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Word Games at the Table

Four games that need only words and a pencil: word chains, clue games, fold-over stories, and riddles that turn on a double meaning.

Spark & Whetstone · sparkwhetstone.org/learn/word-games-at-the-table · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Answers are at the end, so you can try each question first.

Lesson 1. Word chains

Say a word. The next player says a word that starts with the last letter or the last sound of yours: "dog — goat — tent — towel". Decide the rule before you start, and say which one it is.

A sound chain is easier for young children, because they can hear it. A letter chain is a spelling game, because "knee" starts with K but sounds like N.

ChainPals plays both. At the table, nobody wins: the chain just gets longer, and you can count the links.

Question. In a letter chain, someone says "night". Which word can come next?

  1. Tiger
  2. Nest
  3. Knight

Say it back. In your own words: how is a sound chain different from a letter chain?

Lesson 2. Clue games

One player thinks of a word and gives clues without saying it: "It's round, it bounces, you kick it." The others guess. A good clue is about what the thing does or where you find it.

Clue games build the words around a word: what it belongs with, what it is like, what it is not. That web of words is a big part of understanding what you read.

For a young child, give the clues yourself and let them guess. CluePals plays it with pictures.

Question. Which clue helps a child most to guess "umbrella"?

  1. You open it when it rains.
  2. It has eight letters, and two of them are L.
  3. It starts with the letter U, like "up".

Say it back. In your own words: what makes a good clue?

Lesson 3. Fold-over stories

Each player writes one line of a story at the top of a sheet, folds it so only the last few words show, and passes it on. At the end, unfold it and read the whole thing aloud.

It is always funny, and it is real writing: a sentence has to follow on from the words you can see. Children who will not write a whole story will happily write one line.

FoldoverPals plays the same game on a screen. On paper, the reading aloud at the end is the best part.

Question. Why does a fold-over story work for a child who dislikes writing?

  1. A grown-up checks every word they spell.
  2. They only write one line at a time.
  3. A timer keeps the game moving quickly.

Say it back. In your own words: what does a child practise in a fold-over story?

Lesson 4. Riddles with a double meaning

"What has a neck but no head?" A bottle. The best riddles work because one word means two things, and the answer lives in the meaning you did not expect.

Getting a riddle means holding both meanings at once. Making one up is harder still: find a word with two meanings, then ask about the surprising one.

JestForge collects riddles and puns and asks children to explain why they are funny. At the table, take turns: one riddle each.

Question. Which riddle turns on a double meaning?

  1. What has keys but opens no locks? A piano.
  2. What is long, yellow and peels? A banana.
  3. What is big and grey with a long trunk? An elephant.

Say it back. In your own words: how does a riddle use a word with two meanings?

At the table: One chain, all evening

Players: everyone at the table. You'll need: a long strip of paper and a pencil.

  1. Agree: sound chain or letter chain.
  2. Write the first word at the top.
  3. Each person adds one word in turn.
  4. Count the links at the end and read the chain aloud.

Answers

  1. Tiger — "Night" ends with the letter T, so the next word starts with T. "Nest" starts with N, and "knight" starts with K even though it sounds like N.
  2. You open it when it rains. — What you do with it builds meaning. The first letter and the length are spelling facts, not clues to the idea.
  3. They only write one line at a time. — One line is a small, safe amount, and the fun comes from the whole sheet. There is no timer and no checking.
  4. What has keys but opens no locks? A piano. — "Keys" means piano keys and door keys. The banana and the elephant are plain descriptions with no second meaning.