Family members in English for kids: words and games
Family words help children talk about people and follow stories in English. This guide introduces common names for family members and phrases for simple introductions. The two drawing games use an imaginary family, so you can adapt the activity to your child without asking them to describe their own household.
- Learning language
- English
- Age
- Ages 3–10
- Level
- Beginner
Choose two or three words for a first round, not the whole word list. Read these examples as the voice of a made-up character; your child does not need to have or name every relative.
One person can fit several words: a baby can also be someone's brother or cousin. A mother is also a parent; these are not separate people you must draw.
Use the family names people choose. For invented characters, explain each relationship instead of asking your child to guess it from clothing, hair, skin tone, or who appears in the same picture.
For introductions, pretend to speak as the child in your drawing. For questions and directions, speak as yourself. Choose only the phrases that match the characters you have introduced.
- This is my family.
- This is my mother.
- This is my brother.
- This is my grandmother.
- This is my cousin.
- Where is the baby?
- Point to the mother.
- Here you go!
For a little more practice, replace mother with father, sister, aunt, or uncle in an introduction. Keep the pretend speaker and the relationships clear; do not turn the phrase list into a personal questionnaire.
In mother, father, and brother, the first syllable has the stronger beat. In cousin, the first syllable is also stressed, and the letter s has a z sound.
Merriam-Webster lists more than one pronunciation for aunt. The dictionary entries are optional references for the adult; the activities do not require recordings or a child to use a website.
Say one word naturally, pause, then use it in a phrase. Invite an echo, but accept listening or pointing; keep pronunciation practice separate from testing how many relatives your child can name.
Play: Family album
The British Council recommends short, regular practice and repeated language, without expecting a child to speak immediately. The two activities below are original suggestions, not exercises tested by that organization.
Activity 1: Give a pretend family tour
- Goal
- Name family members from one fictional child's point of view.
- Preparation
- On paper, draw a child called Riley, Riley's mother, and Riley's baby brother. Label them for yourself. These invented relationships do not need to resemble your own family; no photos are needed.
Steps
- Point to Riley first. Explain that you will pretend to speak as Riley when you say my. Introduce the other characters by name and relationship.
- Speaking as Riley, point and say, "This is my mother." Then point to the brother and say, "This is my brother." Explain that this brother is also a baby.
- Invite your child to take Riley's part, point, or try one word. You can say the full introduction while your child points.
- Gesture toward the group and model, "This is my family." For more challenge, add Riley's grandmother: draw the mother's mother and introduce the relationship before adding the phrase.
- Adult help
- Keep Riley as the pretend speaker throughout. Model the words and relationships yourself; skip personal questions and stop when your child has had enough.
- Easier variation
- Show Riley and just one relative. Say the relative's word while your child watches or points; no spoken answer is required.
Activity 2: Deliver a pretend invitation
- Goal
- Listen for a family word and choose its picture.
- Preparation
- Draw Riley, Riley's mother, and Riley's baby brother on a sheet. Explain the relationships and label them for yourself. Fold another sheet as a pretend invitation. No reading, cutting, or personal information is needed.
Steps
- Introduce all three drawings before giving a direction. Keep the relationships relative to Riley, not to the real child.
- Say, "Point to the mother." Let your child point, then place the invitation beside that drawing and model, "Here you go!"
- Ask, "Where is the baby?" Invite your child to move the invitation to the baby brother. Repeat the word brother while pointing to the same character.
- Alternate recipients. For more challenge, let your child give a direction while you deliver the invitation, or add Riley's grandmother after explaining who that is.
- Adult help
- Show one delivery first. Name the person again after each choice; use words and gestures rather than a time limit or score.
- Easier variation
- Use Riley and one relative, and point together. Your child can move the invitation while you say the words.
Should we say mom or mother, dad or father? Both pairs refer to the same relationships. Mom and dad are informal; this US-English guide uses mom, while mum is a chiefly British variant. Choose the names your family uses rather than requiring either pair.
What if our family differs from the examples? Keep the invented family, or change the characters and explain the new relationships. Do not add a second parent, sibling, or other relative just to match a worksheet. Your child can skip any word or personal question.
Does cousin specify gender? No. In the meaning used here, a cousin is an aunt's or uncle's child, whatever that person's gender. For practice, introduce a character simply as a cousin without adding a gender label.
Do we need family photos? No. Adult-made drawings are enough for both activities. There is no need to collect images, identify real relatives, or explain who lives with whom.
The vocabulary is an editorial selection of 12 family-topic words. Dictionary entries inform the meanings and pronunciation notes; original examples and parent-led drawing activities offer optional practice.
This list is not a tested curriculum, and the easier and harder choices are not age milestones. Ages 3-10 describe the intended audience, not promised development.
