In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a wee bit obsessed with barrier games. They are such a fantastic way to work on so many different speech, language, and social skills. So if you have a little one interested in mermaids, then they are going to adore this cute free printable mermaid themed barrier game.
What is a Barrier Game?
Barrier games are a way to practice speech and social skills concepts by creating and describing scenes to another player and having them recreate the scene on their own game board. An example of a barrier game that you might be familiar with is Battleship.
You can learn more about barrier games and their benefits here.
We personally use barrier games to work on skills such as:
- Following directions
- Listening skills
- Prepositions (on, under, above, beside, next to, etc.)
- Expressive speech
- Vocabulary
- Turn taking
- Comprehension
How to Use the Free Printable Barrier Game
To prep this barrier game, you will need at least two players. Simply download, print two copies of both the scene and the items (one copy for each player), cut the individual items, and laminate all pieces for durability (optional).
To play this barrier game, have all players sit at a table and set up a barrier (a file folder or book works great!) so that all players cannot see each other's materials. Each player takes turns placing an object on the scene and describing to the other player where to place the objects. Each player should give specific directions on where to place the objects. The objective of the game is to have identical pictures at the end. That is, all players should have matching scenes with the items placed in the same spots for all players.
Please keep in mind that I am not a speech pathologist. I created these barrier games using ideas from our son's speech pathologist as well as from researching about barrier games, what they are, and how to use them.
Download the Free Printable Mermaids Barrier Game
Want More Barrier Games?
You'll find even more themes in the barrier games bundle!
Click here to get your copy of the barrier games bundle
