Language games for kids can be great for adults too

We often see language games for kids, but I want to show you some ways to use the card game Language Guardians by yourself – no matter your age. 

This is not a sponsored review. I was sent this deck by creator Matthew Boyle and I wanted to share these tips for how a solo learner can use the cards to practice vocabulary.

Here are the games I play on my own using Language Guardians between teaching my FUN Fluency English classes, while I wait for the commercials to finish while watching my favorite show, during my set aside language study time, and more!

Card game 1: Memory. 

You remember the game memory, right? Perhaps you called it concentration or something else entirely. 

Whatever you called it, there are two ways that I like to use the card game Language Guardians to play it and at the same time practice vocabulary.

Option 1:  Matching by category

There are 4 cards for each category (excluding the wildcards). So, there are 4 Person cards or 4 Food & Drink cards or 4 Animal cards, etc.

Bonus: You can choose which specific categories you want to practice and play using only those cards. This is the nice thing about playing on your own. You can make your learning focused on whatever you want during these practice sessions.

Mix the cards you choose and put them all face down as shown in the picture. Make sure you have two of each category because in the game memory you need to make pairs.

Then start flipping over two cards at a time trying to find pairs. 

Flip over two cards. Do they match? No, they don’t. Ok. Flip them so the Language Guardians picture is facing up again and try turning over two different cards.

For additional speaking practice, I say an example for every card I flip over – even if they aren’t a match. 

When I have a pair that matches – that means two cards are the same, I say another example. 

In this case, my example is related to the category Person. Following the instructions on the card, I might say: You can use Language Guardians to practice new vocabulary in another language.

As you can imagine, this version of memory involves a lot of speaking practice in one game. Not only does it help to review vocabulary, but it also makes you ready to play Language Guardians with other people.

(Some people might call this cheating, but I just call it preparation. )

Option 2: Matching by element.

In Language Guardians, there are 4 elements and the wildcards. That means 5 colors for you to play with – green, red, black and white, blue, and pink. This time instead of pairing categories, you are pairing colors.

The same as before, you’ll mix the cards you are going to play with and put them face down. Make sure you have at least two of each color so you can make pairs.

Note: I don’t play memory with the whole deck of 52 cards, although you can. I play with less – only 20 at a time, for example.

You have 10 cards of each color, so you can decide how many categories you want to play with. Once again, you are in charge of selecting which categories are more important or interesting for you to practice at that moment.

To play, start flipping over two cards at a time trying to find two of the same color. 

Just like before, I like to say an example for every card I flip over – even if the cards are different colors and not a match. 

When I have two cards that are the same color, I say an example that connects the categories in a sentence. For example, with a red Food & Drink card and a red Plant card, I could say, I don’t like eating roses unless they’re chocolate roses.

As you can see, that extra part about creating a description to connect the card categories adds some creativity to the activity. It’s a fun personal challenge!

Card game 2: Flashcards

This activity is so easy and useful for vocabulary practice. I find it especially useful when waiting in a line somewhere. I know I can’t be the only one who practices languages in line at the supermarket. I can’t always fit my book in my purse but I can always fit a deck of cards.

Flashcards are normally two-sided, but in this case, these are one-sided and, the best part, there isn’t only one correct answer. Yay!

To play Language Guardians flashcards, all you need to do is pick a card, read the category, and respond. It’s that easy!

I challenge myself to try to think of a different response to each card. The hard part is when you get the same category over and over. That’s when you have to really push yourself to think of all the vocabulary you know. It’s a great vocabulary workout for your brain.

Final advice to keep language games fun for kids and for you

Remember: it doesn’t have to be only speaking practice. You could easily change memory or flashcards into writing activities. Be inventive and have fun!

With these solo Language Guardians activities, that are also popular language games for kids, you’ll keep your self-study motivating and enjoyable.

One of the keys is to have easy access to the material. That’s why I leave my Language Guardians card game in my purse or next to my computer or on the coffee table. When I am stuck in a line at the post office or I have a break between classes, my cards are ready! I can spend a few minutes doing flashcards or play a short 6 card game of memory. No excuses not to practice.

You can get your own copy of Language Guardians here so you can try out these activities for yourself.

What other ways would you use Language Guardians to practice a language on your own?