Grammar Games: Best Of
Quite frankly, photographing grammar games has been, well...boring.
So instead of posting a bunch of boring photos, we're just going to list the links to some amazing grammar games, for the wee that are just learning their letters, to the big kids who definitely do not want to be learning grammar the traditional way.
HEADBANDS (pictured above)
This game is good for description and deduction. Since we used animal cards (from Chirp magazine) it could be considered a nature/biology game as well. But we were working on adjectives, so the bearer of the card, had to ask questions that would receive simply a 'yes' or 'no' response from the onlookers.
NOUN/VERB PHOTOS
Choose a page from a picture-rich book, or a photograph. List the letters A-Z down the side of your paper. Try to create a noun/verb for every letter of the alphabet, based on the picture. To complicate things, use the same picture for several players. If they come up with the same noun/verb, they cross those off. The person with the most nouns/verbs wins.
WORD LADDERS
These can be super challenging. You have a word, in which only one letter can change to make a new word. The last word is pre-determined. For example, you begin with the word MILK. You have to think of three words, changing only one letter each turn, before you have the word PAIL.
ANAGRAMS
Using only the letters in one word, to create another word. For example: Change THICKEN into a place where you cook.
HOMOPHONES
Words that sound/pronounced the same, but have different spelling and meaning. For example: pear/pair, sew/so, week/weak.
COMPOUND WORDS
Two words, when put together have a new meaning. Rain + bow. Cat + tail. Home + work.
GRAMMAR BINGO
Using words you have listed during the week (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, homophones, compound words etc.) create BINGO cards. The caller must call out "B noun" or "I adverb" for players to complete their card.
WET NOODLES
Little kids like this one-as it involves playing with your food. Prepare some slightly undercooked noodles (linguine, fettucine hold up best for this activity). Choose a letter from a bag of scrabble tiles (letter magnets, alphabet puzzle...) and have the child create both the upper and lower case form in noodles.
PHONICS MEMORY
Choose a letter from a bag of scrabble tiles. Search around for 3-4 items that begin with that letter. Have the child study the tray before covering it up and asking them a) if they can list all of the items b) what letter they all begin with.
WORD FIND
My big kids started the day creating word finds for their younger brother. They stuck to word families (got, hot, not, rot) and kept the search to under 10 words.
LETTER PRETZELS
Another opportunity to play with your food! Create your favourite pizza/pretzel or bread recipe. Have young children roll out snakes. Remind them that all letters are shaped in lines and curves. Prepare several letters that they can use to piece together words when baked.
LETTER CRACKERS
Using a ball of cracker dough, have child stamp words. A little more tedious, have them cut out letter crackers to bake and unscramble letters to make words once they're ready.
