Games and tricks to remember Chinese Characters for kids - part 1

Learning Characters might feel overwhelming at times, especially the writing routine and the need to write a lot. It might kill any enthusiasm quickly.
So, what can be done? First, you might try to write with brushes, markers, clay, fingers. You can write on the send and on the tray with rice.

1. Writing on the other person's  palm. No need to really write anything on the palm, just move the finger on the palm, as if you are writing it, the other person needs to guess what character is it. If it is a group of students it is even better. each one writes on their partner's hand and the last person should say the character. Usually, someone makes a mistake by the end of the chain the character is changed completely. A good way to check the correct order of the radicals can see it very clearly when students try to write it on someone's palm. The other way is to pretend to write on each other back.


2. Make flashcards, play memory games and bingo

3.Write characters on white beans, pumpkin seeds or stones. And try all kinds of the sorting, matching activities. Mix some characters together and sort them into any category.

4. Print the characters and try I-Spy with characters.

5. Cut the words or characters into their radicals or even lines and reconstruct them back. Make the task more difficult by mixing the radicals of 5-10 different characters

6. It is similar to the previous one, but in this case, you can cut out the radicals 5-10 copies of each radical and "build" the characters you remember. Can play words with the group of students. To add excitement make it to a competition, and give the score to those who made more words.

7.Play Tic-tac-toe, but instead of empty space, fill it with characters. The students must name the character before they can actually write X or O on it. IF it is a group we choose a leader, then one team plays against the other, by naming the targeted characters and the leader writes X, O on the relevant character. A good way to check if the students including the leader at the desk learning the new characters.

8. Coloring and cutting out the characters to make them pretty also helps. Making characters with clay or play dough is also fun. Coloring with a play dough is a good exercise and since it requires some effort it also helps to remember the character.

9. Children can trace their hands or feet or any other object and to fill in space with targeted characters who can write the most characters in that space, or who would be the fastest to finish gets the score.

10. Print characters, laminate them and let the students step or jump on them when you name them.

11. Hide the characters around the classroom and ask to find and bring them.

12. Try to play words but with radicals - ask students to remember all the characters with one of the radicals for example name all the characters with radical heart (心) then the students might come up with  意，思, 芯，慰， 感， 秘密， 必 and so on.

I will add pictures to this article tomorrow. it is just I want to write so much, but because I want to write so much, I postpone writing it. =)