Language is always developing and evolving, which makes it so interesting. Being a major form of communication for us as human beings, it's always a good idea to really understand how language works and how you can manipulate it as well. Having good language skills is a really valuable asset in life on a whole, and these skills can be developed easily if you learn to have fun with words along the way.

These are some great games to play with the entire family, for kids and adults alike. Word games not only test the brain and put it to work to find a solution; they also can be lots of fun when a twist is added, such as rhyming or other tricks. There is so much one can do to play with words.

A lot of great word games involve using the alphabet as a guideline, marker or starting point. For example, pick a topic such as animals or countries or cities. Each person in a group can take it in turns to name one thing that falls under that topic, but it must begin using the corresponding letter of the alphabet. The first person will choose a word that begins with A, the second must say something using B at the start, and so on and so forth.

To amp up the difficulty level and make the brain work even harder in a game like this, try using the last letter in the previous word as the first letter for the next word. This will result in endless fun and laughter for everyone involved, especially when someone gets stumped! Add a time limit for a further challenge.

You can pretty much modify or simplify any game for a younger audience by letting them use paper to write down their answers. Do you remember the game 'Name, Animal, Place, Object'? Put these words as headings across the top of a page and then run the letters of the alphabet down the page on one side.

Setting a timer means every player only has so much time to fill in as many answers as they can, using a different word for the various categories. This is great for home or school, at a social or academic level. It's good for exercising the young ones' brains, but also a great way to get them quiet for a while!

You can up the difficulty level of any word game quite easily. Think of how you can use rhyme to amp things up and stump one another. Write different words on folded paper and pick them out of a container one at a time. Each player has to find four words rhyming with the one written on the paper, or better yet, make up a poem with them!

There are also lots of other language tricks and decoration that can be added to make language fun. Think about puns, double meanings and words that reflect sound effects, also known as onomatopoeia. Tongue twisters are a great way to practice articulation - try to say them faster each time and see who wins. Or what about finding lots of different words spelled using the letters taken from one bigger word?