Sight Word Games

1. Jump On It!

Make a second set of sight word cards. Scatter one set face up on the floor, leaving about a foot between each card. Place the other set in a stack face down. Turn over the first card in the stack. Have your child read the word (offer help as needed) and then jump on the corresponding card on the floor. Turn over the next card and have your child read it and jump to that word. Continue until your child has jumped on all of the words. Mix the cards up and play again!

*This game is also good for wearing out children with lots of energy! J

2. Which Word Wins?

Sit with your child and look at a newspaper to see just how often sight words pop up in print. Ask your child to choose a sight word from the list and an article from the paper. Look for the word together. Highlight and count the word each time it appears. Try the same thing with the second sight word. Which word appears more often?

3. Rainbow letters

Turn sight words into rainbows! Ask your child to write a sight word on paper in big letters. Using different colored crayons/markers, your child can trace around the word again and again, reading the word each time.

4. In the Cupboard

Open a cupboard and take turns with your child, finding and reading sight words. Keep going until you run out of time, words, or things in the cupboard.

5. Read My Back!

“Write” a sight word on your child’s back. Can your child guess the word? Trace places- let your child trace a word on your back. Continue taking turns tracing and guessing sight words.

6. Spill a Sight Word

Place sight word cards into an empty container. Invite your child to shake the container, spill out the words, and read the ones that fall face up. Give each word your child reads a score that is equal to the number of letters in the word. Record the total, then place the remaining cards back in the container, shake, and spill again. Add the total to the first score. Play until your child has spilled and read all of the words. *Keep separate scores for more than 1 player

7. I’m Thinking Of…

One player starts by giving a clue about one of the sight words- for example, “I’m thinking of a word that starts like horse and has 3 letters.” The other player looks at the cards and tries to identify the word.

8. Sight Word Soup

Write sight words on large noodles. Rigatoni works well. Use permanent marker. Fill a pot with the noodles. Provide a plastic ladle and 1 bowl per player. Invite your child to visit the sight word soup pot and scoop a bowl of noodles for you (or another player). Let them read the words on their noodles aloud.

9. Sight Word Bingo

Use the blank Bingo board enclosed with your child’s sight words. You can write their sight words on it with a permanent marker and wipe them off with nail polish remover. Provide child with beans or other objects to fill in their board. Choose a sight word, show it to your child, read it/have them read it. If they have the word, they put a marker on the space. Play until your child gets 5 across, down, or diagonally. Start a new game.

10. Buzz!

Shuffle the sight word cards and the “Buzz!” cards enclosed with your child’s sight words. Flash the first word- if it’s a sight word, have child read it. If it says “Buzz!” everyone says the word, then jump up and buzz about. Gather your bee(s) back together by saying “Back to the hive!” Continue with the next card.