If you work with AAC users, early language learners, or preschool and elementary students with language delays, chances are you use the core word want all day long in speech therapy.
And honestly? Ice cream might be one of the BEST themes for teaching it.
Kids naturally want things during pretend play. They want sprinkles. They want chocolate. They want more. They want the pink scoop instead of the vanilla one. The motivation is already built in, which makes modeling and practicing the core word want feel natural instead of forced.
One of my favorite ways to target this word during summer speech therapy is with an ice cream shop setup using the Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Counter and my Ice Cream Core Word Unit.
Why Teach the Core Word “Want”?
The word want is such a functional and powerful core word because it helps students:
- Request preferred items
- Express opinions
- Participate in play
- Build longer phrases
- Initiate communication
- Practice early sentence structure
It also pairs easily with so many other core words and fringe vocabulary words.
Some simple combinations include:
- “Want ice cream”
- “I want chocolate”
- “Want more”
- “Want that”
- “You want sprinkles?”
- “Don’t want vanilla”
In my ice cream unit, I include tons of examples of these phrases along with WH questions and play ideas to help students use the word in meaningful contexts.
Set Up a Pretend Ice Cream Shop
You do not need anything fancy for this activity, but the Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Shop is SO fun for this theme. The scoops, toppings, and pretend play pieces naturally encourage requesting and commenting.
You can also use:
- Play food
- Laminated paper scoops
- Velcro activities
- Toy kitchen items
- Play dough ice cream
- AAC devices or communication boards
- Picture symbols
The goal is not perfection. The goal is communication.
How I Run This Activity in Speech Therapy
My sessions usually follow a predictable structure because repetition helps students learn language.
1. Introduce the Core Word
I start by introducing the word want.
I might say:
“Today we are talking about the word WANT. We use WANT to tell people what we would need”
Then I immediately start modeling it.
- “Want ice cream.”
- “I want chocolate.”
- “Want more?”
- “You want sprinkles?”
In my unit, there are visuals, communication boards, and phrase strips that support this modeling throughout the activity.
2. Read an Interactive Book
I love pairing core words with books because it gives students repeated exposure in context.
The interactive pieces in this unit let students build different ice cream combinations while practicing phrases like:
- “I want mint.”
- “I want sprinkles.”
- “I want three scoops.”
The repetitive sentence structure is perfect for AAC users and emerging communicators.
3. Move Into Play
This is where the magic happens.
I set up the pretend ice cream shop and let students take turns being:
- The customer
- The ice cream worker
- The cashier
- The scoop helper
During play, I model language constantly without expecting perfect imitation.
Instead of drilling, I focus on:
- Modeling
- Expanding utterances
- Creating communication opportunities
- Waiting expectantly
- Keeping play FUN
Some phrases I model:
- “I want vanilla.”
- “Want more.”
- “You want cherry?”
- “I want big sundae.”
- “Don’t want chocolate.”
The unit also includes WH question prompts like:
- “What do you want?”
- “Who wants sprinkles?”
- “Where do you want to eat?”
- “How many scoops do you want?”
Why Ice Cream Themes Work So Well for AAC
One thing I love about this theme is how naturally it supports communication across levels.
Some students may:
- Point
- Use sign language
- Use single icons on AAC
- Use 2-word phrases
- Build full sentences
Everyone can participate successfully.
The visuals and communication boards included in the unit make it easy to model language across different communication systems.
Easy Ways to Expand Language
Once students are consistently using want, you can easily expand into:
- Describing
- Colors
- Categories
- Quantity concepts
- Turn taking
- Social interaction
- WH questions
- Sentence expansion
Examples:
- “I want BIG ice cream.”
- “I want pink sprinkles.”
- “I want three scoops.”
- “He wants chocolate.”
- “You want more?”
This is one of my favorite things about core words. One small word can open the door to SO much language.
What’s Included in My Ice Cream Core Word Unit?
This resource includes:
- Interactive books
- Communication boards
- Pretend play activities
- Cut-and-paste activities
- Visual supports
- WH questions
- Phrase strips
- Parent carryover sheets
- Ice cream shop activities
- AAC-friendly supports
Everything is designed to make core word therapy engaging, hands-on, and easy to implement during summer speech therapy sessions.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for an engaging summer speech therapy activity, an ice cream theme is SUCH an easy win.
It’s playful.
It’s motivating.
It naturally encourages requesting.
And it gives students repeated opportunities to hear and use the core word want in meaningful ways.
Whether you use a full AAC system, signs, verbal language, or simple picture supports, this theme works beautifully for mixed groups and a wide range of communication levels.
And honestly… anything involving pretend sprinkles is usually a hit in my speech room.