Game Time

It's game time!

Parents often ask us what games are good for getting their kids to practice their communication goals while having fun as a family. Here are a few of our favorites, organized by general age group (though be flexible with ages, based on your child's interests and abilities). We'd love your suggestions in the comments, too!

Preschoolers:
~Busytown (cooperation, vocabulary, matching, early turn taking)
~Cariboo (engaging, turn-taking, size/letter/shape/color concepts)
~Zingo (vocabulary, early game play, matching)
~Memory (matching, recall)
~Go Fish (asking questions, matching)
~Simple charades (non-verbal communication)
~I Spy (categories and attributes)
~Mermaid Island (group planning and problem solving)

Early Elementary School:
~Hedbanz (vocabulary, definitions)
~Cadoo (social interaction, word meanings)
~Obstacles (cooperative or competitive, creative problem solving)
~Checkers (strategy, planning ahead)
~Uno (matching, mental flexibility)
~Set (matching, mental flexibility)
~20 Questions (definitions, asking questions)
~Story Cubes (narrative language, flexibility)

Late Elementary, Middle School, and High School:
~Apples to Apples, Jr. & adult (comparisons)
~Scattegories, Jr. & adult (categories)
~Taboo, Jr. & adult, (definitions with mental flexibility)
~Outburst, Jr. & adult (word associations)
~Say Anything (social interaction, persuasion)
~Balderdash (higher level persuasion, social awareness)
~Bananagrams (vocabulary, spelling)
~Crossword puzzles (vocabulary and world knowledge)