Fun and games with words

Having fun while you are learning must be one of the best ways to keep the motivation going. The same applies for when you are helping your son on his way to become bilingual. You can easily introduce new words when you are playing with your little boy. Today I want to remind you of some of the ways to do so.

Creating stories
Children have a vivid imagination, so it is easy come up with your own stories together with your son. You can start the story with the classic “Once upon a time there was a …” and he will pick it up. If you want to bring in some specific vocabulary, steer the story in that direction when it is your turn to add to it.

‘I spy’ with a magazine
We know how useful the ‘I spy’ game can be during long journeys, but you can as well do it anywhere with the help of a magazine. Open a page with some pictures and start guessing. Ideal for distraction in any waiting room!

Hand puppets
I have always been very fond of hand puppets. They are so versatile and can be used for any type of discussion or story. They can even be used to practice a language that you do not normally speak with your son, as the puppet takes on a personality of its own.

Words that rhyme
Take it in turns to come up with words that rhyme. I suggest that you choose the starting word so it doesn’t get too difficult (what rhymes with ‘banana’?). Tip: English words ending in -ing are great for small children as there is an infinite amount of variations. Try to find some similar endings in your language!

Word map
This is an association game that you can play with your son when he has learnt to write. Start by writing a word in the middle of a paper, then branch out with words that you associate with it. Once you are finished you can put together a story with the words.

Hope you have fun!

May the peace and power be with you.

Yours,
Rita

© Rita Rosenback 2013

Never miss a post! Sign up to the Multilingual Parenting newsletter and I will send you a recap of the week’s posts every Sunday. Every second week you will receive a more extensive issue with links to research articles and interesting posts from other writers, as well as handy tips and ideas! Want to read more like this? My book Bringing up a Bilingual Child is available on Amazon and in well-stocked bookshops. Do you have a specific question? You can send it to our team of Family Language Coaches and we will reply in a Q&A (questions are answered in order of arrival). If you are interested in tailor-made family language coaching, please, contact me and I will send you a proposal.

8 Comments

  1. Avatar

    My husband won’t let me read to my son in Ukrainian (I talk to him in English exclusively, and Daddy uses German), saying that he’ll pick up the language from his grandparents, and I might get the little guy confused 🙁 But the boy sees his granparents only a few times a year…. Now I know what I’ll do: I’ll get a hand puppet that will read Ukrainian books to my boy!!! Thank you sooooo much!!!! :)))))

    Reply
    • Avatar

      Hi Christine – I understand your dilemma, glad that I could be of help! I was in a similar position where I wanted to pass on both Finnish and Swedish to my elder daughter. I did it by speaking Finnish for the first five years with her, then switched to Swedish. Beware though, the switch isn’t easy! You can read about it here: http://multilingualparenting.com/2013/05/08/pricken-the-swedish-speaking-kitten/ All the best to you and your family!

      Reply
  2. Avatar

    My husband won’t let me read to my son in Ukrainian (I talk to him in English exclusively, and Daddy uses German), saying that he’ll pick up the language from his grandparents, and I might get the little guy confused 🙁 But the boy sees his granparents only a few times a year…. Now I know what I’ll do: I’ll get a hand puppet that will read Ukrainian books to my boy!!! Thank you sooooo much!!!! 🙂 ))))

    Reply
    • Avatar

      Somehow my reply to you got lost, sorry – glad you found some inspiration in my blog! Have you tried the hand puppet yet?

      Reply
  3. Avatar

    Rita, this post is one of my favorites! It speaks to me especially when I have a 5 yr. old that I too, am teaching Spanish and need to make it fun! I have yet to try the “I spy” game but it is in our “to do” list for learning Spanish. 🙂 Thank you for submitting this post to last month’s multilingual carnival! http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/10/raising-multilingual-children-blogging.html

    Reply
    • Avatar

      Glad you liked my post! Having fun is such a good motivator – both for us parents and the kids 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. A-B-C for parents bringing up bilingual children: G-L « multilingual parenting – bilingual children - […] your language with fun experiences. Your children should feel joy, not pressure when they are learning it. The more…
  2. A-B-C for parents bringing up bilingual children: T-Z « multilingual parenting – bilingual children - […] Word games are an excellent way of introducing new words and supporting verbal creativity. They often need no or…
  3. 7 ways to motivate your child to speak the minority language « multilingual parenting – bilingual children - […] – Fun Make using the language fun – think of activities in the minority language which engage your children…
  4. Fun ways for your kids to learn new vocabulary - […] find some entertaining games that you can enjoy with your kids: The game of the day – word play!…
  5. Raising multilingual children: playful immersion - Trilingual Mama - […] enjoy it and need it just as much! Rita of Multilingual Parenting tells us five ways we can have…
  6. 21 tips throughout a bilingual child’s life – multilingual parenting – bilingual children - […] Play different word games, encourage imagination and creating stories – and read plenty of books […]

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.