Games for Children With Hearing Impairments

Buzz

• In this circle game, the children are told the "buzz̶1; number, which must be between 1 and 9. Each child in turn fingerspells the next number, unless the buzz number is in it. When that happens, the child must spell the word ̶0;buzz̶1; instead. For example, if the buzz number chosen is 3, the first child spells 1, the next child spells 2, but the following child must spell ̶0;buzz̶1; instead of 3. After spelling 12, the next child must remember to spell ̶0;buzz.̶1; If he incorrectly displays the manual symbol for 13, he is out of the game. The game continues, with the children spelling out ̶0;buzz̶1; for all numbers (in this example) between 29 and 40. The last child remaining is the winner.

Telephone Line

• A line of children are ̶0;receivers,̶1; facing the opposite direction of the first child in the line. A designated ̶0;caller̶1; stands in the front and creates a sentence in ASL, signing it once ̵2; but clearly ̵2; to the first receiver. That child then turns around and taps the next child's shoulder. She turns around and watches the child repeat what the caller signed. Play continues as each child taps the next player's shoulder to turn around and repeat the sentence. When the last player repeats the sentence in ASL to everyone, the caller then signs the original sentence. The children will be amused at how much the original sentence changed from the first to the last child. Players take turns being the caller and the receiving line rotates with each game.

Go Fish

• Index cards are prepared in advance with vocabulary concepts written on them, along with a corresponding image. Make four cards of each vocabulary word. The object of the game is to collect sets of four of the same card. Shuffle the cards and deal them out, until all the children have five cards to hold. Place the rest of the cards face down in the "Go Fish" pile. In turn, each child signs to another child, asking if she has a specific card. The child must have the card for which he is asking. For example, one of Cory̵7;s five cards is "CANDY." He signs to Emily, "Do you have candy?" If Emily has any CANDY cards, she must give all of them to Cory. Cory continues asking other players until someone doesn't have the requested card ̵2; that child signs to Cory ̶0;Go Fish!" He draws a card from the pile and play moves to the next child. As each child collects four of the same card, she must lay them down for all to see. The game ends when a child has no cards in his hand. The player with the most cards wins.

Memory

• The first child signs any ASL word. The next child repeats the first ASL word and then adds another ASL word. The next player repeats the first two words and adds another word. The words can be random (more difficult) or a grammatically correct phrase or sentence (easier). The players continue in a circle until a child forgets and is out of the game.