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Parent guide · screen-free play

Luxembourgish without screens: cards, games, and the app in your hand.

By the Kawi team · Updated

Many parents tell us the same thing: their child is still too young for a screen, and that is fine. Luxembourgish can be learned another way, with paper cards and an adult nearby. This page builds on our guide to teaching a child Luxembourgish: here, the child never touches the screen.

Free cardsGame rules

  • Ages 3 to 6
  • The real voice of the LOD.lu dictionary
  • Free to start

How it works, in three steps

  1. The freshly printed Animals card sheet, and two cards already cut out: Kaz, the cat, and Hond, the dog.

    1Print the cards for a theme, then cut them out.

  2. Cut-out cards on the table, next to the phone open on the app's “Play without a screen” screen.

    2Lay a few cards in front of your child. In the app, open “Play without a screen” and the same theme.

  3. In the app, the parent taps Kaz; on the table, your child points to the cat card.

    3Tap a word's play button: your child hears it and points to the right card.

This is the “Play without a screen” mode of the Kawi app. The app does one thing only: it gives the real pronunciation, from the official LOD.lu dictionary, at the moment you need it. Your child looks at the cards, not at the screen.

The printable cards

Three themes are free, ready to print on A4 right away. For animals, the Luxembourgish animal flashcards also have their own page, with every animal to listen to. On each card: the picture, the Luxembourgish word, its pronunciation and its translation.

FreeLittle wordsDownload (PDF)
FreeAnimalsDownload (PDF)
FreeFruits and vegetablesDownload (PDF)

Every other theme, in the app

With the subscription, every theme in the app has its own printable cards, always up to date, in your language:

  • Actions
  • At home
  • At the table
  • Celebrations
  • Clothes
  • Colours
  • Family
  • Feelings
  • Food
  • In town
  • Jobs
  • Numbers
  • School
  • Shapes
  • Sky and nature
  • The bathroom
  • The body
  • Toys
  • Vehicles
  • Weather and seasons

Eight screen-free card games

All eight games fit on one sheet of cards, to print and keep with the others. The first card tells you where to start: installing Kawi, with a code to scan.

  1. 1Show meFrom age 3

    Three cards on the table. You play a word, your child points to the right card. Then four cards, then five.

  2. 2The mystery bagFrom age 3

    The cards in a cloth bag. Your child draws one, you listen to the word together, and they repeat it if they want to.

  3. 3MemoryFrom age 4

    Print the same theme twice, cards face down. Each time a card is turned over, you listen to the word.

  4. 4Kim's gameFrom age 4

    Four cards, your child closes their eyes, you take one away. Which one is missing? They find it by listening to the words.

  5. 5Card huntFrom age 3

    Hide five cards around the room. You play a word, your child goes to find the card.

  6. 6The shopFrom age 4

    With the fruit and food cards, your child “buys” whatever you ask for in the app.

  7. 7Be the animalFrom age 3

    With the animals: you listen to the word, your child acts out the animal, you guess.

  8. 8BingoFrom age 5

    Three cards each. You play a word: whoever has that card puts it in the middle. The first to place all their cards wins.

Download the rules (PDF)The eight games as printable cards, with the code to install the app first.

Numbers work well at the table too: here are counting games in Luxembourgish, with stairs and fingers. And for the ear, Luxembourgish nursery rhymes need nothing at all.

Why cards, with a toddler

At 3 or 4, a child learns a language through their ears and hands: they hear a word, link it to a picture, and point to it. Cards on the table do exactly that, with nothing flashing or scrolling.

It is also time together. You discover the words at the same time as your child, and it is often the child who wins: nothing motivates them more.

What if you don't speak Luxembourgish?

Most parents who write to us don't. You don't need to say the word: the app says it for you, in a real voice, and you play. You will pick up the words along the way, often after your child.

Keep sessions short, a few minutes, and stop before your child gets bored. A small game every evening beats a long session on Sunday.

The words, the right voice, and your printable cards.

In the Kawi app, every theme has its “Play without a screen” mode and its cards. Free to start.

Download onthe App Store Get it onGoogle Play

Your questions

What are good screen-free activities for 3 year olds?+
Short activities that use their hands and voice: cards to handle, Kim's game, a card hunt around the house, a nursery rhyme. A few minutes is plenty at that age, and an adult playing along matters more than any material.
How can my child learn a language without screens?+
Through their ears and through play: songs, picture books read aloud, and picture cards. With printable cards, your child plays with paper while you play the correct pronunciation at the right moment.
Which games can you play without screens?+
With printable cards: show me, the mystery bag, memory, Kim's game, card hunt, the shop, be the animal and bingo. All of them work for two, at the table or on the floor, from age 3.
Do I need to speak Luxembourgish to play with my child?+
No. The “Play without a screen” mode of the Kawi app says every word with the pronunciation of the official LOD.lu dictionary. You hold the phone, your child plays with the cards, and you learn the words together.