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Practicing Language Skills on the Go!
Fall can be a hectic and overwhelming time for children and parents. School is in full swing, and after school activities have begun. If you’re a parent you probably feel like you spend more time in the car driving your kids to karate, soccer, dance, gymnastics, etc. than at home. Here are a few tips on how to take advantage of time spent in the car by playing some fun language based games (while keeping your kids entertained and engaged at the same time!).
Language Games to Play in the Car
- Categories: To begin this game one person picks a category (such as, animals). Each person takes a turn naming something in that category. If someone repeats an item or is unable to think of something in the category, he/she is out. To make this more difficult (and target memory) you could have each person repeat what the previous person has stated. For example, if Mom goes first and says “dog”, then the next person has to repeat the word “dog” and name another animal. This can get very difficult as more words are added. You can also add more detail and descriptive words, such as making the category “animals with tails, or green animals.
- Rhyming: Rhyming is a great way to practice and develop phonological awareness skills. Someone in the car can pick an object they see out the window, and say a word that rhymes with it. For example if you see a tree, a rhyming word might be “bee, see, or we”. Everyone in the car takes turns naming something that rhymes with the original word. You can include “nonsense” words as well and have your child tell you if it is a made up word or a real one. Additionally, you can make this a memory game and repeat the words that were said before you add to the list. If someone repeats a word or can’t think of one then they are out. The last person rhyming wins!
- Guess It: To start someone thinks of an object in his/her head and gives three clues to describe it. Then the rest of the people in the car have to ask questions and guess what the object is. The person who guesses it first wins! The person who correctly guesses the object than gets to pick the next word and describe it. If needed the person thinking of a word can provide more details if the players are having trouble guessing. This is a great way to incorporate descriptive words, and get your kids thinking.
Have fun playing everyone!
