English is a universal language that most people around the world learn to overcome cultural barriers. However, honing your kid’s language skills in a short time can seem like a daunting task, especially on the days you wake up lacking the motivation. Yet, it is not all doom and gloom.
On the contrary, there are many fun ways to improve children’s English skills without making it feel like a chore. So, whether you are an ESL learner who wants to learn English interactively or a native who needs some games for their kids, you have come to the right place.
In this article, you will find many examples of games that will make your learning journey a breeze.
1Scrabble
Scrabble is really popular for a reason. It helps players improve their range of vocabulary by using letter tiles to form words. Every player can use up to seven tiles at once.
Nevertheless, it is extremely challenging because you will find that letters which are not utilized often in words, such as “z” and “x” help you gain more points than common letters like “a” and “b.” This is mainly how the people behind unscramble.online came up with a way to help players by creating an unscrambler which helps identify possible words to play when you are stuck with such difficult tiles.
This way, you would not have to pass and maybe even learn a new word in the process. The board game needs 2 or more players, but remember, you do not have to buy the traditional board version, as you can find digital variations of this game in the form of smartphone applications that allow you to play alone.
2Tongue Twisters
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” is one of the most famous lines in My Fair Lady.
Ironically, nonsensical sentences like this can help you perfect your pronunciation by allowing you to use your articulation muscles, the tongue, and the lips, more effectively. Choose a tongue twister that includes sounds or minimum pairs that your kids have trouble with to personalize this experience.
The great thing is that this game can be played alone or with friends. The winner can be the person who does not stumble and pronounces most words correctly.
3Charades
This one is a classic because it is versatile and great for young students. You need another player to get started.
Just write some words on pieces of paper, preferably nouns and verbs, and take turns acting them out without making any sound. Charades will help new words stick because kids will remember acting them out, not to mention that it is definitely a fun way to pass time with friends.
420 Questions
The people from Mosaic Montessori Preschool say that these are universally loved! 20 questions is a fun way of interacting with friends and improving speaking skills. To start the game, all you have to do is pick a member of the group who gets to choose a word.
The rest of the group tries to guess the word by asking the “chooser” twenty yes/no questions. If the group correctly guesses the word before using all twenty questions, the “chooser” loses, and the “chooser” wins if the group uses all twenty questions before guessing the word. This game is very versatile, as the word in question can be the name of a famous person or even a movie.
5Quizzes
Quizzes can be played alone or in a group. Choose whether you want to focus on grammar, vocabulary, or both first and find a suitable quiz online. One person can play the role of the “host” who poses the questions and tallies up the score, and the person who answers the biggest number of questions wins.
So, it is better to have a prize for the winner and some dares for the losers raise the stakes a bit. Don’t worry if you did not ace it the first time, you can always try again.
Who says that improving children’s English skills has to be a mundane task? You can make your English learning journey a lot more fun by incorporating some games into their daily routine instead of trying to pore over the long list of vocabulary and incomprehensible grammar rules.
Good language skills come with practice and what better way to achieve this than by playing interactive games with friends. The sense of fierce competition the above games give, will push kids to their limits and help them improve quickly.
Even if a child would want to play alone, you can find hundreds of mobile applications or educational games online that emulate the above suggestions. So, why the wait? Start learning in a totally fun way now!