Before one learns to read or write, they must learn to spell.
Spelling is not all that easy for little children as you might think. In this article you will discover games to help with spelling words, and some really fun spelling activities, too. Besides being engaging and interactive, most of them can be played just about anywhere – at home or in the classroom.
Let’s begin, by taking a look at some truly wonderful spelling games for kids, that will help them master that larger game called ‘Spelling.’
Spelling Games and Activities for Kids
Here are some of the best spelling word games and activities for kids to indulge in, to help them ace the spelling game.
#1. Hangman
Looking for games to help with spelling words? Start with this one.
How to Play: One person thinks of a word, and the other player tries to guess it by guessing letters. If the letter is in the word, the player gets a point. If not, they get a strike. The game ends either when the word is guessed, or the player gets six strikes.
#2. Lily Pad Letters
Spelling word games that make children move are fun!
How to Play: Write the 26 letters of the alphabet on a large sheet of paper before cutting out each letter in the shape of a lily pad. Place the ‘lily pads’ on the floor. Read out a word that your child has to ‘spell out’ by stepping on the letters that spell it.
#3. Spelling Bee
This simple game gets the competitive spirit of kids to the forefront.
How to Play: Children are given a list of words. The fastest to spell most words correctly, is the winner.
#4. Stair Steps
An easy spelling game to help kids memorize words.
How to Play: Children have to write each word as if they are ‘stairs’, one letter at a time.
For example:
P Po Pot
#5. Boggle
A classic spelling game, this one’s great for kids of all ages.
How to Play: Players take turns finding words in the grid on a Boggle Board. The longer the words, the more the points.
#6. Spelling Ball
A great spelling game that can be played with three or four players.
How to Play: Stand together in a circle with a ball. One person has to call out a word before tossing the ball to another player. The catcher needs to spell out the word before they toss the ball to yet another person, and call out a new word. Note: If stuck, a player can pass the ball to another person, to let them have a go.
#7. Word Jumble
A game that’s perfect for kids fresh into learning spelling.
How to Play: One child jumbles the letters of a word that the other has to unscramble. Then the roles are reversed. The player who gets most words right, wins.
#8. Newspaper Clippings
One of the coolest spelling activities for kids.
To do: Have your child cut out newspaper clippings, from which they can learn to spell interesting new words.
#9. Word Battle
Yet another cool spelling game that provides for healthy competition.
How to Play: Two kids have to each write down 10 words on different sheets of paper. Each reads out their words one at a time, for the other to spell. There is one point for each spelling guessed correctly. The first person to reach 5 points, wins.
#10. Sensory Spelling
Spelling activities with a ‘sensory touch’, are awesome.
To do: Have children spell words in sand, or even shaving cream. Tip: You could use wooden Scrabble letters, too.
#11. Cloud Writing
If you’re looking for spelling activities with a bit of drama, this one’s it.
To do: Say a word and have your child trace the letters in the air, while saying each letter aloud. Tip: Tell them to be as dramatic as they wish. The bigger and more exaggerated their movements, the more fun it is.
#12. Words on the Back
Yet another fun activity to learn spelling.
To do: Sit with your back facing your child. Call out a word and have them trace its spelling on your back. Reverse roles.
#13. Chalk Words
A great way to learn spelling outdoors!
To do: Have them write words in chalk on the pavement, or even your driveway.
#14. Letter Switch
This cool spelling activity will have children thinking aplenty.
To do: Create a simple world with magnetic letters, like ‘cat.’ Ask your child to replace the first letter with another, to create a new word (like using ‘p’ to create ‘pat’). Tip: Start with first letters, then progress to last letters – like ‘cat’ to ‘car’).
#15. Visualizing the Word
Have your child visualize words, to make spelling come alive.
To do: Introduce them to a word, like ‘House’. Give them some magazines and have them cut out the individual letters that make up the word, before they stick them on chart paper. Note: This activity helps kids focus on each letter separately.
#16. The Spelling Memory Game
Games that sharpen the memory can be great fun, too.
How to Play: Write a word on a flashcard and show it to your child. Have them read out each letter of the word aloud and then the entire word, before they place it face down. Then they have to remember and write down the word.
#17. Rainbow Writing
A splash of color always makes everything more interesting.
To do: Have your child write out the different letters of a word you give them, in different colors. Note: This activity encourages learning how letters work together to form complete words.
#18. Trace, Write, and Remember
Another great spelling activity that uses memory.
To do: Create three columns on a sheet of paper: ‘Trace, Write and Remember.’ Write a list of words in the first column. Get your child to trace each word, before copying them in the next column. Finally, cover both columns and let them write the word in the last column from their memory.
#19. Fill in the Missing Letters
A simple activity for learning spelling, this one.
To do: Create a list of words on a piece of paper, with blanks replacing some of the letters in each word. Let your child work through the words, filling in letters to complete them. Note: If your child needs help identifying a word, draw a picture next to the word.
#20. Spelling Bingo
A great spelling game for kids, that’s a twist on the classic game of Bingo!
How to Play: Printable blank Bingo card templates that can be downloaded from the Internet, and give them to your children and their friends. Each player has to write a different letter in each square, without repeating it. Then, play using standard Bingo rules. When a child has letters that form a word, they must say ‘Bingo!’, followed by the word.
#21. Spelling Train
This one’s a fun game that helps children learn spelling. How long can they keep the train running?
How to Play: Choose a word for your child to write down. Have them write down another word with the last letter of the word they have written, and so on. That spelling train would look something like this:
Car
Rat
Tiger
Road
#22. Spelling Scavenger Hunt
A fun twist on the classic Scavenger Hunt game.
How to Play: Make a list of spelling words and hide them around the house. Give your child a copy of the spelling list and see how many words they can find. Tip: Give them bonus points if they find the words in order!
#23. Sound It Out
Another cool activity that utilizes memory to teach kids spelling.
To do: Say a word out loud to your child, and have them repeat it back to you. They must then write down what they heard. Note: This activity encourages identifying phonetic patterns in words.
#24. Words on Stairs
Kids learn best when you teach them in unique ways.
To do: Paste the letters of words in the correct order, from the bottom to the top of the stairs. Kids have to climb the stairs, while loudly reciting each letter. When they place a leg on the stair that has the last letter, they have to say the word.
#25. Jumble-Up
Another activity that puts the thinking power of children to the test.
To do: Children have to pick 6 letters at random, and create as many words as possible from them. For example, if they pick the letters ‘a’, ’m’, ‘p’, ‘t’, ‘s’, and ‘o’, they can create words from them like ‘apt’ and ‘top’.
At EuroKids we are of the firm belief that spelling is an essential skill for children to learn. We encourage all parents to teach their kids correct spelling practices from a young age. This will only widen their vocabulary and expose them to a richer set of linguistic patterns.
