Play With Your Words, Don't Eat Them: Word-Centric Games and Software Programs

These word-centric games and software programs focus on fun while helping to build important language skills.

 
Kern Alphabet Card Games
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
U.S. Games Systems, $5.00

Kids can play matching, crossword and concentration games with these cleverly designed alphabet cards.

Now I Know My ABC's
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
innovativeKids, $16.99

This activity set combines the fun of a treasure hunt with the satisfaction of learning ABCs.

Learning to Read! First Words
Ages: 3 & Up
Carson-Dellosa Publishing, $9.99

Fourteen 3-piece puzzles introduce pre-schoolers to first words. Activity guide is included. Let's Go Read! An Island Adventure
Ages: 4 - 6 yrs.
Edmark Corporation, $29.95

This tropical adventure in reading flies youngsters off to a colorfully animated island where Robby the raccoon and Emily the squirrel guide them through 20 interactive locations. Includes IBM speech recognition technology and microphone so kids can pronounce the words their reading and hear constructive feedback from the computer.  Lets Go Read! 2: An Ocean Adventure
Ages: 5 - 7 yrs.
Edmark Corporation, $29.95

Robby the Raccoon and Emily the Squirrel return in this underwater sequel to Edmark's first learn-to-read title in a bubbly, interactive ocean adventure. Focusing on the sounds of letters, long and short vowels, and simple words, this program includes built-in speech-recognition technology that keeps kids sounding out answers throughout the adventure.   WordXchange Junior Edition
Ages: 5 & Up
Prodijeux, $26.95

Got words? The junior sibling of Word Xchange, here, players add letters to create new words. The first player to complete and keep five word-cards wins. But players beware! Opponents can play, or pilfer others’ completed word cards. As our young testers said – this game is huge! Letras
Ages: 7 & Up
Grand Isle Games , Inc., $9.95

In this word-building card game, easily adaptable to various skill levels, the object is to form words fast. See It and Sign It
Ages: 7 & Up
Bill & Bud Toys, Inc., $24.99

Put fun at your fingertips while learning American Sign Language. With ten different game boards, cards, and secret decoder lenses, you will learn how to sign 60 words, the alphabet, and numbers one to ten. Also includes eight easy-to-remember guides and instructional DVD with demonstrations. Fun for one or more players. Pick Two Deluxe
Ages: 8 & Up
Outset Media Games, $19.99

Pick Two Deluxe rewards word game enthusiasts with a robust run at vocabulary challenges. In Pick Two Deluxe, 240 tiles are placed face down at the center of the game table. Each player selects eight tiles and places them face down in front of his or her place at the table. Someone yells, "Go!" and play begins. Each player then arranges his/her own words in a crossword puzzle format with the tiles. The first player who uses all eight tiles says "Pick Two." Everyone stops playing, takes two more tiles from the center pile, and all continue to create new words. Play progresses in this manner until all the center pile letters are gone. The player to use all his/her letters at this point says, "Stop" and play ends. The numerical values of the unused tiles are recorded and after five rounds of play, the player with the lowest score wins.  Nerdy Wordy
Ages: 8 & Up
Briarpatch, $14.99

You don’t have to be a nerd to play this crossword challenge. But you do need to use your imagination and word-forming skill to win. The object is to construct as many 2-to-5-letter words as possible, including making words within words to score extra points. For example, the word "HEART" also scores points for the words he, hear, ear, and art. Two players each have a crossword tray containing 25 slots in a 5x5 grid, into which letter cubes fit, and a lift-up cover so neither can see the other’s moves. Players alternate in selecting and announcing one letter, which both must place wherever they wish in their own tray. Scrabble
Ages: 8 & Up
Hasbro Games/Milton Bradley, $11.99

A Parents' Choice Classic Award winner, this game hasn't changed a bit in over 50 years, but remains just as fun and challenging as ever. Two to four players use wood tile letters, skill and lots of luck to battle in the ultimate war of words. Quiddler
Ages: 8 & Up
SET Enterprises, Inc., $12.00

This word-forming game, played like the card game rummy, challenges you to make either the most words or the longest word from your letter cards.

Box of Silly Word Games
Ages: 8 & Up
Great American Puzzle Factory, $12.00

These twenty-five silly word games encompass everything we played as kids, and had so much fun doing! Each game has easy and concise rules that allow for maximum fun time! Comes with a die, pencil, paper, and sand timer. You will laugh yourself silly! !   PDQ - The Pretty Darn Quick Word Game
Ages: 8 & Up
CEACO, $9.99

Quick! Try to make a word out of the letters SMP. Sound SiMPle? How about PTR. Get the PicTuRe? In this lightning fast party game, it's an all-out race to be the first player to shout out a word using all three letter cards in play. Each round starts with a different set of letters - it's up to you to fill in the blanks. Whoever has the most cards at the end of the game is the WNR! BuzzWord
Ages: 10 & Up
Patch Products, Inc., $14.99

Play is simple. A Buzz Word is announced (e.g. feet) and clues are given for terms that use the Buzz Word (e.g. procrastinate = drag your feet, commit wholeheartedly = jump in with both feet, and bad dancers have them = two left feet). Points are awarded for correct associations. Great for team play, party game play, or as a travel game.  WordXchange
Ages: 10 & Up
Prodijeux, $28.95

Make six words from randomly selected letter tiles in this fast-paced anagram game. But watch out: Other players can swoop in and steal your letters to make their own words.  Nymble
Ages: 10 & Up
Karmel Games, Inc., $26.97

Nymble, a simply designed word game, is ideal for those who enjoy Scrabble, Boggle, and Taboo. The object of the game is to earn points by spelling synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms ("nyms" thus the wordplay name Nymble) from nine letters chosen by rolling the dice. After each round, players read their word pairs, at which time players can challenge one another's words. Players then vote on whether to uphold or reject the challenge. Merriam-Webster's Word Sweep
Ages: 10 & Up
Intellinitiative Game Co., Inc., $29.95

Unlike most word games, this deals more with the meaning of words than their spelling. The object of the game is to guess three words that appear consecutively in a Merriam-Webster dictionary (any version) after hearing the definitions of the three words and their initial letter as read from a card. After the 40-second sand timer runs out, opponents get a chance to guess any words the player may have missed. The cards are divided into three decks: everyday words, intermediate words, and challenging words. But even though the "everyday" words are simple, the definitions may not be; definitions are frequently one of the more obscure ones at the end of the list.