mardi 29 décembre 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.

Here are some ideas of games to play with anyone, from family members to friends, no matter what their age. Word games are good for putting the brain to work and continuously challenging it to get better. Adding a twist to such games can enhance the brain exercise, for example, using rhymes or some other type of trick. The list of options is endless.

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.

You can make things even more difficult and stump each other by using a previous answer's last letter as the starting letter for the next answer. This can be a lot of fun when there are a lot of people involved. It's even more fun and challenging when it's done to a specific time limit.

Make games like these more age appropriate for children by letting them use paper. 'Name, Animal, Place, Thing' is a good example of a simple game that exercises their brains quite a bit. Each heading is written across the top of the page, with the alphabet running down the side of the page.

Set the timer for each player to fill in as much of the grid as possible with a different word for each category. This is a game than can be played in a social setting or even in an academic setting. It's a great way to get the young ones thinking and also keep them quiet!

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?

Other tricks and styles in language can add to the fun besides rhyming. What about using puns, double entendres or onomatopoeia, which is the name for words that reflect the sound something makes? Tongue twisters can be especially difficult and equally funny; whoever says them the fastest wins. Or find the longest word and see who can make the most smaller ones using its letters?




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