Language Games
Brave Writer mom Cyndi writes:
I just found your website and program tonight and joined the yahoo group and very excited about trying it out with my two oldest children. As I was going through the site I saw the language games you had listed and thought I would share this one with you.
One of my favorites is something I picked up at a large children’s used item sale — it is called Storybook (comes in a box that looks like a mini metal lunchbox). It has cards with pictures. The rules say that the first player picks a card and starts the story and then each player picks a card and repeats the previous portion of the story and adds a new part (this is somewhat cumbersome as the previous cards have all been turned face down).
My children just take turns picking a card and adding their portion to the story. They will even pick it up and just start playing it for fun! It was so cute the one time they were doing it together (without my initiation) and I went to get my digital video camera to make a movie of them sitting on the sofa together. Then they decided to read for the camera so that was an added benefit that made it more fun for them. Now when one of them gets it out and starts their own story (my daughter just goes through the cards and makes up a story by herself) then the other goes to get the camera to record it!! How cute!!
I think the game can be purchased at Target for about $5 where the card games are found (i.e. Uno, Crazy Eights, etc.) – usually an end cap!!
Another one I picked up one day in Barnes and Noble to have something to entertain the kids at the table in a restaurant (high end restaurant with long wait for food to arrive) was ZING! The Bewitching Storymaking Game (it comes in normal size and a miniature version (like you would attach to a gift card). There are 80 magnetic words and build a story grids. Each person selects 5 magnetic tiles from the three categories of words (elementary, edgy, esoteric) takes turns writing with their sentence using 2-7 words (must use at least one word from those chosen and can add their own words using the blank magnets. It is a little like Scrabble other than being able to add your own words (oh how many times have we just wished that we had that ONE LETTER while playing Scrabble????) Anyway, “I” think it will be a lot of fun to play, but unfortunately it did not work out as an activity at dinner that evening and we haven’t taken time to try it out since. (Note to self: PLAY ZING! with the kids tomorrow!)
Anyway, hope these game ideas help and I am looking forward to learning more about Brave Writer and showing my kids that writing can be fun!!
Cyndi
Julie,
We just bought a game called “You’ve Been Sentenced.” My kids (10 and almost 8) LOVED it! We were laughing so hard… it was great! The cards are pentagon shaped so you have 5 different words on each card. For example: one card would have; creeps, crept, creeping, creepy, and creep on it. You can use any form of the word “creep” to put in your sentence. You try to make a sentence (that makes sense) with the words on your cards. You get points depending on which word on the pentagon you use and the you read your sentence to the other players. Then if anyone thinks your sentence doesn’t make sense you get to defend your sentence and try and “convince” the others. Then you all vote thumbs up or thumbs down.
It’s a great game! We all laughed and laughed at some of the sentences we came up with. I highly recommend it.
Yay! Interesting.
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for the game recommendations. I really like to use games as part of our “schooling”. My language-rich kids absolutely love them, and though I usually have to ask my language-challenged student to participate, it makes working on his weaknesses more painless and often he is surprised at how much fun we have.