The simple Camera Game is a great way to not only help children learn everyday nouns, but also to introduce themselves and their family to the class. Send an inexpensive digital camera home with the child and a set of word cards for family members and household nouns. Check the child's school information to make sure the family cards are correct. Ask the child to take a picture of family members holding their proper name cards, such as "Mom" or "brother." Instruct the child to place the cards on or near the other household nouns, such as "kitchen" and "bed." When the child brings the camera back to school, share the slide show with the rest of the class.
Send home a blindfold, a few candies and a packet of cards that illustrate simple words such as "left", "right," "up," "down," "step" and "numbers." The parent and child will take turns blindfolding each other. The sighted player will place the candy near the blindfolded person. Using only the directions in the cards, the sighted person will direct the blindfolded player to the candy. As the child and the family become more fluent, try adding more directional words and phrases such as "giant steps," "baby steps" and "turn to the left."
Folder games are great ways to send self-contained activities home. Games fit in a manila folder that can easily be slipped into a large zipper baggie. The board can stretch across both sides of the open folder. In the Have You Ever game, draw a track with individual spaces common in board games. At the top of the page write "Question: Have You Ever" and "Answer: I Have Never." Fill the spaces with funny nonsense situations, such as "traveled to the moon" or "played with a whale." Whenever the player lands on a space, she must ask someone the question in the square, such as "Have you ever seen a ghost?" The other player will answer with the formula, such as "I have never seen a ghost." In addition to learning the difference between "ever" and "never," this can be a great way to help children talk to their parents.