Board games are a great way to pass time indoors during the snowy winter season. One of the best parts about playing board games with the family is that it’s easy to incorporate language-building skills using games you can buy anywhere. Having fun with board games definitely beats practicing with flashcards and memorizing new vocabulary, which is not always fun for kids.
Here are some easy-to-find but less common board games to promote language skills without your child even realizing it. Make sure to include everyone in the family to make these language games extra fun!
- Hedbanz: Your child can work on vocabulary skills while attempting to guess the target item that is on their headband. They will have to think about semantic features for a variety of vocabulary items including function, appearance, location, etc.
- Outburst and Word Burst: In these games, your child can work on vocabulary skills by naming member items from given categories while trying to beat the timer. Your child can see how many category items they can come up with before time runs out!
- Zingo: This matching game is another opportunity for kids to work on vocabulary. They will practice matching vocabulary items on their Zingo board with chips that come out of a dispenser.
- Scattergories: Have your child think of vocabulary words to match given categories and initial letters. Your child also will have to beat the timer in this game. If your child is not ready to write, partner up and have them tell you what to write.
These board games are a blast and are easy to understand. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is for your child to answer your language-building questions while they’re engaged and having fun with the board game. We hope you enjoy and have a great family game night!
Written by Michelle Konecki M.S., CCC-SLP