I love any game that has to do with words, whether in 'writing' like Scrabble or out loud, like Taboo. Let's see what some story book characters have to say about words:
Books
9780061549236
From everyone's favorite fancy girl comes an alphabetical guide to enhancing vocabulary. Why say beautiful when there are fancy words like gorgeous and glamorous? Instead of hello, try bonjour, which is French and so much fancier. An umbrella will keep you dry, but a parasol will make you feel like a Hollywood movie star!
Can you sprinkle your everyday vocabulary with some fancy words? Grab a thesaurus and challenge each other to come up with the most splendiferous speech!
9780689818769
Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school — and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.
A chapter book, but a quick read. Try a chapter every evening and make your predictions!
9781452100043
What do "I Scream!" and "Ice Cream!" have in common? Nothing—besides the fact that they sound the same!
So much fun to be had with all of those, all related to
Art
After playing a game of Scrabble, turn the words you came up with into a crossword puzzle or word search. Use any large sized grid paper to carefully copy the words in and come up with clues or a word list.
Language Arts
- Create a dictionary of your favorite words, just like Fancy Nancy. You could even do the "ABCs" of your family, or pick a theme that relates to something going on in your family right now (for us, it might be the ABCs of home improvement!)
- Invent a new word and see if you can get it to take off in popularity. What would the dictionary entry look like?
- Wordles are fun! See how many you can come up with, and then work them into your daily conversation and see if anyone notices!
Math
Playing Scrabble itself requires some math, as you add up points and figure in double word scores, etc. You could also work in some practice with grids and symmetry by looking over the game board more closely. What patterns does the board have? What patterns can you make on it using coins or buttons or dried beans or any other small objects that fit?
Social Studies
Scrabble was invented during the Great Depression (see link below to read more.) Learn about the Great Depression and talk about how poverty can affect your entertainment choices, among other things. What kinds of games can you make up and play without any technology, and using only the things you have on hand? Bonus points if they keep your brain sharp while having fun!
Movie
One of my all-time favorites! Scrabble shares a big scene. Every cast member is amazing, and I bawl at the ending every. single. time.
Snacks
We LOVE the Scrabble Cheez-its! Grab a box and challenge your kids to eat their words! There is also alphabet soup (if your local grocery doesn't have alphabet pasta, it is pretty easy to find online), or a number of cereals with alphabet letters.
Web Sites to Explore
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