1/01/2016

How You Can Have Fun With Words

By Jessica Stone


Language is such an interesting subject matter. It is how we communicate between one another and it's very important to have a good understanding of how language works and can be manipulated in order to develop a strong set of skills in this arena, which can be very helpful in life overall. Learning how to have fun with words can be a great way to develop such skills.

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.

Many of the best word games are played using the alphabet as a starting point or as a guideline throughout. One example of such is to choose a subject like countries or animals, and then have each player try to name something that begins with the next letter of the alphabet as the game progresses. So, the first player will use the letter A for their answer, the next will answer using the letter B at the beginning of the word, and so on.

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.

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.

Set a timer, and have each player fill in as many answers as they can, finding words to fit each topic and alphabet letter. Kids can play this at home, but it's also a great exercise for a school setting. It has the added benefit of keeping them quiet while they think for a while!

There are so many ways to create more challenging levels with any word game. Rhyming can be incorporated to really get people stumped. Why not place some words on pieces of paper into a container and have each person pick a word and then find four words that rhyme? Even better, make up a short poem on the spot!

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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