Hello everyone! Welcome to TAPED’s Parent Blog. We hope that you will find the information on our website helpful, insightful, and/or inspiring! We welcome input and would love to hear ideas for upcoming posts. There’s a link at the end of the post to submit your ideas.
In last month’s blog, I briefly mentioned bringing out some deaf friendly games. This will vary depending on your child’s hearing and communication needs. Games not only help to create fun family experiences, they also teach skills!
Your child can learn skills like:
- how to take turns
- how to win with grace
- how to lose without wanting to give up
- hand-eye coordination
- and so much more!
They also keep kids off technology so they can interact and learn language organically! Below are some of our family’s favorite games.
Chandler Family Favorites
Spot It!
This is a great boredom buster! I keep one of these in my purse at all times. We usually play this game when we are at a restaurant waiting on our food. This can be played while you wait to be seated or while you’re at the table. While we typically play when we are out, this can also be played at home. It’s great for the whole family! If you are a signing family, the signs for the pictures would be easy to quickly teach family members that aren’t used to communicating through signs.
The basic idea is to be the first to find the matching picture on your card. We make it deaf friendly by tapping the picture instead of calling out the name of the matching object. IF we have a tie, we do a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine the winner. Winner has the greatest number of cards.
Jenga
This game doesn’t require much language unless you are razzing the other player! If you are a signing family, these signs would be easy to quickly teach family members that aren’t used to communicating through signs.
- You win!
- I win!
- Don’t fall!
- Fall! Fall! Fall!
The basic idea is to take a block from the center of the tower without the tower falling. You then place the block on the top of the tower. You want the tower to fall on someone else’s turn. Not much language is required, but it’s a great game to bring people together.
Face Change Rubik’s Cube
This isn’t really a mainstream game like the others I touch on, but it’s lots of fun! This is also a game I bring with me to restaurants or places that will require a wait.
The basic idea is to create the face on the chosen card first. Each person gets a set of cubes they have to use. This is a GREAT game for sneaking in some language too! Once you create a face, you can ask questions about the emotion you see.
- What is he feeling?
- What caused her to have this feeling?
- I think she feels this way because….
- Anxious, Proud, Weepy, Confused, Excited, Sad, Silly, Irritated
Uno
This is another game that can be played anywhere! Kids can curl up in a corner to play, families can play at the table at home, or you can play it at a restaurant as you wait for food. If you are a signing family, these signs would be easy to teach family members who aren’t used to communicating through signs.
- Blue, Red, Green, Yellow
- Draw 2
- Reverse
I found this game was easier to play once my son was able to hold the cards without showing everyone…it kept me honest. Haha We make this a little more deaf friendly by knocking on the table when you have an Uno instead of only saying the word “Uno.”
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Did you know there’s a deaf friendly way to play Rock, Paper, Scissors? Check out this video to see how. My son was taught by older students in our program. (I believe the high school kids only count to 3, but who’s counting? haha)
Lindsay’s Language Lounge
Multiple meaning words are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings when used in a different context. Each of my blogs will have a different multiple meaning word and ways that you can incorporate its use in everyday conversations.
This month’s multiple meaning word is…LEFT!
- How many candies do you have left? “How many candies do you still have in your pocket?” “How many candies have you not eaten yet?
- Grandma left after lunch today. “Grandma left. She went home.” “Grandma is not here anymore, she left.”
- That shoe goes on your left foot. “You have a right foot and a left foot. How can you tell which foot is left? (Teach your child that your left hand will correctly make an L, while your right hand will incorrectly make an L.)
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
We look forward to sharing information on topics that are of interest to you as well as relevant to the area of Deaf Education. Here is a link to get feedback on the topics you would like to be covered https://forms.gle/k68CSrARgbbXMsdV9.