Hey, Guys!
Do you love crossword puzzles? Rhymes? Songs? Greeting cards? What do all of them have in common? Words, of course! Though we use words day in and day out, they are never uninteresting. That’s because they communicate all types of thoughts, ideas and feelings, and they always give us food for thought. Word play has fascinated people for centuries. That’s why why so many varieties of word games have been invented. In this issue of PW Kidzone, we explore ways to have fun with words, writes Anitha Bennet
Idea box
Fun with Words
Words are fascinating, right from the time we call out “Mama” we experience the magic of words. Here are some enjoyable activities that you can try out with friends!
• Take a sheet of paper and write a word. Fold and pass the sheet to a friend and request her to write another one. After all your friends have written a word each, unfold the sheet and write a short story weaving in all the words.
• Convene a ‘rhyming session.’ If a friend asks you “What shall we do today?” respond by rhyme, saying, “Let’s laugh, talk, eat and play!” Another participant could add, “I agree, what do you say?” The person unable to add a rhyming sentence to continue the wordplay is out. Continue the game until there’s a winner.
• Break into groups and give each group a descriptive — Animals, Plants, Cities, Toys. Set a time limit to make a list of words in each category starting with the first seven letters of the alphabet. The group that manages to find most words under the alphabets (A-G) wins.
• Pick a long word and derive as many words as you can from it. It’s a great pastime, especially when you need to play all by yourself. Try hippopotamus for a start.
• Write an acrostic for a friend’s name. E.g, NEHA N-Nice, E-Easygoing, H-Honest, A-Affectionate. Make a card with the acrostic, decorate it and present it to your friend.
• Take turns to describe an object and get your friends to guess what it is. You can say, “I see a smooth white object with a gold rim and red handle in this room.” (Maybe a tea cup!) The person who finds the answer first gets a point.
• Ask your friends to write in your autograph book, describing themselves in one word! They will find it brain-wracking!
Teacher’s Corner
Divide your class into groups. Ask each group to learn a new, uncommon word every week. Encourage them to use the word frequently in spoken sentences but in the right context. For every correct use of the week’s word, award a point!
The group that gets the most points gets to choose the new word for the next week! Make paper circles and write the words on it. Align them one behind the other to form a growing word-caterpillar!
