Play this game anywhere (no materials necessary). It's fast-moving fun that doesn't feel like homework.
To start, choose a category such as geography, famous people, inventions or animals. The first player says one item from the category: ZEBRA, for example. The next player must come up with an item in the same category that begins with the last letter of that word: ANTELOPE. The next player may say ELEPHANT; next, TAPIR, and so on. If a letter proves impossible (Y poses difficulties after you've used YAK, for example), use the letter right before the last one (a, in this case). When playing with children who're just starting to read, dispense with the categories and use any words at all: EXIT - TAIL - LEMON, for example.