I absolutely love the game Hedbanz, and it’s always a hit with my kiddos. If you are unfamiliar with the game, the guesser wears a headband on their head with a card on top. They quickly ask “yes” or “no” questions to figure out what is on their card before time runs out. Those rules alone make for a great game to have around in your speech therapy room!
I recently changed the rules up a little during one of my sessions. I took the articulation cards we were working on, shuffled them, and slid them one at a time into the headband. The other person/people (therapist, other children in your group) describes the picture to the child with the headband. So for “thirsty,” we said, “not hungry but ____.” It was great for opposites, vocabulary, and of course our sound because as soon as they guessed the word, they had to say it five times. The kids loved the variation and didn’t want to stop playing! Speech therapist win!
I also modified the rules another way for one of my kids who struggles with selective mutism. I wore the headband, and placed a card in the slot. I proceeded to ask her “yes” or “no” questions to figure out what was on the card. Once I found out what was on the card, I had her say the initial sound of the word so for “cake,” she had to say /k/. We have had so much success with this activity with this particular child!
How do you use Hedbanz in your speech therapy sessions? I’d love to get some fun, new ideas!
