Puns and language games
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Puns and language games, promote speech, concentration and spontaneity, as well as reaction and above all, are quite funny.
Learning words and language - how boring. Many children think that way. However, implementing the right word- and language games, children won’t get bored at all but will learn without even realizing it.
Words and language games are particularly useful on rainy days and the group has to spend the entire afternoon in a sheltered space. This can fill actual dull times usefully and of course; fun doesn’t have to fall short either.
What benefits do word and language games offer?
As the name suggests, word and language games are particularly useful for expanding one’s vocabulary, to learn or deepen one owns language or learn a new one. They encourage creativity, no matter if it is the own or a foreign language while at the same time having a positive effect on the child’s rhetoric. Quick-wittedness can be efficiently being trained with suitable games. A skill which for sure will pay off to have later on in life.
As you can see, word games are an ideal combination of fun and usefulness. They generally require little prep work, and also the use of materials is usually very manageable. A block, a pen - with these simple utensils countless word and language games can be played.
What other utensils can you use for word and language games?
Beyond the basic materials, you could use for example a card box with cards to write on. That will work well for varied and exciting word and language games. A blackboard and a flip chart can also be a valuable tool.
As with most other games, you should take great care that no one is overwhelmed with the implemented word and language games. The game has to be designed in a way that even the weakest participants can compete and gets a sense of achievement. Especially children who suffer from learning disabilities or dyslexia might be disadvantaged with those games. They need special consideration.
Auntie Cathy
This game is similar to the suitcase game but with a different dialogue and the relevant action.
Composite words
Who can name some words which have animals in them?
- ABC
Find words which must be kept in word families.
A duck - with two legs – jumps into the water - plop!
A concentration game
- Fight for attention
Tell the group something about a theme for 2 minutes.
- Toothless
Try to answer the questions without showing the teeth.
- Questions and answers 1
The answer to the question may not contain a certain letter.
- Questions and answers 2
A question is always replied with the answer of the question posed before.
- Can the group count to 100?
The group takes turn to count to 100. If a number comes which can be divided through 6 or has a 6 in it, the player says ''oops''.
- Hello, I am Anton from Ansbach!
Everyone introduces themselves with name, town, place of birth, job, parent’s names etc.
- Languages jumble?
The members of the group have one syllable to say. A volunteer must now guess which word they are saying.
- Alphabetical memory
The players who forget what objects have been named or get mixed up are out of the game.
- Forbidden words
It's not allowed to answer with ''forbidden'' words.
- Long sentence
The first person begins the sentence with a word, which his neighbour repeats and adds another word.
- Fastest Counter
A game for all of those who are good at mental arithmetic.
- Even Faster Counter
A game for all of those who are good at mental arithmetic and need a better challenge.
Building words
Make new words out of one word.
- Can you write your name?
Swing your leg in a circle and try to write your name.
- Draw a Christmas tree
Place a book on your head and hold it in place with one hand. Place a sheet of paper on the book and start to draw with the other hand.
- Folding picture
The result will look funny.
- There is an answer to every question - but sometimes not the right one!
Just like the folding pictures questions are written down, the paper is folded and then an answer is written down.
- Placing and replacing
Make by changing of two letters a new word.
- Animalistic
Use the last letter to call out a new animal beginning with this letter.
- Letter chain
The objective is to form a new word from the last letter of the previous word.
- Gibberish
Use pantomime or gibberish represent a concept.
- Water Words
The objective is to find words with a predetermined term. For example, water drops, meltwater.
- Association game
One kid says a certain word, while the next kid has to say a word which matches the previous word.
- Spelling Trouble
The Spelling Trouble is to find a term for each of the following categories name, food, city, all starting with the same letter.
- Listening
To contain word within more words
- The name of the fruit
Thinking of fruit names which are, for example, contained in the word Banana.
- Combined nouns
From a combined noun take the second word, and build a new combined word.
- Syllables-extension
The objective is to find a new word from the syllable of the previous word.
- ABC Session
Participants must gather terms which have same initial.
- I am the bottle
Participants must find associations to different terms.
- The ghosts game with words
Participants must form words together.
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