Top 5 vocabulary games to play with a bilingual child - Part 2

Children often enjoy games that get them moving. In this game, the child listens to an instruction in their second language and then does what you say.

Start with simple instructions:

“Jump!”

“Clap your hands!”

“Touch your nose!”

“Sit on the floor!”

Once your child understands the game, you can make the instructions a little more challenging:

“Jump three times.”

“Run to the door and come back.”

“Bring me a blue cushion.”

“Put the book under the chair.”

After a while, switch roles. Let your child give the instructions while you follow them.

To make the game even more fun, deliberately get it wrong from time to time. If your child says “Sit on the chair,” sit on the floor instead. This gives your child a chance to spot the mistake and correct you.

This way, your child practices both understanding and using new words – while moving around and having fun at the same time.

A treasure hunt can turn the living room into a little adventure – while giving your child a reason to listen carefully to their second language.

Hide a small “treasure” somewhere at home. It doesn’t have to be a present. It could be a favorite toy, a book you’re going to read together, or anything else your child enjoys.

Then give your child clues in their second language:

“Go to the kitchen.”

“Look under the table.”

“Go to the sofa.”

“Look behind the cushion.”

For younger children, just a few simple instructions are enough. For older children, you can make the treasure hunt longer and the clues a little more challenging.

For example, you can use words such as under, over, behind, next to, and in, together with the names of different rooms and objects around the home.

Once the treasure has been found, switch roles. Let your child hide something and try to guide you to the right place using their second language.

Choose one of your child’s favorite toys and make it the main character in a little story.

The toy needs your child’s help – and the conversation takes place in the language you want to practice.

For example, perhaps Teddy wants to go outside.

Teddy says:

“I want to go outside!”

But what does Teddy need before he can leave?

“I need something for my feet.”

Your child can help Teddy find his shoes.

Next, Teddy might need a jacket and a hat. Make the game more fun by deliberately making a few silly mistakes. Pick up a spoon and have Teddy say:

“Great! My hat!”

Your child can then correct Teddy and help him find the right thing.

You can come up with all kinds of little stories:

Teddy is hungry. What should he eat?

Teddy is tired. What does he need to go to bed?

Teddy is going to preschool. What does he need to bring?

Teddy is going on an outing. What should you pack?

Adapt the language to your child’s age. For a younger child, individual words and short sentences such as “Shoes!”, “Where is the hat?”, or “I’m hungry!” may be enough. An older child can listen to longer clues and help the toy by responding with words and sentences.

The great thing about this game is that language becomes part of the story. Your child isn’t listening simply to practice vocabulary – they’re listening because they want to understand what the toy needs and help the story move forward.

You can play this game almost anywhere, with no preparation at all. Your child’s task is simply to find something that matches your description.

Start with easy challenges:

“Find something red!”

“Find something soft!”

“Find something round!”

“Find a shoe!”

As your child becomes more confident, make the challenges a little harder:

“Find something you can eat.”

“Find something that belongs in the kitchen.”

“Find something smaller than your hand.”

“Find something you can wear.”

Your child needs to understand the words in order to find the right object. At the same time, they get to move around, explore, and connect the language with real objects around them.

And don’t forget to switch roles! Children often find it especially fun when they get to decide what the adult has to find.

If your child enjoys drawing, a piece of paper and some pencils or crayons can easily become a language game.

Describe what your child should draw in their second language:

“Draw a sun.”

“Draw a house.”

“Draw a red door.”

When your child is ready, start adding more details:

“Draw a big tree next to the house.”

“Draw a small cat under the tree.”

“Draw three flowers in front of the house.”

This gives your child a chance to practice everything from colors and numbers to sizes, everyday objects, and words such as under, next to, and in front of.

Then switch roles.

Let your child tell you what to draw while you try to follow the instructions. Feel free to make a little mistake on purpose. If your child asks you to draw a small cat, draw an enormous one and let them correct you.

This usually makes the game even more fun and encourages your child to use the language themselves.

Make Language Part of Everyday Play

When children are learning more than one language, every moment doesn’t need to become a language lesson. There are plenty of opportunities to use new words naturally through things children already enjoy doing – running, searching, drawing, using their imagination, and playing with their favorite toys.

Adapt the games to your child’s age and language level. A younger child doesn’t always need to respond in their second language. Understanding an instruction, finding the right object, pointing, reacting, or repeating a single word are all part of language development too.

A bilingual babysitter can create more of these opportunities in your child’s everyday life by using the language naturally through play and other activities together.

Want to discover our first 5 games for bilingual children? Read Part 1 here.

Want to learn more about bilingual babysitters? Find out how we can help your family.

@Barnakademin