Monday 28 December 2015

How You Can Have Fun With Words

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.

A lot of great word games involve using the alphabet as a guideline, marker or starting point. For example, pick a topic such as animals or countries or cities. Each person in a group can take it in turns to name one thing that falls under that topic, but it must begin using the corresponding letter of the alphabet. The first person will choose a word that begins with A, the second must say something using B at the start, and so on and so forth.

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.

For kids, a game can this can be simplified by doing it on paper. The game 'Name, Animal, Place, Thing' is a great example. Write each of these headings at the top of a column across a page and put the letters of the alphabet down the 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?

There are also lots of other language tricks and decoration that can be added to make language fun. Think about puns, double meanings and words that reflect sound effects, also known as onomatopoeia. Tongue twisters are a great way to practice articulation - try to say them faster each time and see who wins. Or what about finding lots of different words spelled using the letters taken from one bigger word?




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