Are those long car journeys a nightmare? Do you dread taking the children on a flight? Do you worry your children need to improve their literacy skills, but you don’t know how to help?
Fear no more… I am here to help! In this article I will share with you, my top 10 literacy games which are both fun and educational and will keep the children entertained, whilst also improving their literacy skills.
1. I Spy.
An oldie but a favourite, ‘I Spy’ will test their memories and will aid their spelling skills.
This game will require a minimum of 2 players. One player chooses an object which they can see (for example a tree), and says to the other players “I spy with my little eye, something being with… T.” The other players then have to guess the object, (for example; t.shirt, telephone, etc) until someone gets it right. The winner then chooses an object and the other players must guess what it is.
If you have a toddler a fantastic alternative is getting them to guess an object by giving them the colour, for example; “I spy with my little eye something orange.”
2. Guess Who.
Ever played the board game ‘Guess Who?’ well this is a take on the mystery-solving guessing game. The first player chooses a friend or family member that everyone knows, then challenges opponents to guess the mystery person. The other players then take it in turns to ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions such as; “Does this person have long hair?” “Is this person female?” Remember the player can only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
This is a great way to improve describing skills and vocabulary.
3. The Unicorn/ Dinosaur Game.
So, this is a great game to challenge memory and improve vocabulary and describing skills. Each player takes it in turn to add on a descriptive word, whilst also having to remember all the previous descriptive words. For example;
“I went to the park and I saw… a unicorn.”
“I went to the park and I saw a pink unicorn.”
“I went to the park and I saw a sparkly, pink unicorn.”
First one to forget is out.
4. The ABC Game.
This one can be adapted to anything; fruit, vegetables, boys names, girls names, etc. Choose a topic (We’ll make it easy and start with fruit and veg), each player then takes it in turn to think of something in that category beginning with the next letter in the alphabet. For instance; A – Apple, B – Banana, C – Carrot, etc. The person who can’t think of a word when it is their turn is out.
This game supports children learning the alphabet, and increases vocabulary, as well as testing thinking and memory skills.
5. Tell a Story.
This game helps develop imagination and creativity. It is so much fun to play, however be careful it can get a little crazy!
Take it turns to tell part of a story and see where it takes you. For example; “once upon a time…” “there lived an old witch…” “she lived in a pink castle…” “with her blue sparkly cat…”
6. 20 Questions.
This game is great for testing the memory and listening skills. It will also improve the ability to ask the right question. ’20 Questions’ required a minimum of 2 players. One player chooses an object from either the Animal, Mineral or Vegetable category. The player can then tell the other players the chosen category, however the players must then guess the object by taking it in turns to only asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.
A maximum of 20 questions can be asked. To make this game more difficult you could decrease the number of questions. If someone guesses correctly, they can then choose an object for everyone else to guess. If no one guesses the object correctly then this person wins the game and has another turn.
7. Connecting Words.
This game requires a lot of thinking skills. The players decide on a word to start with and then each player takes it in turn to think of a connecting word. For example; Chair… Table… Wood… Tree… Leaves… Green…
To make this game challenging players have to be quick. If a player pauses to think for too long, they are out.
8. Another Word for...
This is a fantastic game to increase your child’s vocabulary and memory if played on a regular basis. Choose a word such as ‘Nice’. Everyone then takes it in turn to say another word for ‘Nice’, such as ‘lovely’, ‘good’, ‘charming’, ‘attractive’. The person with the most alternative words is the winner.
If you need help for further ideas of words, use a thesaurus, there are lots of good ones online.
9. Word of the day (Put it in a Sentence).
Traditionally people would choose a word, that they would not ordinarily use, and for that day they would try and slip it into conversation. Although this is a great activity to do with children, it’s not something that will keep them entertained for a period of time.
So, for an alternative game (you might need to prep for this one), choose a list of words that are suitable, yet challenging, for your children’s age group. Next give them one word at a time and ask them to put it in a sentence. The children get a point for each one they get correct. Rewards such as smarties or stickers are great for encouraging children to play this game.
10. Rhyming Words.
Children love a good rhyming story, however if asked to do this in class, their brains often go blank. So, lets help them get some great rhyming ideas to support and develop their creativity.
I would recommend starting by using simple words and progress into slightly harder words.
You can use just words, for example; table, able, stable. Or you can put the words into sentences and make funny stories, such as; A little girl named Mable, sat at a very large table. This table felt quite unstable, so she propped it up with a cable.
So hopefully I’ve given you lots of ideas of great literacy games to play with your children on those long or short journeys. You might even wish to play these games over dinner, before bed or on a Sunday morning to pass the time. Whenever or wherever you choose to play these games, you will be helping to support your child’s development and regular practise is sure to improve your children’s literacy skills.
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