Activities for targeting prepositions in play-based therapy

Prepositions can be small words with a large impact on a child’s ability to understand directions, describe events, and participate in everyday routines. Words such as in, on, under, beside, behind, and between help children explain where objects are and how people or things relate to one another.

Play-based therapy gives children a meaningful reason to use these location words. A toy animal can hide under a bridge, a car can drive through a tunnel, and a character can sit beside a friend. Because the language is connected to an enjoyable action, children often stay engaged longer and communicate more spontaneously.

The most effective activities for targeting prepositions are flexible rather than scripted. The clinician can model a word, create opportunities for the child to respond, and adjust the level of support based on comprehension, expressive language, speech production, and play skills.

Why prepositions belong in play

Children typically learn spatial concepts through repeated experiences with real objects and people. A direction such as “Put the bear in the box” gives the child a chance to connect the word in with an observable action. Later, that understanding can support phrases such as “The bear is in the box” or “I put it under the chair.”

Play also makes it easier to contrast related concepts. A child may understand on when placing a block on a truck but confuse it with under when describing a toy’s location. Moving the same object between two positions helps create clear visual and physical differences.

During these routines, use short, consistent models. Pair the target word with gesture, eye gaze, and emphasis: “The puppy is under the table.” Then pause before repeating the phrase so the child has an opportunity to respond through speech, sign, a gesture, or a communication device.

Build simple scenes with familiar toys

A small play scene can become a rich setting for spatial language. Use a dollhouse, farm set, garage, pretend kitchen, or animal habitat. Begin with a few target concepts that fit naturally into the scene instead of introducing every preposition at once.

For example, a farm activity can include a cow in the barn, a pig beside the fence, a horse behind the tree, and a sheep near the gate. The clinician can give directions, ask location questions, and narrate the child’s actions. “Put the pig beside the fence.” “Where is the horse?” “The sheep is near the gate.”

Add playful errors to encourage attention and correction. Place the cow on top of the barn and say, “The cow is under the barn.” A child may laugh, point, or correct the statement. This technique creates a genuine communication purpose without turning the session into a drill.

Use the child’s interests to guide the scene. Construction vehicles, superheroes, dinosaurs, trains, and kitchen toys can all support location words. The same target can be practiced across several toys, which helps children generalize the concept beyond a single familiar object.

Turn movement into a language game

Gross-motor play provides strong sensory cues for prepositions. Create a simple obstacle course using cushions, a tunnel, a chair, and floor markers. Invite the child to crawl through the tunnel, stand behind the chair, jump over a pillow, or sit beside a cone.

Movement can target both receptive and expressive language. First, give a direction and observe whether the child completes it. Next, describe what happened: “You went through the tunnel.” For children working on expressive language, offer a sentence frame such as “I am ___ the box” or “The ball is ___ the chair.”

A treasure hunt adds motivation and repetition. Hide small toys in, under, behind, or next to familiar items. Provide clues using one or two spatial concepts, then ask the child to explain where the item was found. Visual supports with simple pictures can reduce memory demands while keeping the interaction playful.

Pretend play can extend the same movement concepts. A toy character might climb over a mountain, walk between two trees, or sleep inside a tent. Combining action words with prepositions creates more complete language and supports early sentence expansion.

Match the activity to the language goal

Different play routines place different demands on the child. A clinician may focus on following directions, identifying a location, answering where questions, producing a phrase, or using a preposition independently during spontaneous play.

Play routine	Useful prepositions	Primary language targets	Helpful support
Toy house or farm	in, on, under, behind	Following directions and labeling locations	Gestures and visual scene
Obstacle course	through, over, between, beside	Comprehension and action descriptions	Demonstration before the turn
Treasure hunt	inside, near, next to, under	Answering “Where?” questions	Picture clues and choices
Car or train play	on, off, into, out of	Sentence expansion and verbs	Sentence frames
Animal hiding game	behind, in front of, under	Spontaneous comments and contrasts	Recasts and playful errors

A child who is still developing comprehension may benefit from a choice of two locations: “Should the bear go in the box or on the box?” A child with stronger receptive skills may be ready for a less predictable direction involving two steps, such as “Put the blue car under the bridge and the red car beside the house.”

Keep the goal specific enough to measure while allowing the play to remain natural. A target might be producing in and on in two- to three-word phrases during a pretend kitchen routine, or following directions containing behind and between with decreasing visual support.

Use books, barriers, and pretend problems

Picture books with clear illustrations offer an easy transition from hands-on play to symbolic language. Pause to discuss where characters and objects are located. Instead of asking the same question on every page, vary the interaction: “Find the kitten under the bed.” “Tell me where the kite is.” “What is behind the boy?”

Barrier games encourage children to listen carefully and communicate precise information. Place matching objects on each side of a folder or upright book. One person arranges the objects while the other follows directions. The child might say, “Put the star above the house,” while the clinician models clarification when needed.

Pretend problems make prepositions functional. A doll cannot find her shoes because they are under the couch. A train cannot move because a block is in front of it. A dinosaur is stuck between two boxes. Invite the child to identify the problem and help solve it using location words.

Model expansions without requiring immediate imitation every time. If the child says “car there,” respond with “Yes, the car is behind the garage.” If the child says “under,” acknowledge the communication and add a phrase: “Under the table. The ball is under the table.”

Connect spatial language to functional goals

Prepositions should be selected according to the child’s everyday communication needs. A preschooler may need in, on, and under to participate in classroom cleanup and play. An older student may need next to, across from, and between to describe seating arrangements, navigate school spaces, or explain where materials are located.

Functional goals become easier to write when they identify the communication behavior, context, level of support, and expected accuracy. For guidance on connecting language targets to meaningful participation, use this resource on functional IEP goals while planning therapy and data collection.

Collect data during natural opportunities rather than interrupting every play exchange. Mark whether the child understood the direction, selected the correct location, produced the preposition, or needed a model. A quick tally can reveal whether performance changes with objects, pictures, movement, or peer interaction.

Collaboration helps carry the target beyond the therapy room. Share a small set of words and examples with teachers, caregivers, and other providers. When working with an ABA team, these ideas for collaborating with ABA teams can support consistent communication goals while preserving the SLP’s clinical judgment.

Practical reminders for stronger sessions

• Choose two or three prepositions that fit the child’s current level and the play routine.
• Model the target naturally before expecting independent production.
• Pair spoken language with gestures, objects, pictures, or movement.
• Contrast concepts clearly, such as placing a toy in the box and then on the box.
• Record comprehension and expressive use separately so progress is easier to interpret.

Keep spatial language active across routines

Preposition practice does not need to end when the formal activity is over. Use cleanup to say, “Put the blocks in the bin,” snack to describe items on the plate, and transitions to explain who is behind or beside the child. Frequent, low-pressure repetitions help spatial vocabulary become part of everyday communication.

For a final play routine, let the child lead a small scene and listen for spontaneous location words. Follow the child’s ideas, add accurate models, and create gentle opportunities to clarify where objects belong. Save successful phrases for caregivers or classroom staff so the same language can be reinforced in familiar settings.

Bring a few toys, a box, and a simple movement course into the next session, then choose one receptive and one expressive target to track. With purposeful modeling and enjoyable repetition, play can turn small location words into useful, flexible communication.