5 minute games for kids 0 to 5
The first five years are critical for many parts of your child’s development- including language. This page has ideas for teaching language concepts during those early years. There’s no one right way to teach language; just as there is no one right way to be a parent. Use what works for you.
For children who are learning to talk, it’s important to expose them to language and encourage them to imitate single words or environmental sounds (The bee says “buzzzzz.”) as well as understand familiar words and short sentences (Give me your cup; Where is sister?).
For children who are talking and maybe putting 2-3 words together and understanding longer directions (Get your shoes and sit down), the goals are to continue exposing them to new words and concepts, modeling longer sentences, and helping them understand increasingly longer sentences (Get your shoes and coat and sit by the door. Do you want your red shoes or your black shoes? I like the green car better than the blue car).
For older children who are using 3-5 word sentences, starting to follow 2-3 step directions, and understanding many of the words they hear every day, this can be a time of great curiosity and vocabulary growth. They tend to ask many questions, and the number of words they say and understand greatly increases. You can guide this curiosity by exposing them to important concepts (size, time, quantity, location/direction words, etc.) while teaching them new words at the same time.
You are your child’s favorite toy- really!
Use the ideas on this page to help you spend a few minutes during different parts of your day as teachable moments. Follow your child’s lead. Look where they look, touch what they touch and then provide the words for what your experiencing with them. Your child is wired to learn by watching and listening to you. You don’t need any special toys or training; you have all the skills you need. And the things you do every day- washing dishes, go shopping, riding the bus- are all teachable moments for young children. Hopefully you’ll be inspired by the ideas here to create more fun learning for your child.
Keep it simple.
Speak slowly and clearly so your child can easily hear your words. Repeat new words and phrases often- repetition helps children learn. Most of the learning children do is indirect. Just by listening and watching you they are gaining a great deal of knowledge.
Make it fun.
Children love to be silly, but they like it almost more when adults are silly. It is unexpected and novel to them. Things like putting their shoes on your feet, or putting a toy on your head are easy ways to make them laugh. And they can be very helpful distractions to interrupt whining or a building tantrum. Plus, they make it more fun for you!
At home
Teach colors while sorting laundry
- Sort clothing into piles of different colors and then throw them into the washer one color at a time. Make sure to say the color of each piece of clothing as you go. (Blue socks, blue short, red pants, etc. Let’s put in the white clothes. Now let’s put in the blue clothes).
- Make rainbows out of clean socks. Take turns giving each other directions on what colors to use (Will you make me a rainbow with blue first, orange, and black socks?).
Teach sequencing (putting events in order) during morning and bedtime routines
- Use “First…then” to describe 2 activities you do in your child’s morning or bedtime routine (“First you put on your socks, then you put on your shoes.” “First you put on your pajamas, then I read you a book.”)
- Ask your child to “remind you” about steps in their morning or bedtime routine (You brushed your teeth and put on your pajamas. What do you do next? Oh yeah, after you brush your teeth and put on your pajamas, you pick out a book for us to read.”)
Teach object use while setting the table or eating
- Say the name of each item and its purpose as you set the table. (Everyone gets a plate, so they have somewhere to put there food. Here are forks to eat the pasta and knives to cut the meat.)
- Ask your child to hand you items by stating their use. (Hand me the thing we use for drinking water. Give me the utensil we use for soup. Give me the large bowl we use to serve the salad.) You may want to stand in front of the cupboard with your child, so you can point to an item if they’re unsure of what you’re describing. You could also have them help you set the table by taking clean dishes straight from the dishwasher. Even a small child can reach some items in the bottom of the dishwasher while you supervise.
At the park/ walking outside
Teach location and direction words
- Play follow the leader and lead your child using location words such on top, under, next to, in, etc. (Follow me under the monkey bars. Follow me and go in the tube slide. Follow behind the swings)
- Run up a hill and roll back down. (or go up/down a slide or ramp or stairs)
- Take a walk outside and count how many things/animals you see up in the sky and down on the ground.
- Play Simon Says using location words (Simon says put your hand on your head. Put your elbow on your belly).
At the grocery store or food bank
Teach concepts: sizes
- Label sizes of packaged items as big/large and little/small. Then say which one you’re buying. (There is a big box of Cheerios and a little box. Let’s buy the big box)
- Show your child 2 pieces of the same produce and ask which one is bigger/smaller. (Which orange is smaller? That one is smaller. we’re going to buy 3 small oranges).
Teach concepts: light and heavy
- Give your child items to put in the grocery cart and label them as light or heavy as you pass them (This box of crackers is light. That bag of carrots is heavy; let me help you with it.) Make sure the items are nonbreakable!
- Have your child group light and heavy groceries in the cart. Hand your child items and ask them to put the lighter things on the top (or the front) of the cart and heavier things on the bottom (or the back).
- If you have extra time: give your child 2 pieces of produce and have your him/her guess which one is heavier. Then weigh them on a produce scale and see if they were right. For younger kids, ignore the numbers on the scale and just see which item moves the scale hand farther.
In the car or on the bus
Teach rhyming- a building block for reading
- Sing the Name Game Song (Anna Anna bo banna…)to expose them to rhyming. Find the original song here and the directions here. Sing it with the names of friends and family they know. And kids love it when they hear their own name in the song.
- Play Body Parts Rhyme. You name a body part and say one word that rhymes and one that doesn’t rhyme. Your child tries to guess which is the rhyme. (Head. point to head Should we say “head-red” or “head-cookie?” Head-red rhyme. They both end the same.) For younger children, you tell them the answers.
- Bonus: have them say a rhyming word (Head-bed, red, said, fed)
Teach letter-sound awareness– a building block for reading
- Make up silly nicknames for your child using several describing words (Skye, your name starts with S. Silly, sneaky Skye. Liz, your name starts with L. Lazy, loud, lovely Liz) and then make up nicknames for friends, family and favorite characters.
- Play an alliteration game (there are many variations of this, including I Packed My Suitcase and I Am Going on A Trip). For young children it’s important to say the name of the letter you’re using and use familiar words. One idea is to pick a name, a food and an animal that start with the same letter and sound (I choose the letter A. Andy likes apples and ants. They all start with the letter A).
In a waiting room or doctor’s office
Teach body parts and clothing items
- Sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Need a refresher on this classic song? You can sing this song and do the actions while sitting, making it a good way to get out some wiggles without being disruptive.
- Play Simon Says using hands, fingers, feet, etc. (Simon says wiggle your feet. Simon says point to your pockets.)
Teach counting and common words
- Play How Many Do You See? Ask your child how many of an object they see (How many windows do you see? How many doors do you see?). Ideally you can walk around and point to each item while you count them. But you can also stay seated and point.
- How many steps? You need to walk around for this game. Ask your child how many steps it is to various objects or parts of the room. (How many steps to the table? How many steps to the bathroom?)