Word games you can enjoy with your kids. Let’s learn through play with words!

Group Shiritori

Introducing 5 recreation ideas that can be done from 1st to 6th grade!

This is a game where teams cooperate to play a simple version of shiritori, connecting words one after another.

The team speaks the words together in rhythm, and while one team is saying the word, the next team discusses which word to connect.

If everyone’s voices don’t align, that team loses, so the key to winning is how smoothly the team can share words and work together.

It’s also recommended to ramp up the tempo of the words to evolve the game into a mode that demands faster sharing of words and smoother discussions.

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kappamaki

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alliteration

[Kindergarten] Onset Play

Prepare two words that start with the same initial sound, like “tai” (sea bream) and “tako” (octopus), and make paper puppet cards with drawings of each.

Children look at the puppet pictures and listen to the sounds, then respond and move their bodies to match the images as they play.

This activity can stimulate many aspects of development, such as listening to words, understanding words through pictures, and expressing images with their bodies.

It’s also recommended to have the children find words with the same initial sound themselves, make their own cards, and play with friends.

This can help them become aware of the sound of words and provide opportunities to learn new vocabulary.

Tongue Twister Challenge

Tongue Twisters [For Practice]

Prepare a tongue-twister script and challenge yourselves to see how many seconds it takes to read it! Announcers and voice actors use this as enunciation training, right? If you search for “tongue twisters,” you’ll find plenty, and you can also create your own.

Add furigana to the kanji so that even first-time readers can read it.

The person who reads it the fastest without stumbling wins! Tripping up, getting stuck, and struggling to say it will get everyone excited, and if you can say it smoothly, you’re sure to draw attention!

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sasashina

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Word association game

Fun Learning♪ Educational Video for Kids | Kids Study Anime [Associative Game] ★For 2- and 3-year-olds☆ Think for yourself☆ Let’s see what comes to mind♪

A word-association game where you keep linking words that come to mind from a single item.

For example, if the prompt is “strawberry,” you connect it to words like “red” or “fruit” that you associate with it.

If you link from “strawberry” to “red,” then you continue by linking to the next words associated with “red,” such as “apple” or “fire truck.” Because you’ll encounter many words—including not only the ones you say yourself but also those said by friends and teachers—you’ll build knowledge and improve your vocabulary.

It also helps develop thinking and creativity, so be sure to try incorporating it into play.

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SAKI

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Hiragana Transformation Quiz

[For Kids] Hiragana Transformation Quiz [Word Play, Hiragana, Educational Video, Ages 1–5, Japanese Language, Animals, Objects, Names]

Add one letter to a word! Here’s an idea for a Hiragana transformation quiz.

これは幼稚園児がひらがなに親しむための楽しい方法です！例えば、くま（kuma, bear）に「る（ru）」を付けると「くるま（kuruma, car）」になり、たこ（tako, octopus）に「い（i）」を付けると「たいこ（taiko, drum）」になります。

Through the quiz, children discover the fun of how a word changes by adding a single Hiragana character to a complete word, making wordplay more and more enjoyable.

This can help them expand their vocabulary, deepen their understanding of Hiragana, and boost their motivation to learn new words!

Opposite Words Quiz

[Opposite Words Quiz] (1) A word game mainly in hiragana for toddlers and children: opposite words, antonyms

If you know, tell me! Here’s an idea for an opposite-words quiz.

It’s a quiz where you answer using words you already know.

For example, the opposite of “big” is “small.” Think of words that have opposite meanings and answer.

When you learn the opposites of words you use in everyday life, your vocabulary grows.

Once you get used to it, try tackling the opposites of slightly more difficult words—it can make it even more fun! It’s a fun quiz that can also boost communication skills when you think about it together with family or friends.