Like most kids her age, my 5-year-old daughter is very interested in the alphabet. Every road sign, tee-shirt text, or page in her books is like an exciting mystery waiting to be solved. Unfortunately for her, she is unable to solve these mysteries by herself; she still needs the help of Mom or Dad to make sense of how the letters go together to make meaningful words.
She has learned, however, that letters can go together in funny ways to make funny words all of her own. This latest Beyond The App game was created by my 5-year-old, and I’m here to share it with you. It’s sure to bring giggles out of your young ones and maybe even help them develop their letter-sound relationship skills.
How To Play
Say What?!? is simple:
- Open Notes (or similar app)
- Let your child type letters
- Try to sound out the word
Some things to consider… You might want to institute a limit on how many letters can be in a word. Three-lined words get to be a bit tedious to sound out, and it doesn’t take long before they get boring. I find that short and sweet work best; this way, you can really focus on the different sounds letters make. Another fun twist is to come up with a definition for this made-up word. I have found that the sounding-out process tickles my daughter the most, while the imaginative definitions are the high point for me. My daughter loves nothing more than to see the funny faces we have to make in order to sound out letter combinations like BFBSTOOP, and I love learning that ZAGARRR is the sound a worm makes when it is stuck on our driveway in the sun.
Because this is a quiet and calm game, Say What?!? is perfect for those times when you and your child are stuck in a waiting room or in line at the store or even as a before-bed activity. Try it out and let us know in the comments section how it went!
