Has your spelling practice become dry or boring? Well, brush off the dust and try some of these hands-on spelling activities!
Since readers need to have BOTH phonics and sight words understanding to become good readers, focusing on both phonics AND sight words during spelling instruction is a great way to help words “stick” in a child’s memory.
When words are taken out of the context of a book and their patterns, letters, and parts are studied, it forces readers to slow down and really take it all the word has to offer them. This, in turn, helps them become better readers.
So today, I’d like to share 50 of my favorite hands-on spelling activities for phonics and sight words. Many of these are included in the back of my ebook, Teaching Kids to Spell.
Did you know you can find 700+ pages of printable spelling activities and games in my ebook? Yes! That’s enough to cover an entire year of spelling fun!
50 Hands-on Spelling Activities
Most all of these activities can be adapted for either phonics OR sight words. You can also insert your child’s spelling list into the activity instead of using the specific words shown in the post.
1. Scoop & Spell {This Reading Mama}
2. Sidewalk Chalk Spelling Hop {Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational}
3. Stamp Your Words {Lessons Learnt Journal}
4. Go on a Word Treasure Hunt {Hands On: As we Grow}
5. Make a Spelling Word Search Puzzle {This Reading Mama}
6. Use a Spelling Dictionary {The Measured Mom}
7. Dot Sticker Spelling {School Time Snippets}
8. Post-a-Word {This Reading Mama}
9. Make a Giant Crossword Puzzle {A Mom with a Lesson Plan}
10. Phonics Jumping Game {Learners in Bloom}
11. Play Word Rocket {Playdough to Plato}
12. Spell with Beads {Frugal Fun 4 Boys}
13. Spell with LEGO Letters {This Reading Mama}
14. Spell the Most Words Game {No Time for Flashcards}
15. Spinning Straw Spellers {Still Playing School}
16. Build Words with Rocks {Sugar Ants}
17. Glitter Spelling {Here Come the Girls}
18. Play Word Bump! {This Reading Mama}
19. Roll a Sight Word {I Can Teach My Child}
20. Making Words {Buggy and Buddy}
21. Paint your Words {Childhood 101}
22. Oversized Letter Cards for Spelling {This Reading Mama}
23. Seek and Find Spelling Game {What Do We Do All Day?}
24. Rainbow Write Your Words {Nurture Store}
25. Words 3 Ways {Teach Mama}
26. Use Crayon Resist {This Reading Mama}
27. Spell with Pipe Cleaners {Make and Takes}
28. Spell with Your Fingers {Home School Innovation}
29. Use Word Sorts {This Reading Mama}
30. Spell with Cereal {A Mom with a Lesson Plan}
31. Finger Tap Spelling {This Reading Mama}
32. Car Track Delivery Spelling Game {Stay at Home Educator}
33. Make a Chalkboard Refrigerator Game {Enchanted Homeschooling Mom}
34. Visual Spelling Practice {Home Literacy Blueprint}
Roll & Cover Game
35. Roll & Cover Spelling Words {This Reading Mama}
36. Make a Spelling Garage {123 Homeschool 4 Me}
37. Roll and Spell {Well-Nurtured Plants and Pillars}
38. Letter Lacing {Mama Miss}
39. Roll & Write Words {This Reading Mama}
40. Spelling Hangman {Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas}
41. Waffle Words Spelling Game {The Homeschool Post}
42. Use a Board Game {Teach Beside Me}
43. Spell with a Word Family Dictionary {guest post on The Measured Mom}
44. Play a Word Stretching Game {The Pleasantest Thing}
45. DIY Spelling Word Puzzles {This Reading Mama}
45. Allow Invented Spelling {1+1+1=1}
46. Spelling Puzzles {No Time for Flash Cards}
47. Missing Letter Spelling Game {Imagination Soup}
48. Ride to Spell {This Reading Mama}
49. Spelling Battleship {Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational}
50. Clip a Word {Sugar Ants}
51. Bottle Cap Spelling {This Reading Mama}
More Spelling Activities and Resources:
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- Short Vowel Word Study
Go digital with spelling! Read all about my educational apps or purchase them on iTunes or Google Play!
All About Spelling is a fantastic spelling program using the Orton-Gillingham methods. Hands-on work is a big part of All About Spelling!
Using Words Their Way to Teach Spelling
5 Things Struggling Spellers Need
Enjoy teaching!
~Becky
The Knowlton Nest says
May 13, 2014 at 9:26 amLooks I need to get more creative with spelling! Thanks for these ideas!
thisreadingmama says
May 14, 2014 at 5:06 amHa! We all could use a little creativity every once in a while, right?
Erin says
May 13, 2014 at 3:11 pmWow! So many great ideas here! Thanks so much for mentioning my spelling post!
thisreadingmama says
May 14, 2014 at 5:06 amYou’re very welcome!
jenjamsam says
May 13, 2014 at 9:07 pmGreat ideas!
Malia {Playdough to Plato} says
May 15, 2014 at 9:17 amWhat an awesome collection of creative spelling activities, Becky!! Sharing!
thisreadingmama says
May 16, 2014 at 2:58 pmThank you, Malia!
Theres Just One Mommy says
May 16, 2014 at 7:41 pmSo many awesome ideas! Can’t wait to try a few out with the kids!
thisreadingmama says
May 17, 2014 at 3:22 pmYes. I will be trying a few of these with my kids as well! 🙂
Kristina @ School Time Snippets says
May 22, 2014 at 1:26 amSuch a great resource!! Pinned!
p.s. thank you for including us : )
thisreadingmama says
May 22, 2014 at 7:34 amYou’re very welcome! Thank you for your amazing idea!
enchantedhomeschoolingmom says
June 3, 2014 at 11:11 pmWhat a fantastic list and resource!! Thank you so much for including my Chalkboard Refrigerator Game 🙂
thisreadingmama says
June 4, 2014 at 6:07 amYou’re very welcome!
Bon Crowder (@mathfour) says
June 18, 2014 at 6:52 amI had forgotten all about the Waffle Words I wrote long ago. Thanks for the ping.
I’ll have to put my brain on a math version of it now!
thisreadingmama says
June 18, 2014 at 7:11 amI’d love to see it when you’re finished. 🙂
bigbangprivate says
November 11, 2015 at 3:01 pmWow really nice 😀 resources
thanks for sharing
Vidyanext says
February 24, 2017 at 2:41 amGreat post!
Les Privat Jogja says
June 7, 2017 at 1:57 amThax for the trick, so helpfull
shineyshoo says
August 26, 2017 at 3:21 amthere are some amazing ideas here, thank you 🙂
aparna nigam says
October 1, 2017 at 4:41 amWOW!!!! very nice and interesting article written by you. Such a great piece of information.
Caroline Smith says
November 18, 2017 at 3:06 amReally nice! Thanks for sharing those fantastic activities. These creative spelling activities are wonderful. I would love to try these. Can’t wait. Awesome ideas.
Brittany Bronsord says
April 15, 2018 at 11:20 amI love all your posts! I’m a first year 2nd grade teacher so finding resources can be overwhelming and time consuming. I love that your worksheets are engaging for my students. Thanks for sharing!