How do you spell “celebrate”? Look it up! Tuesday is the birthday of Noah Webster, the “Father of American Scholarship and Education” and the man whose name has become synonymous with “dictionary.” We honor Webster on his birthday by celebrating National Dictionary Day. So dust off your favorite reference book (or an awesome free Merriam-Webster app) and learn some new words with your kiddos!
Try these classic "no equipment required" games:
• The memory game: This is a perfect game for long road trips but also fun at home. The game starts with, “I’m going to California, and I’m bringing a dog (or any item).” The next player repeats the entire sentence, adding an item to the list and so on until the list is so long, players can’t remember the list! Make it silly! For older kids, make it a bit more challenging by making the game alphabetical.
• Hangman: Solve the hangman puzzle by guessing letters that make up the other player’s mystery word. Players continue guessing until they get a wrong letter. Then it’s the other player’s turn. The first person to correctly guess the mystery word without being “hanged” wins!
• Tip: If your child is of school age, use her current (and old) spelling and/or vocabulary words when playing these games. Repetition and reinforcement are key to building vocabulary!