Fun Spelling Games For Kids To Play At Home

If you’re looking for a fun way to practice spelling with your kids, there are so many options. Working on spelling at home can really help with their progression in school and their education in general. With so many fun spelling games for kids out there, you’re sure to find something that your child enjoys (and you never know, maybe you will too!). There are some spelling games for kids online that can be super effective – however, we wanted to offer some more hands-on games that you can play together at home. Read on to find out more!

How do you play spelling games with kids?
Remember to be patient and kind with your child as they play and learn – you should never expect them to spell things that are too advanced for their age group. If you’re looking for spelling games for 8 year olds, for example, then even spelling games for 10 year olds may be too intense, and you don’t want to put them off. If you’re joining in with the games, go easy on them – you’re not playing to win, after all; you’re playing so that they can learn!

How do you make a spelling game fun?
The important thing to remember is that these games are meant to be enjoyable – and that’s the trick to their effectiveness. Rather than forcing your child to sit down and play, make it into a fun treat or a nice activity so that it’s easily distinguishable from a classroom lesson.

The list below should give you some great ideas of games that can be made into free spelling games for kids with a simple twist. Let’s dive in!

Fun spelling games for kids
The below list includes some fun games that you probably have in your house already, which can be altered slightly to become spelling games. Have fun!

Jenga
Jenga is arguably one of the most popular games out there, for adults and children alike. Turn Jenga into a spelling game by writing words on the pieces, and asking your child to read out these words and spell them to you (without looking) before placing the piece back on the tower. The best part of this is that you can customize the game as you wish, choosing the right level for your own child and teaching them spelling in a fun, hands-on way.

Scrabble
Need we say more? As the ultimate word game, Scrabble is one of the best spelling games for 8 year olds and over. Of course, younger children can play too, but it may be a bit too difficult to spell using such a restricted set of letters – you can always bend the rules slightly to allow for more flexibility, however. Perhaps you allow your child the opportunity to choose more Scrabble tiles so they have more spelling options, or you could play as part of a team and work out the spelling of words together.

Go Fish
This classic card game can be made into a fun spelling game. Instead of playing with numbers or traditional cards, you can create cards with words (either by hand – get creative! – or by finding printable options online).

Each player should have seven cards and the remainder should be placed in the middle of the table. Players should try to collect four of the same word, through a process of asking their fellow players if they have the word. If the player they ask has any cards with this word in their hand, they need to pass these over! If they don’t have the card they’re searching for, then the player who asked for it must “go fish!”.

If a player picks up the card they wanted from the middle pile, then they also get another chance to request this card from another player. If luck is not on their side, then the next player takes their turn. Continue in this manner until one player collects four of the same word.

Playing games like this can get your child accustomed to how certain words are spelled, through constant exposure to these words.

Memory
Memory is one of our favorite free spelling games for kids. To play this game, make pairs of cards with matching words and lay them face down on the table. Make as many matching pairs as you like with your preferred words, and have fun designing them too if your child is the artistic type – making them as eye-catching as possible.

Take turns turning over one card, observing the word, and then turning over another. The aim of the game is to match up the cards, trying to remember where each word lies on the table. When all the cards have been matched up, the winner is the player with the most matching pairs!

Mini Spelling Bee
Why not hold your own spelling bee at home? You can even make it into a bit of an occasion, with rewards and treats when your child gets the right answer. Get dressed up and give them center-stage, asking them to spell some words that may be slightly more challenging than they are used to. Ensure you cheer them on and encourage them for their hard work!

With such a wide variety of games out there, you have so many options. These fun spelling games for kids can help turn spelling practice into an activity that they really enjoy, and that’s the key to learning!

 

Featured image by Clarissa Watson on Unsplash