We’ve made it to September! (Pause for collective sigh of relief!) Whether your kids are learning virtually or face to face, we’re back to schedules, homework, and book reports. Sight word lists are being assigned. Elementary parents all over are tasked with the boring duty of flipping through stacks of flashcards nightly, much to our children’s dismay.
But what if I told you that I could make sight word practice fun for you and the kids? Even better, here’s a list of 10 sight word games and activities with minimal prep or mess:
1. Sight Word Egg Flip
Check out this easy sight word game! It’s #19 on the list. All you’ll need is some paper, scissors, markers, and a kitchen spatula. You could also edit this one and turn it into a memory game! I love how easy it is to customize this one.
2. Target Practice
Grab your kid’s favorite Nerf gun and tape their sight words to the wall. Call out their words and have them shoot the correct word. You could also take this game outside with some chalk words and a squirt gun or water balloons!
3. Play-dough Sight Words
Keep those hands busy while you cook dinner! Throw some play-dough on the table and have your child practice writing each word with their finger in the play-dough. This one is also from this list of indoor activities! It’s #16!
4. Puddle Jumping
I love that this game gets the kids outside and moving! Draw some chalk “puddles” with your kid’s sight words inside each one. Let them hold an umbrella. As you call out the words tell them to jump in the “puddle” of the corresponding word. Younger kids can jump on the shape, color, letter, or number puddles!
5. Parking Garage
Write your child’s sight words in this “Parking Garage” template below. Call out the words and have your child park their Matchbox cars in each parking spot.
6. Sight Word Ball Toss
Grab some empty baskets or bins and tape a sight word to each one. Tell your child to throw a ball into the basket with the word you call out. This one is super helpful for those tricky sight words because you can repeat the words as many times as it takes for them to recognize it! It would also be a good game for practicing the difference between “There, their and they’re”. Or “To, too and two”.
7. Magnet Word Building
Do you have a bunch of alphabet magnets crowding your fridge? Give them to your child with a cookie sheet and let them try building their sight words.
8. Roll and Write
For this activity, you’ll need the writing template below, a pencil and some dice. Write your child’s sight words under each of the dice. Then have your child roll the dice. Whatever number they land on is the sight word they need to practice writing.
9. Word beading
This activity calls for some alphabet beads. If you don’t have any, you can buy these from Amazon. Have your child string their sight words onto some string or pipe cleaners. This is an awesome activity for crafty kids!
10. Sight Word Investigator
Tape your child’s sight words all around the house. Give them a magnifying glass, notebook and pencil and tell them how many sight words they have to find. Once they find a word, they have to write it in their notebook!
I love that these activities make a boring task fun! Not to mention most of the materials you already have lying around the house, so it takes minimal effort.
Which activity do you like best?
