Learning German for kids works best the way German children learn it themselves: through songs, picture books, counting rhymes and lots of everyday talk, long before anyone mentions grammar. This free hub brings together eight short games in German and English: the German alphabet with Ä, Ö, Ü and ß, numbers in German from 1 to 100, and picture words for animals, fruits, vegetables, colours and body parts. Each word is spoken aloud in clear audio, so a two-year-old who cannot read can still tap, listen and play.
What your child learns in German here
The games cover the same first words that a German Kita group uses in its morning circle (Morgenkreis): colours, counting, animals, food and the parts of the body. Your child hears the word with its article, such as der Hund (the dog), die Katze (the cat) and das Pferd (the horse), which is the easiest way to pick up German gender without ever learning a rule.
- Alphabet: 30 letter cards from A wie Affe to ß wie Fuß.
- Numbers: a tap-to-hear chart from eins to hundert with a "Count with me" button.
- Animals: 60 animals, from die Kuh to das Seepferdchen.
- Fruits and vegetables: 30 of each, from der Apfel to die Kartoffel.
- Colours: 12 colours, from rot to hellblau.
- Body parts: 30 words, from der Kopf to das Herz.
How young children in Germany learn
In Germany, children under three often go to a Krippe (nursery), and from three to six most attend a Kita or Kindergarten. German kindergartens do not formally teach reading or writing. The focus is play, language, songs, crafts, time outdoors and getting along in a group. Children learn colours, counting and animal names through games, finger rhymes and picture books, and many kindergartens run a Vorschule group in the last year to practise listening, counting and holding a pencil.
Formal reading and writing start in Grundschule at around six. The first school day, die Einschulung, is a big family event, and each child gets a Schultüte, a large paper cone filled with sweets and small school things. Austria and German-speaking Switzerland follow a similar pattern, with regional words (Swiss children say Chuchichäschtli for a kitchen cupboard, which is a favourite tongue twister).
Which German game to start with, by age
| Age | Start here | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 | Animals and colours (Listen mode) | Understands 10-20 words, says a few: Hund, Ball, rot |
| 3-4 | Fruits, body parts, numbers 1-10 | Names common things, counts to 10, joins in songs |
| 4-5 | Find it and Memory, numbers to 20 | Short sentences like "Der Apfel ist rot" |
| 5-6 | Alphabet, numbers to 100 | Recognises letters, first sounds, counts in tens |
How to teach German at home in ten minutes a day
- Pick one topic a week. Play Listen for three minutes, then find the real things in your home.
- Always say the article. Say der Apfel, not just Apfel. Children remember der, die, das as part of the word.
- Sing. Classic German children's songs such as "Alle meine Entchen" and "Hänschen klein" are short, repetitive and perfect for toddlers.
- Count out loud. Count stairs, grapes and buttons: eins, zwei, drei.
- Stop while it is fun. Five happy minutes beat twenty tired ones.
Try the German "I spy" game, "Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst, und das ist rot!" ("I see something you don't see, and it is red!"). It practises colours and it is exactly what German families play in the car.
Tips for bilingual and expat families
If you have moved to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, German words from these games help your child settle into the Kita, where the teachers (Erzieherinnen and Erzieher) will speak German all day. Learn the same words together, and practise the phrases your child will hear first: Guten Morgen, Tschüss, Hände waschen (wash hands) and Ich muss aufs Klo (I need the toilet).
If one parent speaks German and the other does not, many families use "one parent, one language": each parent sticks to their own language, and the child learns both. Heritage families living outside Germany can use these games as a daily five-minute top-up, then read German picture books at bedtime. Mixing languages in one sentence is normal for bilingual children and fades with time. If your child's speech worries you, talk to your paediatrician.
Keep screen time short and shared. Sit with your child, repeat the words together and then switch the screen off and find the real things. Children under two learn far more from a grown-up and real objects than from any screen.
Deutsch lernen für Kinder: ein paar Worte an die Eltern
Auf dieser Seite finden Kinder acht kleine Spiele auf Deutsch und Englisch: das ABC mit Ä, Ö, Ü und ß, die Zahlen von eins bis hundert, Tiere, Obst, Gemüse, Farben und Körperteile. Jedes Wort wird deutlich vorgelesen, und zu jedem Wort gibt es ein Bild. So können auch Kinder mitspielen, die noch nicht lesen können.
Spielen Sie jeden Tag nur ein paar Minuten und sagen Sie immer den Artikel mit: der Hund, die Katze, das Pferd. Suchen Sie danach die Dinge im Alltag, beim Einkaufen, im Park oder in der Küche. Loben Sie die Mühe, nicht nur die richtige Antwort, und hören Sie auf, solange Ihr Kind noch Freude hat.
Für Familien, die gerade nach Deutschland gezogen sind, ist das ein sanfter Start in die Kita-Sprache. Und für Kinder, die im Ausland mit Deutsch aufwachsen, ist es eine kleine tägliche Brücke zur Familiensprache.
For a wider choice, browse all languages for kids, or compare German with its close cousin in Dutch for kids.
How to use this page at home
Say it, then find it
Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: german words on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.
Ten minutes is enough
Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.
Use both languages
Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.
