Saturday, December 26, 2015

Having Fun With Words For Everyone

By Jessica Stone


Language can be so interesting in so many ways. It is incredibly important as a means of communication between humans, so understanding how it works and how it can be used are very good skills to have in general. There are different ways to have fun with words so that such a skill set can be developed.

These are some great games to play with the entire family, for kids and adults alike. Word games not only test the brain and put it to work to find a solution; they also can be lots of fun when a twist is added, such as rhyming or other tricks. There is so much one can do to play with words.

The alphabet is often a key component in many word games, serving as a point from which to begin or as a guideline throughout the game. You can pick any topic like cities, countries or animals and then every person in the group has to think of a word which begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Therefore the first player will say something beginning with the letter A; the next player's answer will start with B, and so it continues.

To amp up the difficulty level and make the brain work even harder in a game like this, try using the last letter in the previous word as the first letter for the next word. This will result in endless fun and laughter for everyone involved, especially when someone gets stumped! Add a time limit for a further challenge.

You can pretty much modify or simplify any game for a younger audience by letting them use paper to write down their answers. Do you remember the game 'Name, Animal, Place, Object'? Put these words as headings across the top of a page and then run the letters of the alphabet down the page on one side.

Setting a timer means every player only has so much time to fill in as many answers as they can, using a different word for the various categories. This is great for home or school, at a social or academic level. It's good for exercising the young ones' brains, but also a great way to get them quiet for a while!

There of lots of ways to take a word game to the next level for more of a challenge. Rhyming is an example, and something that can really stump players. Try putting different words on pieces of paper and everyone has to choose a piece of paper and rhyme with that word four times? Or how about making them use the word in a poem right then and there?

Rhyming isn't the only language trick to have some fun. There are puns and double meanings, or impressive sounding things like onomatopoeia, which is basically the name given to words that reflect sounds. Tongue twisters can be a great deal of fun, and good for practicing articulation. Let each person say it faster every time until someone fumbles. You can even try finding a really long word to make shorter ones out of.




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