One of the things that sets the Amish apart is their language. The Pennsylvania German dialect is still the chief means of everyday communication, though English is also generally known and taught and on the rise. For church matters, a form of standard German is used. The kind of clothes that may be worn is carefully prescribed, hair must be cut in a certain way, and frivolity in dress must be avoided. Sportswear and leisure wear are concepts alien to the Amish.
Children dress exactly as do adults.
Work skills are acquired early in childhood and children's games are often related to the Amish lifestyle. Only a few leisure activities, such as group singing, are permitted. One can go to a zoo to admire God's creatures but one cannot go to a theater or movie. Singing in unison is a part of the traditional Amish religious service. The Amish hymnal, the Ausbund, contains the texts of the hymns, but no musical notation.