5 Perfect Games for Turn Taking

(Post updated in 2021 to include 5 more turn-taking games) If your child has a pragmatic language disorder, then it may be very likely that he has difficulty appropriately taking turns. At around the age of 3- to 4-years-old most children understand the idea of turn-taking, although they may not always wait for their turn. By 5-years-old most children are able to appropriately play in a group and participate in turn-taking tasks. You can help facilitate turn-taking at home by taking turns playing board games, taking turns playing a tablet or video games, taking turns choosing a book to read, or taking turns with a ball. Listed below are 5 games for turn taking that are great to play at home.

Games for Turn Taking

1. Candy Land

Candy Land is a great classic game that promotes turn-taking. Your child will love to play this game and get to the candy castle. Take turns with your child choosing a card to find out where to move on the board. You can also have your child tell you what he sees on his card when it’s his turn (ex. “I got two blue squares”). For ages 3 and up.

2. Hi Ho Cherry-O

A simple game but great for taking turns. When it’s your turn you spin the spinner and find out how many fruit to pick off the tree.  The first one to fill his basket is the winner. Have your child request for his turn and go back and forth until there is a winner. This game is also great to teach your child counting! For ages 3-6. 

3. Zingo

This is one of my favorite games to work on turn-taking and other language skills. You and your child will take turns using the zinger to reveal tiles. Each tile has a simple picture on it that need to be matched to your board. This game is a lot of fun and can also help to increase vocabulary skills. For ages 4-10.

4. Connect 4

Take turns with your child to put colored chips in the board to get four in a row first. Remind your child that each person puts one chip in at a time and then the next person going gets to take his turn. This game is also good for teaching your child how to participate what may happen next and learn about strategy. For ages 6 and up. 

5. Let’s Go Fishin’

Let’s Go Fishin’ is a fun and interactive game. The fish rotate around the pond while one player at a time attempts to catch a fish. Practice taking turns with your child to catch fish in the pond. This game is also great for hand-eye coordination. For ages 4 and up. For additional information about using this game for speech and language skills click here. 

2021 – 5 more turn taking games

6. BANANA BLAST

Take turns pulling out bananas from the tree top to see who will make the monkey jump.

7. POP UP PIRATE

Take turns putting swords into the barrel to see who will make the pirate jump out.

8. FINE MOTOR HEDGEHOG

Take turns putting in or taking out spikes from the hedgehog’s back.

9. RAINBOW FIDGET

10. MATCHING GAME

Take turns turning over cards to find matches until there are no more cards left.

Also check out 10 toys for under $10 for language development.