Boost Vocabulary with Rhyming
Vroom
May 24, 2023
Rhymes are a great way to boost vocabulary. And it's sure to make a child smile for miles! If you work with young children and are looking to enhance their language abilities, try these rhyming activities created by our partners at Vroom.
Food Rhymes
Suggested Age: 12-18 months
During meal or snack time, create a rhyme or a rap about what your child is eating: “No slice, no dice, we eat rice!” or “You’re no rookie, eating your cookie.” They’ll enjoy the sound of the words and if they respond, make rhymes from their words too.
Great Plate
Suggested Age: 3-5 years
Your child will want to stay at the table if mealtime is fun. Try this game. Take turns choosing a word from the meal to rhyme with. Examples could be plate, fork, fish, eat, or yummy. Let your child start. Rhyming words can be real words or silly rhymes just for fun, like plate/flate or yummy/zummy!
Once Upon a Rhyme
Suggested Age: 3-5 years
Tell a rhyming story together with your kids. Pick a word like "boat" and then start a sentence like, "I saw the boat float." See if they can do the next rhyme like, "The goat won't float." Then, ask them to choose another word and start a new rhyming story.
Playtime Poems
Suggested Age: 6-18 months
When a child makes a sound, turn it into a rhyme. If they say “Eee,” say, “Eee rhymes with WE and we are together.” How many funny poems can you make with the sounds they are making? It is fun for them and helps them listen to sounds.
Soothing Rhymes
Suggested Age: 0-12 months
When your child seems fussy, try singing a rhyme or a song. Do they calm down when your voice is quiet, or do they respond to big facial expressions and an enthusiastic voice? Try different rhymes and songs to find their favorites.
Sing, Rhyme, Repeat
Suggested Age: 12 months – 2 years
Help a child recognize patterns and familiar words by singing simple songs with lots of repetition or rhymes. Can’t remember one? Make up you own! Encourage them to join in by repeating the words or by adding their own ideas.
Bath Rhymes
Suggested Age: 3-5years
Choose a word related to an activity with your child. At bathtime, you might use the word “float.” Ask them to come up with as many rhymes for that word as they can in one minute, like “boat” or “coat.” Have them count how many words they got. Change the word to “soap” and begin again. Then you can take a turn to rhyme.
Animal Rhymes
Suggested Age: 2.5-5 years
Take turns with your child coming up with Animal Rhymes. You can start by saying something like, “There’s a mouse in the house.” Then they could say, “A frog sits on a log.” Go back and forth coming up with animals and rhyming words. Get creative and silly with your rhymes!
Alphabet Words
Suggested Age: 4-5 years
Choose a word like “tall.” Then work with your child to go through the alphabet, using each letter to make new words that rhyme with the first: “all, ball, call,” etc. Talk together about how changing the letter makes a different word. Go through as many letters as you can.
Clean Up Song
Suggested Age: 0-3 years
As you clean, sing a song with your child about what you’re doing. “I am dusting the chair” or “I am picking up toys that fill you with joy.” You can use silly voices, rhymes, or sing to the tune of a favorite song. Invite them to help if they’re old enough. Hand them their own dust cloth. Or, encourage them to pick up toys with you while you sing a song together!