Animals in Conversation

Sometimes fish discover water last. These conversation ideas can help your child appreciate the intentions of words and sounds to convey meaning in the animal and the human world.

• What kind of sounds do animals use to communicate with each other?
• Can people understand what “meow” means? Or is that a language that cats use for themselves?
• Let’s borrow from the cat world and substitute the word “meow” for a word we use often, like “please?”
• Meow may I have some more juice?
• Excuse me, (name) but would you meow give me a hug?
• Let’s think of other words we could use meow to replace?
• Let’s see if, as a family, we can substitute that word for a whole meal?
• The next day, surprise them by slipping the substitute word into a conversation.
• Later in the week, let them decide what animal language you will play with at dinner.