing cards, and any worksheets you plan to use
Set out glue sticks and you’re ready to go

One tip that makes a big difference: print the bird parts on at least two or three different colors of paper. When students can choose the color of each piece, you get so much more requesting and decision-making language built naturally into the activity, without any extra planning on your end.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What grades is this bird craftivity for speech therapy best suited for?
A: It works well for students in preschool through about 6th grade. The two levels of step-by-step books and multiple versions of each worksheet make it easy to adjust for different ability levels, even within the same group session.

Q: Do I need any special materials for this spring craft?
A: No special materials needed. Just colored paper or cardstock, scissors, and glue sticks. Everything else comes from the printed packet, and the stencil pages do the heavy lifting for you.

Q: Can I use this bird craftivity with a mixed group?
A: Yes, and it actually works really well that way. Students who use AAC, early language learners, and more advanced students can all participate in the same session because there are enough built-in levels to support everyone without requiring separate activities.

Q: Is this craft part of a bigger resource?
A: Yes, it’s one of 12 themes inside the SLP Lesson Plans for Spring. Each theme includes its own crafts, activities, and book recommendations, so you have a full semester of spring-themed sessions ready to go.

Q: How long does this bird craftivity take to run in a session? A: Most sessions run about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the student and the goals you’re targeting. If you’re doing the full sequence from craft to sequencing cards to Venn diagram, you can easily stretch it across two sessions or use it as an anchor for a whole spring theme week.