We’ve compiled a few of our favorite games that help to develop a child’s language abilities. All of these would make great gifts for the holidays! Click the game titles for more information.

Ages 3-5

Zingo – In this fast-paced, energetic variant of Bingo, kids get a kick out of pulling the Zinger forward to reveal two mystery tiles, and then try to be the first to call out the tiles that match the images on their cards. The first player to fill his or her card wins by yelling “Zingo.” Two levels of play add zing to the competition. What’s Gnu – A great way for younger players to practice their word recognition and spelling skills, this game is a fun confidence-builder. Players slide the “Letter Getter” forward to reveal two letter tiles, and then use them to create three-letter words by filling in the blanks on their Word-Starter cards. The player who spells the greatest number of words wins.

Ages 6-7

Qwirkle – Qwirkle is as simple as matching colors and shapes, but this game also requires tactical maneuvers and well-planned strategy. Earn points by building rows and columns of blocks that share a common shape or color. Look for opportunities to score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. The player with the most points wins! Blokus – Stake your claim and protect your territory with Blokus game! There’s just one rule: each piece you play must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners! It takes less than a minute to learn but has the depth to challenge your whole family. Each player gets a set of 21 pieces – red, blue, green, or yellow – then takes turns placing them on the board. The goal is to fit the most pieces on the board. The game ends when no one can place any more pieces. Everyone counts the squares in their unplayed pieces and the player with the lowest score wins! Easy to learn and great for families, Blokus is the fast-paced strategy game that delivers “One Rule, Endless Possibilities!” Bananagrams – The Anagram game that will drive you bananas. The award-winning word game that needs no pencil, paper, or board. Fast and fun. Players race against each other to build crossword grids and use all their letter tiles first. Great for travel. Cranium Cadoo – Cranium Cadoo is an outrageously fun game designed especially for kids. With a variety of hilarious activities, Cadoo gets kids thinking, creating, giggling, and grinning as they try to get four tokens in a row to win. Can you sculpt a taco? Act out a hula dancer? Think of a word that means to bounce a basketball and to drip milk from your chin? Which is strongest for its size: an ant, a human, or a chimp? Whether kids love to act, puzzle, sketch, sculpt, or even crack secret codes, Cadoo has something for them. Password Junior – Password for Juniors is a kid-friendly version of the classic word association game. This junior version is packed with words that younger players will know and can easily define. Players try to guess words based on one-word clues. HedBanz – Spice up your family game night with the Hedbanz Board Game, a fun, fast-paced, and simple question game. In a group of two to six players, you’ll draw an identity card for an animal, food, or common object but with one catch–everyone but you will see the card, displayed by the headband on your forehead. The goal is to deduce who or what you are by asking the players questions before the clock runs out.

Ages 8+

Scrambled States of America – Whoever said that learning about U.S. geography had to be boring must not have read The Scrambled States of America. Based on Laurie Keller’s hilarious story, players learn the names, capitals, nicknames, shapes, and positions of the 50 states through a myriad of visual teasers, language riddles, and geography challenges. After playing, you’ll see that there’s more to the 50 states than meets the eye! Rush Hour Deluxe – Set up your game board according to the challenge card, then steer your snazzy metallic red car through traffic and out of the exit. With 60 challenges and five levels of play, this is the ideal gift for any serious puzzler! All game descriptions are from the manufacturer.

Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center has locations in the Iowa City, IA area and Des Moines, IA area. We provide individual speech-language therapy and tutoring as well as offering small group academic programs.  At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center our passion is to help kids achieve effective communication skills and gain academic success.  Contact us for more information on how we can help your child succeed.

info@enrichmenttherapies.com

740 Community Drive, Unit A

North Liberty, IA 52317

319-626-2553

 infodm@enrichmenttherapies.com

5530 West Pkwy, Suite 300

Johnston, IA 50131

515-419-4270