Turn early reading into a game and you’ll have a reader for life! A sight word game is the perfect opportunity for kids to practice sight words and build their reading skills.
Here at Play Ideas, we love these sight word games for preschool, kindergarten and first graders. Reading skills can be hard work which is why we adore the idea that mastery of sight words can be turned into a game.
Using toys, games, and activities will give your early reader a chance to see reading as fun, rather than hard. Sight words are some of the most common words in the English language that can’t be “sounded out” with traditional phonics techniques.
Knowing sight words with a glance will make them lifelong readers. These fun learning games will make that process so much easier (and fun). Teachers have long used these games to entice even the most reluctant readers. Homeschoolers love them too. So whether you are in the classroom, at home or just having fun on the go, here are some of the best free sight word games we found online.
Table of Contents
Word Building with Duplo Blocks
Learn all about how letters form words with letter matching and Duplo blocks! This letter matching game could be used for any word learning including Dolch sight words*.
Via The Printable Princess
*What are Dolch sight words?
The Dolch sight word list (also referred to as the Dolch 220) are recognized as the most frequently used words in the English language. Since sight words make up more than half of common reading material, learning these most frequently used words that cannot be “sounded out” can help children learn to read with less frustration.
Bobbing for Words
“Bob” for words by hanging the words your kid is learning from a door frame and letting them pull them down as they read it correctly. This game makes practice silly fun.
Via The Pleasantest Thing
Opposite Matching Game
If you love opposites (and who doesn’t?) you’re going to love playing this opposites matching game! This combines sight words with non-sight words to let kids challenge their reading while concentrating on the word definitions. This more advanced reading activity can work great for kids in first grade.
Sight Word Toss Game
Toss the lid into the cupcake tin and say whatever word it lands on. Changing out the words can keep this game evolving while engaging children to continue playing. This has been a big hit for kindergartners in my house.
Via Growing Book By Book
Pick Up Stick Sentences
Can your kiddo figure out how to line up the pick-up-sticks to write a whole sentence? Whoa! That’s like next level learning right there...what is next? Reading entire paragraphs?
Via J Daniel 4’s Mom
Play I Spy with Words & Letters
Sift through the “I Spy” bin and figure out how the different letters match up to make words. More advanced play would include seeking and finding specific Dolch sight words making this a great game for all ages–even advanced readers.
Via Mess For Less
Shark Fin Word Game
Match up the teeth to the shark fin words just like in the book Shark in the Park. This learning activity has a lot of bite!
Via Growing Book By Book
Roll a Sight Word Alien
This game of chance will give you either the coolest, or the weirdest alien ever. It is all a matter of rolling the dice and playing along with what can be read.
Via Play Dough To Plato
Sight Word Beach Ball Toss
Toss the word ball and practice words while the kiddo’s enjoy fun kinetic movements. Research has shown that it is easier to learn while moving and this word game combines these things and will result in reading giggles. This reading activity is great for the classroom and is a favorite of many Kindergarten and First Grade teachers. We used it at home in our homeschool curriculum because it was an activity my kids gravitated to without prompting!
Common Word BINGO
Think your little is ready for a rousing game of blackout bingo? Well, this sight word blackout is even more fun because they’ll be learning words as they play! Grab the common words or create a Dolch Sight Word challenge Bingo-style.
Via This Reading Mama
Connect the Word Game
Connect the Duplo blocks to spell out words according to this printable! Teach kids to read with this word smash idea using blocks you already have at home (or in the classroom).
Via Mom Inspired Life
Spot the Sight Word Dominoes
Match up these sight word “dominoes” and see where the game takes you! Grab these high-frequency words that students in kindergarten through second grade typically need to know by sight.
Via Sight Words
Sight Word Fishing
Go fishing in your living room and learn all about whatever words you catch! Common sight words are so much easier to memorize through a game. Being able to recognize a word by sight makes reading simpler and faster.
Via Play Dough To Plato
Early Reading Mystery Bin Activity
This shaving foam mystery bin is going to be a blast. Your kids are going to learn to letter and word recognition while searching through this goopy mess of fun.
Via Mess For Less
Free Printable: Gumball Word Game
This gumball machine printable is definitely fun you’re going to ‘chew’ on for a bit…get it? Early reading skills have never been more engaging.
Via Play Dough To Plato
Picture & Magnetic Letter Board Activity
Learn sight words by learning their picture pairs with this magnetic word board (really, it’s just a cookie sheet…but how smart is that)! Magnetic letters have been a part of learning reading as long as they have been around and a favorite activity on fridges across the world!
Via Miss Giraffe’s Mom
Word Parking Lot Activity
They paved paradise, and put up a sight word parking lot…wait, I don’t think that’s how the song goes. But still, this parking lot is truly a sight reading heaven! Word recognition becomes even more fun with spotting the word and then parking the car in the corresponding space.
Via Juggling With Kids
Craft Stick Reading Puzzle
Let your kids match up the words with this colorful stick puzzle game! Motivating early readers is colorful with this simple DIY craft stick puzzle. Smash the sticks together puzzle-style to uncover the hidden words.
Via This Reading Mama
Shake, Shake, Shake Those Sight Words
Shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake those sight words! Shake those sight words! I can’t stop singing…Recognize those words while dancing, singing and reading.
Via I Can Teach My Child
Craft Stick Sight Word Challenge
Pick a stick, any stick! These sticks have sight words, and I bet these words are totally going to ‘stick’ for your kids! Challenge kids to seek and find sight words with this simple DIY game which can grow with your reader from preschool through second grade.
Via Teach Me Mommy
Silly Word Swat Game
Swat the words as they’re said with this fun and silly swatter game! Grab your Doch 220 list or whatever challenging word list your child might have and create your own custom set of post-it note words. Teaching kids sight words has never been sillier.
Via PBS
Build a Sentence with Toys
Use toys to teach your children not only sight words, but sentence structure and actual reading! Grab some favorite toys, some challenging words and you have a customized reading game at the perfect level for your new reader.
Snakes, Ladders & Sight Words
Instead of Chutes and Ladders, play this fun printable with snakes, ladders, and sight words! Grab this free printable game and start playing this traditional board game in a non-traditional way.
Via Sight Words
The Very Hungry Sight Word Game
Or here’s another fun printable board game that uses the themes from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to teach sight words! Readers will love moving their game pieces around the board making sure their very hungry caterpillar gets fed.
Via Play Dough To Plato
Sight Word Cup Stacking Challenge
Write words on the bottoms of cups and see how high your kids can make their word pyramid before it tumbles to the ground! This reminds me of the popular cup stacking challenges that are timed with a stop-watch. Add a time element and see if your reader can beat the clock!
Via J Daniel 4’s Mom
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