Your child's vocabulary is exploding this year, and one aspect of their language you can really work on growing is their ability to describe things. Engaging in fun, creative activities that engage the five senses is a great way to encourage young children to use descriptive vocabulary. From games that rely on their sense of sight or activities that encourage noticing smells and textures, there are plenty of ways to evolve your child's descriptive language in ways that are enjoyable for both of you!
- Play "I Spy" - This classic game is perfect for building descriptive vocabulary. Choose an object in the room and say, "I spy with my little eye something that is red." Your child can then guess what you're looking at, and you can encourage them to use descriptive words to describe the object. You can extend this game to include shapes, size, texture, and so on.
- Go on a nature walk - Take a walk outside and encourage your child to describe the things they see. They can talk about the colors of the flowers, the shape of the leaves, or the texture of the rocks. You can also ask open-ended questions like, "What do you think this tree feels like?" to encourage your child to use descriptive language.
- Read books together - Reading books together is a great way to build vocabulary and encourage descriptive language. Choose books with colorful illustrations and interesting characters that your child can observe and describe.
- Make a sensory bin- Â A sensory bin is a container filled with materials that stimulate the senses. You can fill a bin with things like rice, beans, or water beads and encourage your child to describe the textures and colors of the materials. Just be sure to watch your child carefully and only include items that are safe.
- Play dress-up - Dressing up in costumes can be a fun way to encourage descriptive language. Encourage your child to describe the colors and textures of their costume, or to talk about the character they are pretending to be. You can even challenge them to find household items to recreate a look, such as that of a mermaid or pirate. This activity will require that they make close observations and then think outside of the box to find items that are similar. Ask them to describe why they chose the items they chose.
- Play "What's Missing?" - Place a group of objects on a tray and let your child study them. Then, cover the tray and remove one object. Ask your child to describe the missing object and use descriptive language to identify it.
- Cook together - Cooking is a fun activity that can help your child develop descriptive vocabulary. Encourage your child to describe the different ingredients they are using, and to talk about how they smell and taste.
- Play "Describe That Word" - Choose a word and encourage your child to describe it using descriptive language. For example, if the word is "flower," your child might say, "It's a plant that has petals and comes in many different colors."
Whether you're playing games, reading books, or engaging in sensory activities, there are many opportunities to build language skills and encourage descriptive language. By incorporating these activities into your daily routine, you can help your child develop a rich vocabulary and a love for language!
