Early Reading Games Part 2

These are some of the other games that my kids LOVE, and we will swap out pictures of speech target words for Chelsea or do other things to shake it up!

Flashlight Letter/ Word Finder

For this activity, you will need a flashlight for each child playing! Tape up your targets around the room (letters, numbers, words, pictures of speech target words) and turn off all the lights. Then call out what you want them to find! Kids love shining flashlights all around! You can say the name of the target, or give clues, sounds that it makes, etc.

 

Home Run

Best played outside! Put target words on the bases, and when your kiddo hits the ball off the tee, they have to run around the bases and say each word before you tag them out!

 

 

Musical Reading Chairs

I love my kids using their whole body when they learn, and this is so easy- musical chairs! We all know how to play musical chairs- sit on a chair when the music stops! Simply put words on the chairs, so the kids have to call out what word they are sitting on! We can also change it up to say the last letter, or second letter to work on order of numbers and understanding what “third” means.

 

Hidden Puzzle Words

My kids like this one as long as it is on a fairly simple puzzle. With harder puzzles, they don’t like distractions. I tape a little word on the bottom of puzzle pieces, and the child has to use that word in a sentence before they can put the puzzle piece in place. You can also hide the puzzle pieces in a sensory bin! (Not rice though- that causes issues because it isn't seen then the puzzle doesn't fit together) Dried beans work well!

 

 Cleaning the Room Words

I bribe my kids for this one! I will hide flashcards or similar under things in a messy room. When I say go, the kids have to pick up toys and put them away. If they touch it, they have to put it away, even if nothing is under it. If a word is under there and they correctly read the word, they get a penny to put in their banks. Reading lesson and clean house is totally worth 20 cents to me!!!

 

Who Can Find the Most ___

This is a fun car game or game while out on a walk. See who can find the most of a given letter. For little kids, it is easiest for the child to find “their” letter. Since my name is Mommy (or Mary, take your pick), I would look for Ms. Chelsea would look for Cs, etc. Kids take such great pride in being able to identify “their” letter!

 

Shadow Words

For this one, you can either hold up a letter cut-out (I like using my foam letters so I don’t have to do work) or a paper with letters cut out of them. Either way, you get a projection/ shadow of a letter on a wall. You can also hold up a letter and have the kids trace it outside with sidewalk chalk! I also have the kids put up their hands and tell me what animal/ shape/ whatever their hand shadow reminds them of. They are fascinated with their shadows right now!

 

Balloon Words

Get some of those balloon animal balloons, blow them up, and use them to form letters or words! Giant letters that the kids can kick around! Nothing more fun than that! You can also write words on regular balloons, and call out words. First kid to identify the correct balloon gets to pop it!

 

Clothespin Words

I use my alphabet clothespins to let the kids make words or spell their names. I don’t do big words, because they are working on spelling. We sing our name song while we spell it out, and pinching clothespins open is actually a big time workout for little hands!

 

Object to Word Matching

This is another really fun one for kids! Find some of the kids’ favorite toys/ objects, and write out the names on cards. Then have the objects on one side of the room and the names on the other. The kids have to match the words by sounding out the names of the objects and sounding out the words written on the cards!