She works out a clue that should lead (eventually!) to the answer 'fat cat.' One clue could be 'an obese mouse-catcher' or 'a pet that eats too much,' depending on the age of the guesser. Hink Pink: Kids adore this game! One person thinks of two-single syllable rhyming words, like fat cat. The aim is to try to think up a word for each letter and category. Then write some categories (for instance 'plants,' 'girls' names,' 'cars,' 'grocery items') down one side of the grid and write alphabet letters across the top. Do you remember it? Simply draw a grid on a piece of paper. Great beginning for board games like Scrabble.Ĭategories: This is a game I loved as a child. Simply give your children some letters and challenge them to make words from those letters. Play it mentally with older kids, or with paper and pencil.

Make a word: If you have plastic letters, magnet letters, or letter blocks, you can play this as soon as your child is old enough to spell. Children must look around and try to guess what it is you 'spied.' Spot something nearby and tell kids the sound or letter it begins with.

I spy: This is a simple word game most people know. Guess the animal: Give children a rhyming word and have them guess the animal. There are also word games that have become board games and toys, but the ones you'll find below need minimal equipment. By playing word games with our kids, we give them the benefit of our company, as well as demonstrating to them that playing with words is lots of fun. Word games are great because they help children focus on sounds and letters, and develop skills they need for reading, writing, and spelling.

Connect letters to make words game