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Tell Me What You Like

Broccoli or carrots? Watermelon or strawberries? An airplane or a big truck? Start a lively conversation about favorites.

  • 4 years
  • Quick prep
  • At home
  • About 15 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Language：Expressing preferences, adding descriptive words, and using quantity phrases gives your child practice explaining their ideas in English.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

  1. 1

    Picture cards showing animals, vehicles, fruits, vegetables, and other familiar categories

Step 1

Name That Picture

Show your child the picture cards and name each item in English. Take turns choosing a card and saying what you like about it. Encourage your child to add a describing word or a quantity phrase when they can.

What to notice

  • Names an item shown on a picture card Communicating and Speaking
  • Responds appropriately to your question in English about the picture Attending and Understanding

Tips

  • Offer encouragement: “Think again—you can do it.”
  • Avoid dismissing an attempt with “No, that’s wrong.” Instead, model the word or pronunciation clearly and invite another try.

Step 2

I Prefer It Because...

Take turns choosing which of two items you prefer. To collect a card, explain your choice in a complete sentence.

What to notice

  • States a preference and gives a reason, such as “I prefer...because...” Communicating and Speaking
  • Describes a pictured item’s color, texture, or other features Communicating and Speaking

Tips

  • Encourage your child to describe the features of the item they prefer in a connected sentence. If they hesitate, offer a few sentence starters.
  • Affirm the choice and reason: “Yes, broccoli is good for your body!”

Step 3

Show What You Collected

Show each other the cards you collected and review them together. Then compare to see who has more.

What to notice

  • Names the pictured items again while displaying the cards Vocabulary
  • Counts the cards they won one by one Counting and Cardinality

Tips

  • Display the cards by clipping them to a string or attaching them to paper or a board.
  • Try an “I describe, you guess” game. One person describes an item on a card, and the other guesses what it is.
  • If your child wins, model mild disappointment in a playful way and notice whether they offer comfort. Then show how to handle losing positively.

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026