good spelling activities for homework

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

• Classroom Ideas
• Teacher’s Life
• Deals & Shopping
• Privacy Policy

40 Effective Spelling Activities for Kids

August 18, 2022 //  by  Jane Brooks

Some students dread math while another's anxiety skyrockets when you say it's spelling time. You can decrease the stress for students by moving away from rote learning and weekly spelling tests. By adding movement, hands-on and sensory activities, and gaming to your spelling lesson plans, you will increase engagement and relieve student anxiety. Below are 40 curated fun and creative spelling ideas for every grade level. From rainbow writing to peer editing, you will find the perfect match to get your students excited about spelling.

1. In My Name, Not in My Name

A great activity for kids who are learning their letters and name. Provide students with their names written on an index card or sheet of paper. Set up a station with letter manipulatives that the students will sort based on whether the letter appears in their name or not.

Learn more: Play to Learn Preschool

2. Sight Word Word Search

One of the many printable spelling activities available online, sight word searches allow young students to cipher out the real word from the letters jumbled around them. A classic way of gamifying learning. Make sure to model the first few times and assist struggling students.

Learn more: Education

3. Name or Word Necklaces

Craft it up with your students while getting in some spelling practice. You can use premade letter beads or make your own. Differentiate this lesson by creating letter bracelets for working on sounds or letter recognition. More advanced students can spell their names or their favorite sight word.

Learn more: We Are Teachers

4. Create Your Own Traceables

Invest in a laminator and create a myriad of activities for pre-K students. Several sites online have preschool sight word lists available. Choose a word and repeat the word at least three times. Laminate and have students trace. In the last row, they should try to write the word on their own.

Learn more: Time 4 Learning

5. Suds and Search

Combine cleanup time with letter learning. Create a station with tubs filled with water, soap foam, and letter manipulatives. Have students search for individual letters or have them find ones to spell out one of their sight words. This is a fun, engaging, and sensory approach to spelling.

Learn more: Parenting Chaos

6. Match the Letter to the Sound

Help students learn what sound goes with what letter. Provide students with letter manipulatives. Say a sound for them. Give students time to find the letter in their stack. You can do another variation of this with whiteboards. In this version, students would write the letter that represents the sound.

Learn more: Wordwall

7. Big-Small Match Up

Create letter flashcards with both upper and lowercase letters on separate cards. Have students match the lowercase letter to its uppercase version. You can also vary this and turn the letters upside down and play a game of memory.

Learn more: Reading Adventure

K-1st Grade

8. stamp and spell.

Use alphabet stamps to create fun hands-on spelling activities. Students can start stamping their names and move on from there to letters and sight words .

Learn more: Raising Little Superheroes

9. Spelling Memory

Turn your weekly spelling list into a fun board game. Use index cards or letter stock paper to create two sets of cards for your weekly list. Turn the cards over and have students play this memory game to help them grow their spelling skills. You can also find commercial versions for sale online.

Learn more: Amazon and Home Spelling Words

10. Rainbow Writing

Practice spelling and reinforce color names at the same time. Choose any editable spelling printable for the lesson. Call out the color of the marker or crayon. Let students trace the letter or word. Repeat this multiple times. For happier students, reward students by allowing them to call out the color.

Learn more: 4 Kinder Teachers

11. Sight Word Scavenger Hunt

Use sticky notes to post sight words around the room. Give your students a sheet of paper with the words listed on it. Have students say the word, then trace it on the paper. Modify by giving each student one or two words on their paper and place the sticky note on their paper.

Learn more: No Time for Flashcards

12. Pipe Cleaner Spelling

Hands-on learning meets spelling word practice. Use colorful pipe cleaners for sensory spelling learning. Students can shape their word lists into the correct letters using pipe cleaners.

Learn more: Teaching First

13. Online Spelling Programs

If you are in a 1-1 classroom, try some of the free online spelling programs which offer a variety of activities. Students gain meaningful spelling practice by exploring sight words and spelling patterns.

14. Playdough Spelling

For more hands-on spelling activities, use letter cookie cutters to cut out letters. This is a fun way to engage students with spelling instruction. If the student messes up, they can squish the words up, roll them out and redo.

Learn more: Kindergarten Connection

15. Teach Spelling Strategies

You can teach even young children all kinds of spelling strategies. Helping them learn the general spelling patterns in English early through engagement in a variety of activities ensures that they can play and make mistakes with spelling rules in low-stakes environments.

Learn more: Online Spellcheck

16. Excavate for Grade Level Spelling Words

Use a sandbox table to hide spelling words cut into blocks or written on pieces of paper. Combine this activity with a social studies level about discovering ancient civilizations. Your students will be immersed in a sensory activity that helps them gain practice in spelling and exposure to social studies content.

Learn more: Scholastic

17. Alphabet Clothespins

Write letters on the top of a wooden clothespin. Use flashcards of sight words. Have students match the clothespins to the top of the card in the correct order. Younger students can work on letter and word recognition, spelling, and hand-eye coordination.

Learn more: Creative Family Fun

18. Rhyming Wheels

Feeling crafty? You can make these rhyming wheels for students to help them practice sounding out words or recognizing sight words. Take the pressure off new word groups by turning learning into a game.

Learn more: Research Parent

19. Sidewalk Chalk ABCs

Get students outside and moving with this fun way to work on the ABCs. Make a grid with sidewalk chalk. Leave a few blank free spaces. Students start on A and have to hop through the alphabet. If they can't make it to the next letter in one hop, they can use a free space.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

2nd - 5th Grades

20. spelling fill-in the blank activities.

Options abound for this entertaining way of spelling instruction. You can do spelling printables, and use magnetic letters or letter manipulatives. Students have to use their spelling skills to complete the word. This is a quick and easy go-to activity for any day.

Learn more: Home Spelling Words

21. Save the Spelling Snowman from Melting

A new twist on one of the classic activities for spelling words, Spelling Snowman starts with you choosing a word. Draw the appropriate number of blank spots for each letter in the word and a snowman on the board. As students guess a letter, incorrect answers "melt" part of the snowman.

Learn more: Homer Blog

22. Spelling Words Pyramid Style

Assist your students with their writing skills and spelling practice by building the word. In this activity, students create a pyramid from the top down. The top of the pyramid is the first letter of the word. They add a letter for each layer of their pyramid until they have the whole word at the bottom.

Learn more: Twinkl

23. Unmix It Up Relay

Add movement to spelling time with this low-prep game. Use magnet letters or letter tiles to spell words. Divide students into teams. One at a time they will race to unscramble their word in one of the envelopes. When they have it correct they signal. Then, the next student attempts to unmix another envelope.

Learn more: Busy Teacher

24. Michelangelo Spelling

Flexible seating fans will love this engaging spelling practice. Allow students to tape white paper to the bottom of their desks or tables. Let them practice writing their spelling words by laying under their desks working like the Renaissance artist, Michelangelo! You can add some color by letting them use markers.

Learn more: All About 3rd Grade

25. Spelling Sparkle

Another fun spelling game, Sparkle begins with students standing. Call out a spelling word. The first student says the first letter of the word. Play moves on the next student. When the word is complete the next student yells "sparkle" and the student after them must sit. Wrong answers mean a student must sit also. The winner is the last student standing.

Learn more: Teaching Ideas

26. Spelling Packets

Several online sites have complete spelling packets available to download. These are tried and true spelling activities for use in class or homework practice. These printable options can be especially useful for sick days when students are with a substitute.

6th - 8th Grades

27. class spelling bee race.

Turn up the fun in class with a spelling bee race for teams. Have pre-marked spots on the floor. Call out a word from recent content for team one. The first student steps up to the line. If they spell the word correctly, the whole team moves up. If not, the student steps back into the team. The first team to cross the finish line wins.

Learn more: Spelling Words Well

28. Dictionary Race Game

This is another lively group game for middle school students. Set up a station with word cards. Assign one student as group leader. They flip the card and read it to their table mates. The other students search the dictionary to see who can find the word and definition first.

Learn more: Super Teacher Worksheets

29. Middle School Spelling Curriculum

Looking for a complete spelling curriculum or help with lesson planning? Check out this site that has word lists by grade along with lesson ideas, curated resources, and more.

30. Commonly Known Words by Grade Level

Create word walls and build these words into lessons and activities for maximum repetition. These are words that students are expected to have as part of their working vocabulary, especially by the end of that grade level.

31. Spelling Art

Provide students with six or so words from reading, math, or science. Have them create an art project using those words. You can create a rubric for required elements, but leave space for students to use their creativity freely.

Learn more: Your Dictionary

32. Digital Spelling Games

From Code Breaking to Word Scrambles and more, online platforms over gamified learning for your students. You can filter by grade level as well as content or lesson topic. If your school or homeschool coop doesn't have access to a program, there are plenty of free ones on the internet.

Learn more: Word Game Time

33. Spelling Workbooks

If you are looking for a week-long homework activity or something students can do each day as a bellringer, you can choose from a plethora of ready made workbooks.

34. Flipped Spelling Journal

Take the traditional spelling journal and turn it on its head. Rather than having students write sentences or definitions based on word lists, students keep a journal of words they find themselves misspelling or words they don't know. They can practice correct spelling and build their vocabulary with more ownership.

Learn more: Abe Books

35. Tally it Up

Provide word lists at the beginning of each week. Students get a tally mark as a reward for reaching a set number of tallies each week. Tally marks are earned by using and/or spelling the word correctly throughout the week.

36.  Writing Challenge

Challenge students brains, spelling skills, and motor skills all in one activity. In this option, students write their words three times with their non-dominant hand, keeping them engaged instead of relying on rote memory.

9th - 12th Grades

37. memory strategy.

Use mnemonic devices like rhymes, sentences, or phrases to help students remember tricky spellings. English is full of exceptions to the rule. Mnemonic strategies offer students a cheat sheet they file in their brains.

Learn more: 20 Amazing Spelling Activities for Middle School

38. Peer Editing

One of the best ways to learn is to become a teacher. Have students peer edit in-class writing with a specific focus on spelling. Provide dictionaries. If the editor isn't sure if the work is spelled correctly, they find it in the dictionary to double-check.

Learn more: Read, Write, Think

39. Spelling Poems

Provide students with appropriate high-frequency words for their grades. You can differentiate between students based on reading level as well. Once you have reviewed the words and meanings, have students write poems using several of the words from the list.  Add peer editing to extend the assignment.

Learn more: Great Schools

40. Pull Apart Synonyms

This activity ups the challenge level on word scramble worksheets. Students unscramble the letters to create two synonyms. Your class is able to work on meaning and spelling simultaneously.

35 Fun, Hands-On Spelling Activities to Use With Any Word List

Inside: 35 fun, hands-on spelling activities that get kids actively engaged with their spelling words – thinking, making, creating! Includes a printable version for at home learning.

There’s no doubting that some children (if not all!) learn best when they are actively engaged with thinking, making, creating – DOING. Which is why it can be advantageous to add an active, hands-on element to subjects that more typically rely on rote learning style activities – like spelling.

The 35 hands-on spelling activities included on this list are much more fun and engaging than simply writing out spelling words over and over again (my kids both strongly disliked the ‘Look, Cover, Write, Check’ approach to spelling – and I honestly didn’t see much learning happening with it).

These ideas can be useful as activities for literacy rotations or as homework activities, working particularly well with children in the early elementary/primary grades. Plus, at the bottom of this post you’ll find a handy printable version that can be sent home with families to use for at home learning.

RELATED: Looking for meaningful spelling activities for grades 4-6? Check out our spelling activities worksheets.

35 Hands-On Spelling Activities

1. Make each word with Scrabble letter tiles .

2. Cut some short lengths of yarn and use them to form the letters of each word.

3. Paint the words with watercolour paints .

4. Write words with pavement chalk on the pavement or on the trampoline mat.

5. Make the letters of each word with your body as you spell the word aloud.

6. Build your words with Lego bricks .

7. Stamp your words onto paper with letter stamps.

8. Stamp your words into playdough with non-inked letter stamps .

9. Dot paint each word with a Q-tip or cotton bud.

10. Make your words with letter stickers .

11. Spell your words aloud as you star jump – one jump for each letter.

12. Make letters from chenille stems/pipe cleaners and use them to spell each word.

13. Type your words on a computer.

14. Write each word with your finger in a sand or salt tray .

15. Make rainbow words , tracing each letter with lots of colours.

16. Thread your words with letter beads .

17. Write your words on the window with a whiteboard marker.

18. Spell aloud and clap for each letter of your words.

19. Spell each word aloud in a robot voice .

20. Make each word with alphabet stones .

21. Write each word with your finger into shaving cream on the shower screen at bath time – or spray a little on a cookie tray to try it when you’re not in the bath.

22. Write your words onto paper plates or circles (one word per plate) and make up a jumping game .

23. Write your words in a fun script – with tiny letters or tall, skinny ones, or try bubble writing!

24. Draw a hopscotch grid on the pavement with chalk. Add a spelling word to each square. As your stone lands on a square spell  the word aloud before hopping.

25. Squeeze a small amount of acrylic paint into a re-sealable Ziploc bag. Seal the top and then use your finger to write each word ‘in’ the paint .

26. Make each word with magnetic letters .

27. Play Tic Tac Toe with your spelling words – each player chooses a word to use in the place of the ‘x’ or ‘o’ as you play. Choose a new word for each game.

28. Write each word with white crayon onto white paper and then paint over them with watercolour paint for a magic word reveal!

29. Play Hangman choosing the word to guess from your list of words.

30. Make each word from playdough or plasticine snakes .

31. Spell each word aloud as you jump on the trampoline – one bounce per letter.

32. Write the letters of each word onto a craft stick (one letter per stick). Jumble the sticks up and then remake each word.

33. Use a laser pointer to ‘write’ each word on the wall.

34. Write your list words onto two sets of index cards and use them to play a memory game .

35. Write each of your words onto a chalkboard with chalk and then use a small paintbrush to paint over them with water.

35. Write each word onto a piece of coloured paper, cut the letters apart and mix them up. Race to unscramble each word.

How to Print Your Hands On Spelling Ideas Grid


Click here to download: Printable Hands-On Spelling Ideas Grid . Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF for full printing instructions. Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser. 
Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

Pin for later:

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

Free Spelling Activities

I’m sharing 12 FREE, NO PREP, printable and digital Spelling Activities for Kindergarten, first and second grade students! These activities provide meaningful and engaging spelling practice and are perfect for any word work literacy center. I also offer details about my Year-Long Weekly Word Study Resource that offers weekly word lists, practice activities, parent letters, assessments and MORE for k-3!

Hey Friends!

I’m curious…. in your already crowded instruction schedule, does word study have a place?  Have you found a way to make spelling instructiion more than just giving a list of words on Monday and assessing on Friday?  Resources for teaching spelling can be hard to come by. Sometimes it feels like with the intense focus on more critical thinking skills in literacy, explicit spelling instruction (or word study) has become an outdated practice.  

But I think we can all agree we all want our students to be strong spellers!  Spelling is important!  It is related to reading.  If students can spell well, they will read well.   It’s related to writing.  When students spell well they can focus on communicating their ideas, rather than worrying about how to construct words. 

If you are looking for a word study program to use with your students, or maybe just looking to freshen up your spelling activities then you have come to the right place.  Today I’m excited to describe to you the Year-Long Weekly Word Study bundles I have created for kindergarten, first, second and third grade, as well as share my FREE, NO PREP Spelling Activities!  

Free Spelling Activities 

You’ve got a lot on your plate, so to help lighten your load I created this resource that includes 12 different EDITABLE spelling printables!  It is totally free and provides meaningful practice and the repetition students need for mastery of the spelling words and phonics patterns you teach.  With many activities to choose from, spelling practice will always feel fresh and engaging for students.  

To save you time, I created these Spelling Activities as an editable “autofill” document.  This means the ONLY thing you have to do is insert your spelling words (up to 12) into the spelling activities word list.  That’s it!!  Once you type your words into the word list, you simply print the pages you want to use.

Any of these activities make a great addition to your weekly word work routine.  Simply pair the spelling word cards with a pocket chart and print a few activities for an instant literacy center!  They also make great morning work or homework practice.  

The FREE resource includes ALL of the following activities: 

💗 Trace and Write Spelling

💗 ABC Order

💗 ipad Spelling

💗 Vowel Consonant Spelling

💗 Sign Language Spelling

💗 Rainbow Spelling *note this has been updated to include Rainbow Sound Spelling

💗 Triangle Spelling

💗 Spelling Illustrations

💗 Make a Word Search

💗 Spelling Word Shapes

💗 Roll-a-Color Spelling

💗 Spell and Move

Here are a few of our favorites!

Drop your name and email below and I’ll send these free spelling activities to your inbox now!

A Year-Long Weekly Word Study Resource for K-3

So while the activity pages I’ve shared above could be used in a variety of ways, I know there are teachers who are looking for more.  They want an actual program that explicitly teaches students different spelling patterns each week and offers them meaningful practice so students can master those patterns. That’s why I created Year-Long Weekly Word Study Resources for Kindergarten, first, second and third grade students.

Word study units are different from traditional spelling units.  Instead of giving students a list of words to memorize each week, word study units focus on a specific phonics skill.  Students are given explicit instruction on the phonics pattern.  They engage in activities throughout the week that allow them to practice the phonics skill and investigate and discover the patterns in words.  

Word study offers students opportunities to investigate and discover the patterns in words. When students have knowledge of these patterns they don’t learn to spell just one word at a time.  They can generalize and apply their new learning to their reading and their writing.  

My Weekly Word Study Units have EVERYTHING you need to provide your students with effective word study instruction and spelling practice all year long!

I have different units for kindergarten , first , second , AND third-grade students. While the units vary a bit from grade to grade, they all contain these core components:

💕 A Scope and Sequence

We know that for instruction to be most effective, it must be systematic and follow a scope and sequence . The scope and sequences included in these resources are based on my learning including Wiley Blevins’ book,  A Fresh Look at Phonics *,  The Reading Teacher’s Top Ten Tools, and  Speech to Print  and are specific for each grade.

💕 Word cards

These word cards can be printed out on card stock and used in centers, small groups, or for your whole group instruction.

💕 3 Editable Practice Printables for Each Unit

We know that in order for students to master the skills we teach they need a lot of practice.  For every unit, you’ll get 3 editable practice printables. The activities vary slightly depending on grade and the skill that is being taught.

💕 Editable Assessments

While the assessments vary a bit from grade to grade, they all include:

– Word Dictation:  words that follow the week’s phonics skills and bonus spaces for review or high-frequency words.

– Sentence Dictation:  a sentence that includes target phonics skill words, previously taught phonics skill words and high-frequency words.

– Spelling Error Analysis:  a sentence that includes target phonics skill words, previously taught phonics skill words and high-frequency words. Students must correct the mistakes and rewrite the corrected sentences.

💕 A Teacher Assessment Guide and Master Word List

You’ll get an answer key for each unit to make it extra easy for you to quickly check those assessments!

💕  A Family Letter for Each Unit

We know that word study looks a little different than traditional spelling that families may be accustomed to. This letter will help families understand the shift, inform them of the focus for the unit, and offer them ways to support their children at home.

Curious to learn more about Word Study and these resources? Take a look here for more details!

I hope the information and free resources I’ve shared here today will help to bring more effective word study and spelling practice into your classroom!

-shop this post-

FIND WHAT YOU NEED

Teaching resources.

BLISS IN YOUR INBOX

COPYRIGHT © 2024  ·  TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This Reading Mama

50 Hands-On Spelling Activities

By thisreadingmama 25 Comments

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:

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

Enjoy teaching! ~Becky

Want MORE Free Teaching Resources?

Join thousands of other subscribers to get hands-on activities and printables delivered right to your inbox!

May 13, 2014 at 9:26 am

Looks I need to get more creative with spelling! Thanks for these ideas!

May 14, 2014 at 5:06 am

Ha! We all could use a little creativity every once in a while, right?

May 13, 2014 at 3:11 pm

Wow! So many great ideas here! Thanks so much for mentioning my spelling post!

You’re very welcome!

May 13, 2014 at 9:07 pm

Great ideas!

May 15, 2014 at 9:17 am

What an awesome collection of creative spelling activities, Becky!! Sharing!

May 16, 2014 at 2:58 pm

Thank you, Malia!

May 16, 2014 at 7:41 pm

So many awesome ideas! Can’t wait to try a few out with the kids!

May 17, 2014 at 3:22 pm

Yes. I will be trying a few of these with my kids as well! 🙂

May 22, 2014 at 1:26 am

Such a great resource!! Pinned! p.s. thank you for including us : )

May 22, 2014 at 7:34 am

You’re very welcome! Thank you for your amazing idea!

June 3, 2014 at 11:11 pm

What a fantastic list and resource!! Thank you so much for including my Chalkboard Refrigerator Game 🙂

June 4, 2014 at 6:07 am

June 18, 2014 at 6:52 am

I 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!

June 18, 2014 at 7:11 am

I’d love to see it when you’re finished. 🙂

November 11, 2015 at 3:01 pm

Wow really nice 😀 resources thanks for sharing

February 24, 2017 at 2:41 am

Great post!

June 7, 2017 at 1:57 am

Thax for the trick, so helpfull

August 26, 2017 at 3:21 am

there are some amazing ideas here, thank you 🙂

October 1, 2017 at 4:41 am

WOW!!!! very nice and interesting article written by you. Such a great piece of information.

November 18, 2017 at 3:06 am

Really nice! Thanks for sharing those fantastic activities. These creative spelling activities are wonderful. I would love to try these. Can’t wait. Awesome ideas.

April 15, 2018 at 11:20 am

I 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!

March 1, 2021 at 8:12 pm

very good post i particularly liked the roll and dice one and use a board game

March 11, 2021 at 7:52 pm

I love this blog! I’m a first year 3nd grade teacher so finding resources can be time consuming. I love that your worksheets are engaging for my students. Thanks for sharing!

[…] 50  hands-on spelling activities from This Reading Mama […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Teaching Trove

Making learning fun

49 Motivating Spelling Activities to Teach Spelling

Blog , Literacy

How do you choose the spelling words you want to use in your weekly spelling activities?

Search for spelling lists on the internet and you’re presented with a few choices. One is lists of random words with no connection. They might be high-frequency words. Another choice is words from a specific theme.

Or you might find spelling lists where words have a similar phonetic make up. That is; a word with a similar pattern like word families and vowel teams.

Avoid Learning Spelling by Rote

When we have lists of random words, students are relying on memory to be able to write that word.

Think of a spelling list like this: milk, sister, little, went. There’s nothing that links those words together. Nothing that can help a child remember how to spell them, so they must rely on memory, and often it’s short-term memory.

In a spelling test, your students might get 8, 9, or 10 out of 10. But ask them to use those words in sentences the following week and you’re likely to see spelling mistakes.

With over 80% of English words actually having a predictable spelling pattern, it makes sense to give students words that follow predictable patterns. So instead of milk, sister, little, went you have sail , main, aim, wait as part of your list. 

Teaching spelling this way encourages students to look for patterns and meaning chunks in words. Of course, students will always need to know how to spell high-frequency words, but rather than a list of 10 or 20 unrelated words, using words with predictable patterns and adding 2 – 4 high-frequency words to the lists will make spelling easier.

Introducing Spelling Words

When you introduce a new word list to your students it’s important to draw attention to the spelling patterns within those words . As children work through the spelling activities you’ve provided, they’ll continue to practice writing words with those spelling patterns.

Just by understanding one spelling pattern, they’ll expand their spelling knowledge from the 10, 12, 15, or 20 words you’ve given them to a whole lot more.

The Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check Method for Learning Spelling

By altering the look, say, cover, write, check method for learning to spell just a little, you can teach children to look for meaningful patterns and listen for the sounds within the words. Recognizing these patterns when writing will lead to mastering its spelling .

The first step is to look at the word . Looking involves more than just looking at the shape or visualizing the word. When a child focuses solely on these factors, they are using their short- term visual memory and seeing the word as a single unit rather than the parts it’s made up of.

The next step is to say the word . Students read the word and then tap out the sounds they hear. Vowel digraphs or vowel teams are heard as one sound. When a child taps out the word rain, they will tap three times, once for each phoneme, r ai n . This way rather than seeing the word as a single unit they start to see the phonemes that make up the word. I have students do this three times. Once on the table, another time on their forearm and a third time on their thigh.

Then students cover the word . This is easy when they use the Look, Say Cover, Write Check visual. They can just place it over their word list.

Now it’s time to write the word down . As they’re writing they should think about the sounds they heard when they tapped the word. Once it’s written, they should ask themselves “ does it look right? ” If students forget while writing they should ‘ sneak a peek .” It’s important to write the word correctly.

The last step is to check the spelling  and correct any mistakes.

Words with two or more syllables have a similar process for learning spelling however students listen for syllables when saying the word and tap each sound in a syllable before writing that syllable.

Using a look, say, cover, write, check visual gives students a valuable strategy for learning their spelling. It works perfectly with any spelling activity you provide.

Purchase a Pack

If you’d love a set of motivating spelling activities to help your class master their spelling check out this pack:

You can grab your pack from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Success! Now check your email to get the key to unlock the Trove.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Related Posts

We've all heard the story of the child who goes to school and comes home…

Editable word work activities are a huge time saver. It's so easy to create a range…

 Editable games for word work centers makes it so easy to differentiate your word lists…

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Question about the ones that say ‘spin the spinner’…what do you use as the spinner?

Hi Rita, I use a paperclip held in place with a pencil tip. The children spin the paperclip. If you would like a visual showing the kids how to do it, just contact me at [email protected] and I’ll email you one.

• Teaching Trove Shop

Customer Care

Search the blog

Popular topics.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

The Literacy Garden

Supporting Teachers to grow successful readers and writers

6 Effective Spelling Practice Activities for Any Word List

How would you like easy spelling practice activities that your students can use without having to create new worksheets every week?

These FREE printable spelling practice worksheets are perfect for homework or in-class practice. 

Do you have differentiated lists? No problem! The children use their own spelling lists.

Also, there is flexibility in the number of words; 10, 15, or 20.

So let’s take a look at your FREE Spelling Practice Activities :

Spelling ships worksheet.

First, let’s set sail with one of my favorite ways to practice correct letter order with Spelling Ships. Be sure to model how to complete each ship before assigning this practice page. Have the student choose a spelling word. Write only the first letter at the top of the sail. Then move to line two. Write the first and second letters. Next move to line three. Write the first, second, and third letters. It is through this repeated sequence that the child is learning the correct way to spell the word.

Caution: it will not do any good to write the first letter 5 times, then the second letter 5 times. Kids will try shortcuts, but it won’t make them better spellers.

Roll & Spell Spelling Practice Activities

Make spelling practice more engaging with some dice. Students roll the die to determine which color to write their spelling word. I like to place the die in see-through containers like these from Amazon.

Or foam dice are a great option.

Alphabetical Order Spelling Worksheet

This next activity works on the skill of alphabetical order. The student writes the first five words from their list in the order they appear inside the checkered box. Then they write those five words in alphabetical order on the printing lines beside the box. Words 6-10 go in the next section. I’ve also included a second page which can be xeroxed on the back for words 11-15 and 16 – 20 depending on how many words are on your list.

Spelling Sentences Worksheet

I really like the children to use the words in context as well as practice proper sentence structure. With this next activity, you can accomplish both! Notice the writer’s checklist on the right side to keep the students accountable with “The Write Stuff”.  Side 2 has lines for two more sentences.

You Can Get These Spelling Practice Activities Exclusively As A Blog Reader!

Partner spelling practice activities.

In addition to worksheets that can be completed independently, I also like to include partner activities. We use them after completing assigned work, during morning arrival time, or as a center activity.

This simple game is a hit with my students. All you need are:

• Craft Sticks
• Permanent Marker
• Large Plastic Cup

Prepare the craft sticks by coloring the top edge with a color. Use a different color for each cup. I’ll explain why later on.

You will want 3 more sticks than the size of your spelling list. So if you have 15 words, you will need 18 sticks per cup. Each cup is for 2 players.

Next, at the opposite end, write a number on each stick from 1 – ? that matches the size of your spelling list. Don’t repeat a number within a cup. On the remaining 2 sticks, write the word KABOOM!

Place the sticks in the cup with the colored end up. This will help hide the words and numbers from the players.

How to Play

Students sit across from each other with 1 copy of their spelling word list and 1 cup of Kaboom sticks.

Player 1 picks a stick and says the number. The partner will ask them to spell that corresponding word on the list. For example, if I draw a 7, then I have to spell word #7.

If the word is spelled correctly, the player keeps that stick. If the word is misspelled, then the stick is returned to the cup.

Now the players switch roles.

The winner is the first person to get 7 sticks.

Here is where it gets exciting: If a player pulls the Kaboom stick, then ALL their sticks get returned to the cup. If the player doesn’t have any sticks, then they simply lose their turn.

Spelling City – Digital Spelling Practice Activities

Looking for a digital option? This site has tons of ways to practice. This works best when the entire class is practicing the same words. Spelling City is now part of the Learning A-Z company. You can also use this site to practice your vocabulary words.

Do You Use Personal Word Walls?

This great tool is more functional than a traditional word wall and your kids will actually be able to see the words! Check out this article to learn more about them.

What are some of your favorite spelling practice activities? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Thank you for all you do!

Alison Monk

When I started teaching, I quickly realized that student teaching didn't prepare me for the real challenges of being alone in a classroom full of young children. The learning curve was steep and time was limited. That is why I created the Literacy Garden. My hope is this will be a place for inspiration, mentoring, and connecting.

No Comments

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Hi! I'm Alison

My #1 passion is all things literacy! I'm a curriculum creator and literacy specialist with over 30 years teaching in elementary classrooms. My goal is to share creative and engaging ways to grow your students and are easy to implement and academically sound. You can expect to find teaching tips to boost your confidence and grow your learners. You don't have to do this alone! I'm the support you've been looking for. I'm so glad you are here!

About the Literacy Garden

Looking for something, resources you might like.

Let’s Grow Together!

Privacy overview.

100 FUN Spelling Games and Activities for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links.

Let’s face it, the English language is hard! Spelling can often be so difficult and confusing, so I wanted to share some ways to change it up a bit and make it more exciting! I collected a list of 100  fun spelling games and activities !

I hope you will find something that will work for you today! These spelling games for kids are all perfect for kids in elementary school.

Educational games and hands-on activities are one of the best ways to really help kids learn had concepts. They are more likely to remember things they are being taught. They will improve their spelling skills and their reading and writing abilities though interactive activities. These can help them to prepare for a spelling test if you insert their spelling list into any of the activities.

You will definitely want to pin this so you can save some of these spelling games and activities for later!

Here is the MEGA list of 100 FUN Spelling Games and Activities for Kids

Are you ready for the big, huge list of spelling games for kids? You are sure to find the perfect interactive spelling game (or activity) that will work for your needs. These games can be played at home or in school setting. They will help kids to spell words correctly and have fun in the process!

1.  Spell for Your Life – Printable Board Game  – Teach Beside Me This game can be modified for any spelling list or grade level.

2.  Spelling Made Fun Printable Game Cards  – Cornerstone Confessions

3.  Word Building Activity Travel Kit – I Heart Crafty Things

4.  Make Words with Clothes Pins  – Creative Family Fun

5.  Spelling/Sight Word Egg Hunt  – Teach Beside Me- Put your spelling words inside your Easter eggs and do a word hunt!

6.  Ladybug Spelling – Blessedly Busy

7.  Sight Word Popsicle Stick Game – Teach Me Mommy

8.  Transportation CVC Sliders – Royal Baloo

9.  Spelling Board Game  – Teach Beside Me

10.  Spelling Hearts – In the Playroom

11.  CVC Fine Motor Words  – Adventures of Adam

12.  Action Sight Word Games – Brain Power Boy

13.  Spelling & Reading Hopscotch  – Teach Beside Me

14.  CVC Word Popcorn Game  – Modern Preschool

15.  Water Bead Spelling – There’s Just One Mommy

16.  Truffula Tree Word Families – School Time Snippets

17.  Fishing for Spelling Words  – Teach Beside Me

18.  Flower Garden Spelling – Blessedly Busy

19.  Kinetic Sandcastle Spelling – There’s Just One Mommy

20.  Spelling Word Dominoes – Nurture Store

21.  Favorite Language Arts Apps  – Teach Beside Me

22.  Muffin Tin CVC Spelling – Modern Preschool

23.  Letter Bead Discovery Bottles – Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

24.  Rhyming Wheels – Research Parent

25.  Ribbon Spool Speller  – Teach Beside Me

26.  Ice Crossword Puzzle – Schooling a Monkey

27.  Sift & Spell Game – What Do We Do All Day?

28.  Stack a Word – Royal Baloo

29.  Giant Keyboard Spelling – Lessons Learnt Journal

30.  Spelling Word Search  – Teach Beside Me

31.  Stair Step Spelling – Adventures in Mommydom

32.  Sight Word Printable s – Artsy Momma

33.  Pin Prick Words – Creative Family Fun

34.  Spelling Twister  – Teach Beside Me

35.  Learning Silent Letters – Rock Your Homeschool

36.  ABC Sidewalk Chalk Game – Buggy and Buddy

37.  Reading and Word Building With Mailboxes – Arts & Crackers

38.  Spelling and Sight Word With Magnet Letters – Mom Inspired Life

39.  Rhyming Word Dominoes  – Teach Beside Me

40.  Sight Word Game – Little Bins for Little Hands

41.  Shaving Cream Spelling – Adventures in Mommydom

42.  Stamp and Spell – Parenting Chaos

43.  Graffiti Wall Spelling – Childhood 101

44.  Spelling Paper Dolls  – Teach Beside Me

45.  Chocolate Sight Word Writing Tray – Natural Beach Living

46.  Velcro Spelling Board – Adventures in Mommydom

47.  DIY Magnet Words – Rock Your Homeschool

48.  Trace and Write Spelling Practice – JDaniel4’s Mom

49.  Hungry Frogs Alphabet Game  – Teach Beside Me

50.  Ways to Practice Spelling – The Homeschool Hideout

51.  Spell Your Name Game – No Time for Flashcards

52.  Say it, Make it, Write it – You Clever Monkey

53.  Sight Word Skittles – Rainy Day Mum

54.  Alphabet & Spelling Learning Mat  – Teach Beside Me

55.  Fill in the Blanks Sensory Game – You’ve Got This

56.  Top 10 Ways to Practice Spelling Words – True Aim

57.  Word Family Lego Sort – Parenting Chaos

58.  Name Puzzle Busy Bag – Happy Brown House

59.  Paint Chip Word Families  – Teach Beside Me

60.  Muffin Tin Reading Games – Growing Book By Book

61.  Learn & Stack Sight Word Activity – A Little Pinch of Perfect

62.  20+ Spelling Activities for Those that Despise Spelling  – Every Star is Different

63.  Finger Spelling Hopscotch – The Measured Mom

64.  Real Rhyme or Silly Rhyme  – Teach Beside Me

65.  Monster Truck Phonics Jump – Growing Book by Book

66.  Short A CVC Word Cards  – Teach Beside Me

67.  Writing With Kinetic Sand – Parenting Chaos

68.  Spelling With Post-It Notes  – Teach Beside Me

69.  Spelling With Building Blocks – Teach Me Mommy

70.  Phonogram Don’t Eat Pete Game – One Creative Mommy

71.  Teach Spelling With Cars – Joy in the Home

72.  CVC Word Family Game – Mom Inspired Life

73.  Letter Tile Spelling Mats – Happy Brown House

74.  Spelling Games with Mixed Up Words – JDaniel4’s Mom

75.  Paint Chip Sight Word Busy Bag – The Chaos & The Clutter

76.  Spelling Word Poems – Sugar Aunts

77.  Pool Noodle CVC-  Planning Playtime

78.  CVC Block Spelling  – Teach Me Mommy

79.  Graph Paper Handwriting/Spelling  – Sugar Aunts

80.  Snap Cube Sight Words – Differentiated Kindergarten

81-  Sight Word Pointillism – Differentiated Kindergarten

82.  Sight Word Rubbings – Doing Splendid

83.  Spelling Battleship – Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

84.  Spelling Word Mazes – Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

85.  Spell the Beans – I Love That Idea

86.  Spelling With Boggle – School Day Love

87.  Spelling Tic Tac Toe – The Literacy Nest

88.  Play Dough Stamp & Spell – No Time for Flash Cards

89.  Lego Hangman – Pink and Green Mama

90.  Spelling Doodles – The Room Mom

91.  Mix, Dump & Spell – School Time Snippets

92.  Ride to Spell – This Reading Mama

93.  18 Tactile Spelling Activities – My Joy Filled Life

94.  Spelling Scribble – Relief Teaching Ideas

95.  Secret Code Spelling – Mrs. Gilchrist’s Class

96.  Laptop Sight Words – Mrs. Gilchrist’s Class

97.  Roll & Spell – McElhinny’s Center Stage

98.  Scoop & Spell – This Reading Mama

99.  Hop On Pop Reading & Spelling Game – Teach Beside Me

100.  Cookie Sight Word Spelling – Teach Beside Me

101.  Compound Words Foldable and Puzzles –  Teach Beside Me.

102. Grammar Contraction Puzzles – Teach Beside Me

Wow! What an exhaustive list! With all of these awesome spelling games and activities, there will never be a dull spelling moment again, right?! 😉

Also see my previous 100 Things post –  100 Edible Education Ideas .

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

Similar Posts

How to Make Rock Candy Crystals with Kool-Aid

Greek and Latin Roots Worksheets and Activities

Exploring patterns with gustav klimt.

The Science of… Air

Melting Snowmen: Acetone and Styrofoam Slime Experiment

Geometric Math Art With Circles

Leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

42 Fun Spelling Activities for Grades 3 – 6

FUN SPELLING ACTIVITIES FOR HOMEWORK

These 42 Fun Spelling Activities for Grades 3 – 6 provide creative ways for students to use their weekly spelling words, effectively enhancing their writing skills. Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the matrix is easy to understand and suitable for students of all ages. With over 80,000 downloads, it has become one of our most popular resources. Download it for free here .

Implementing these hands-on spelling activities as part of your weekly homework can significantly enhance student outcomes in different academic areas. First and foremost, this approach engages learners in active and purposeful practice, reinforcing their understanding of spelling rules and patterns. By incorporating strategies such as mnemonic devices, word associations, and spelling games into homework, students are more likely to internalize correct spelling conventions.

Moreover, the variety of spelling strategies caters to different learning styles, accommodating visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. This ensures all students find an approach that resonates with their preferences, fostering a deeper grasp of spelling concepts. As a result, regular application of these strategies improves spelling skills and contributes to overall language proficiency.

Get your hands on the valuable resource 42 Fun Spelling Practice Activities for Grades 3 – 6, which enhances students’ writing skills and promotes the effective use of spelling words. Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the matrix is easily understandable and suitable for students of all ages. It has gained immense popularity, with over 80,000 downloads.

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework used by educators to classify educational objectives and define different levels of cognitive complexity. Developed by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom in 1956, the taxonomy has been revised over the years, with the latest version incorporating digital learning and updated language.

At its core, Bloom’s Taxonomy consists of six hierarchical levels, arranged from simple to complex cognitive processes:

• Remembering : This level involves recalling facts, concepts, or information without necessarily understanding them. Activities at this level include memorization, recitation, and identification.
• Understanding : Here, students demonstrate comprehension by interpreting, summarizing, or explaining ideas in their own words. They grasp the meaning of concepts rather than just memorizing them.
• Applying : This level focuses on applying knowledge and concepts in new situations or contexts. Students solve problems, execute procedures, or utilize information in novel scenarios.
• Analyzing : At this level, students break down information into its component parts to understand relationships and underlying structures. They identify patterns, differentiate between elements, and draw conclusions.
• Evaluating : This involves making judgments or assessments based on criteria and standards. Students critically examine information, arguments, or theories to determine their validity or effectiveness.
• Creating : The highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy involves synthesizing information and generating new ideas or products. Students demonstrate originality and creativity by designing, composing, or inventing based on their understanding.

As teachers, understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy can inform lesson planning, assessment design, and instructional strategies. By aligning learning objectives with appropriate levels of cognitive complexity, teachers can scaffold student learning effectively, promote higher-order thinking skills, and facilitate more profound understanding. Incorporating activities and assessments across all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy fosters comprehensive learning experiences that cater to diverse learner needs and promote intellectual growth.

These spelling activities provide an excellent opportunity to explore the taxonomy in action.

What are Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences?

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983, suggests that intelligence is not a singular entity but rather a collection of distinct modalities, or “intelligences,” each with its own set of abilities and preferences. Gardner initially identified seven intelligences and later added an eighth. These intelligences represent different ways individuals perceive and understand the world, learn, and solve problems. Here’s a brief overview:

• Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence : Individuals with strong verbal-linguistic intelligence excel in language-related tasks such as reading, writing, speaking, and storytelling. They have a knack for understanding and using words effectively.
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence : People with logical-mathematical intelligence exhibit proficiency in reasoning, logic, and numerical operations. They excel in problem-solving, mathematical computations, and scientific investigations.
• Visual-Spatial Intelligence : This intelligence involves the ability to perceive and manipulate visual information effectively. Individuals with strong visual-spatial intelligence excel in tasks such as interpreting maps, visualizing objects in three dimensions, and artistic endeavors.
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence : People with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence possess excellent control over body movements and physical activities. They learn best through hands-on experiences and are often skilled in activities such as sports, dance, and manual crafts.
• Musical Intelligence : Individuals with musical intelligence have a heightened sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, and melodies. They often excel in playing musical instruments, composing music, and recognizing patterns in auditory stimuli.
• Interpersonal Intelligence : This intelligence involves understanding and interacting effectively with others. Individuals with strong interpersonal intelligence exhibit empathy, communication, and leadership qualities.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence : Intrapersonal intelligence refers to self-awareness and introspection. Individuals with this intelligence understand their own emotions, motivations, and goals, leading to a strong sense of self and personal development.
• Naturalistic Intelligence : Gardner later proposed naturalistic intelligence, which relates to an individual’s affinity for understanding and interacting with the natural world. People with this intelligence exhibit a keen appreciation for nature, environmental awareness, and the ability to categorize and classify natural phenomena.

Gardner’s theory emphasizes the diversity of human cognition and suggests that educators should recognize and cultivate these various intelligences to support holistic learning experiences for all students. Educators can promote engagement, understanding, and success across diverse learner profiles by incorporating activities and instructional strategies that cater to different intelligences.

Kevin has worked in education for over two decades. He has a Masters degree in Educational Technologies and runs two companies providing educational content to schools, students and teachers.

Similar Posts

Free Printable Postcard Template

25 Awesome Emoji Writing Prompts for students

Awesome Dear Santa Letter Template Freebie

Free fable graphic organizer.

Argumentative Essay Graphic Organizer Freebie

Say hello to our free narrative writing checklists

Complete teaching bundles for incredible prices

22 Spelling Word Activities You Can Use All Year

I don’t know about you, but I can always use more spelling word activities. The tricky part is that so many activities use specific word lists … which may or may not coincide with the words you want or need to teach. That’s where spelling word activities, that you can use with any list of words, comes in!

Spelling word activities for any words

Spelling word activities that work for any list of words have to be versatile. I can’t give you a fill in the missing word worksheet for that, but I have some go-to activities that I use with my students throughout the year. These spelling word activities are broken down by thinking level, based on the 3 Story Intellect . This means you teach students critical thinking skills while also providing plenty of practice with spelling. 

Using these activities is most intensive at the beginning of the year, when students are learning each activity. But as the year goes on, students will already know how to do each activity. They’ll just apply it to a new list of spelling words . 

I use a spelling contract with students that has them work on a variety of tasks based on the 3 story intellect.

Students like having choices, and the contract provides this as long as they are doing spelling word activities from a variety of levels. 

Activities include:

Gathering tasks

• Word snakes
• Word search
• Spellamadoodle

Word triangles

• How many steps
• Dictionary meanings
• Magazine words

Processing tasks

• Alphabetical order

Guess my group

• Little words in big words
• Antonyms and synonyms
• Rhyming words
• Draw a picture
• Letter patterns

Applying tasks

• Alliteration
• Edit a piece of writing
• Use your words in a sentence

Using adaptable spelling word activities

Here’s a closer look at using some of these spelling word activities with whatever spelling words you are teaching. 

Students create a triangle by building up a word over consecutive lines.   They write the first letter on line 1. They then write the first two letters on line 2. They continue like this until the word is complete. The whole word will be the base of the triangle. Students can do this for any word they are practicing spelling. 

Students work individually to classify all of their spelling words. For example, students might make three lists like this: 

Then they trade with a partner and try to guess the categories for each group . In this case: 

Explain that mnemonics are tricks, sayings, or rules that help you remember things. Then have students design their own mnemonics to help them remember how to spell difficult words. Have them start by writing the word and marking the part of the word they struggle with. Have them create a mnemonic for that part of the word. For example, students might choose the word separate. Identify the problem part sep ar ate. Then use the mnemonic: There is a rat in separate. 

Having spelling activities that you can use all year long, whatever words you are working on, is a huge plus. Use the 3 story intellect in your spelling center today by getting activity cards for all 22 activities listed along with posters and spelling contracts.

Spelling Word Activities for the Whole Year

Related Articles

Interactive Word Walls In The Classroom For Better Vocabulary Instruction

Revive vocabulary instruction with interactive word walls in the classroom. Engage students with fun activities and boost their reading comprehension.

Advanced Small Group Reading Strategies— Does Phonics Assessment Play A Role?

Enhance small group reading with phonics assessment for targeted skill development. Get insights & tools to create dynamic skills-based reading groups.

Get Email Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular teaching tips and updates & get instant access to the free print and go phonics homework PDF:

Sign up now!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Pin It on Pinterest

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• MEMBER LOGIN

Hands On As We Grow®

Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

How to Help Kindergarten Kids with Spelling Words Practice through Crazy Fun Games

Literacy & ABCs Sponsored Grade School Kindergartners Resources Spelling 4 Comments

Let’s make spelling words practice fun for kindergarten kids with some crazy fun games and a few common ideas too!

A friend recently told me that she doesn’t know ways to practice spelling words at home with her kids.

I didn’t have any tips for her right off hand except to make it fun.

So it got me thinking about different ways we’ve practiced spelling words, or done any kind of homework for that matter.

For the most part, my kids don’t have homework.

Their homework each week has been to practice sight words or spelling words and read.

That’s pretty much it!

They’ve never brought worksheets home that they have to do (yay!).

I’ve talked about common core in the past , and using Be A Learning Hero to find out what your child needs to know each year in school. These standards are set in place to help students be better prepared down the road.

Henry has always been a fast learner, so learning his spelling words has never really been an issue for us.

But we still practice the kindergarten spelling words throughout the week with little games and activities.

Every Monday he gets a list of words to learn and on Friday he has a spelling test.

And lately, the list of words is around a concept (like short a, or Long a CVCe), and then he gets two bonus words on the test to see if he grasps the concept.

Most weeks, I take it pretty easy in practice and this is what we do…

5 Obvious Ways to Practice Spelling Words:

• Make a number code. Number the words on the spelling list and then write a list all mixed up to find and write the word.  You can save a copy of this doc that I use for each spelling list. 
• Write spelling words but leave out letters and put a blank instead for him to figure out what letter it should be (based off his list).
• Make a scrambled spelling words game and have your kindergarten child put them in the right order.
• Ask to spell random words off the spelling list (and others that are similar in concept) throughout the day.
• Use worksheets sometimes. I have found several places online that you can change out the spelling list week after week for their worksheets. These are my faves: make your own printable word shapes worksheets , word scrambler and word search maker .

Now… there have been times when we need to work on a spelling word more and that’s when we try to make it more fun with kindergarten games!

That’s where hands on learning and activities comes into play!

16 Crazy Fun Games to Practice Spelling Words for Kindergarten

Go on a treasure hunt.

Draw a treasure map, or use your house plans, to hide letters of spelling words to find using the map. See how we did it with sight words. What child doesn’t love a good treasure hunt game to help make learning fun!

Kindergarten Spelling Hangman Game

Play a game of hangman to practice spelling words! If you don’t know how to play, check out School Time Snippets

Sensory Shaving Cream Writing

Squirt some shaving cream on a tray and just write the spelling words to practice! Super simple, educational and a little messy too.

Spelling Words Letter Egg Hunt

Hide letters of the spelling words in plastic eggs around the house. Find each letter to put together the spelling words!

Spelling Bean Bag Toss Game for Kindergarten

Put together your ABC Mat on the floor and use bean bags to toss onto each of the letters to practice spelling words.

Spelling Bracelets with Letter Beads

Use letter beads to make a bracelet, spelling their words as they make it! Take them apart and do it again or save them for a little vocabulary accessory!

Spelling Words Practice with Typing

Just use your computer! Open a word doc and have them type the spelling words over and over again! See how we did it to learn to spell their names. Bonus, your child is getting a little typing education too!

Clip & Match Spelling Words Fine Motor Game

Write a spelling word on a craft stick and then each letter on a clothespin to make the word! Check out this clip and spell from How Wee Learn!

Triple Trace It!

Trace and repeat kindergarten spelling words with this fun game! Write the spelling word on paper, trace it with a highlighter and then trace it with glue and again with yarn! Repetition is great! See how we did this triple tracing with names .

Spelling Game with Nuts & Bolts for Kindergarten Homework

Write the letters of the spelling words on nuts and have them tighten them onto bolts to spell the words correctly! This one’s from No Time for Flash Cards. (shown in collage above)

Spelling with Bent Q-Tips

Bend Q-Tips into 3 shapes ( find out how here ) to make any letter of the alphabet! Spell words! This one is a great interactive option for any ABC activity!

Make Sensory Cards for Spelling

You can make sensory spelling word cards with some glue and salt. A Mom with a Lesson Plan then as three ways you can help your kids practice spelling with them!

Spell with Cooked Spaghetti

Write their spelling words with cooked spaghetti ! This one will definitely make education a fun time! Another one from A Mom with a Lesson Plan!

Make Spelling Words Chains

Make a paper chain with letters to spell words! (Add Velcro to make it reusable too!)

Practice Spelling with Fun Sensory Bags

Write your spelling words on a sensory bag with a Q-tip! From Scribble Doodle and Draw. This one is for for any phonics practice you need to work on!

Make a Scribble Game for Kindergarten Spelling Words

Scribble and spell! See how many times you can write your spelling words in a section of a scribble!

Even more free places to find games and other fun ways to practice spelling words perfect for Kindergarten:

• 75 Fun Ways to Practice and Learn Spelling Words from Mom to 2 Posh Li’l Divas
• 50 Hands-On Spelling Activities from This Reading Mama
• 35 Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words from Childhood 101.
• Ways to make Spelling Fun and 25 Spelling Activities from A Mom with a Lesson Plan
• Many of the name writing activities can be used to write spelling words too! It’s great to physically write the word to learn it.

What are some of your favourite games to play when working on spelling with your kindergarten child at home?

Share your ideas with us in the comments! We would love to hear them!

WANT TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox so you can access this activity later! Plus, you'll get simple activities from us every week!

• Hidden Activity URL
• Hidden Activity Title
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Jamie Reimer

Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

What Parents Have to Say…

Shop ebooks of activities.

Get activity plans delivered to your inbox, every week!

Activities that hands-on parents absolutely love.

40+ Awesome Number Activities for Preschoolers

Make a Color Sorting Sensory Bag with Your Kids: Super Easy & Squishy

Top Physical Activities for Toddlers! Mom, Embrace the Energy!

Improve Kids Fine Motor Skills with 30 Materials & Activities

35 Name Activities For Preschoolers

50 Simple & Fun Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers

Get started having fun with your kids.

PLAN THE FUN WITH THE FREE KIDS ACTIVITIES PLANNER! AND RECEIVE ACTIVITIES EVERY WEEK!

• Preschoolers
• Kindergartners
• Grade School
• Literacy & ABCs
• Math & 123s
• Art Projects
• Gross Motor
• Shop Activity Plans
• Member Login

• Printables Library
• Log Into ETTC
• Log Into Premium
• Classroom Management
• Grammar & Writing
• Science/STEM
• Social Studies

30 Fun Spelling Activities for Primary

• October 4, 2020
• No Comments

We spend countless hours creating spelling practice activities  for our primary students that are fun and not just writing the word multiple times.  Are you ready to get some of those hours back?!  Take a look at these fabulous EDITABLE Spelling Activities we have created for your students to practice their word lists.

Our Spelling Activities are super simple to use!!!

• Enter your spelling list into the first page of the packet.
• Choose the activities you want to use that week.  (We have 30 different pages  to choose from!)
• Print those activities.

These spelling activities can be sent home as homework, used in a word work center, or as independent practice.

* Spelling Activity Line -Up *

1. spelling list.

2. MAGIC WORDS

3. ALPHABETICAL ORDER

4. RAINBOW SPELLING

5. WRITE A SENTENCE

6. SECRET CODE

7. ROLL A SPELLING WORD

8. WORD ILLUSTRATIONS

9. WORD BOXES

10. TRACE WORDS

11. EMOJI SPELLING

12. PATTERN BLOCK SPELLING

13. VOWELS AND CONSONANTS

14. SCRABBLE SPELLING

15. SPIN IT — SPELL IT

16. SPELLING MAZE

17. SPELLING SPIRAL

18. SPELLING WORD SYLLABLES

19. SILLY WRITING

20. PYRAMID SPELLING

21. SPELLING RHYMES

22. SPELLING COLORS

23. WORD SEARCH

24. WORD ART

25. CREATE A STORY

26. KEYBOARD WORDS

27. STAMPING SPELLING WORDS

28. SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

29. SIGN LANGUAGE SPELLING

30. How Many Sounds

Using these 30 Fun Spelling Activities for Primary students has really helped a lot of teachers plan their word work centers.  Here are some words from teachers who have purchased this resource:

“This resource is amazing! I happened upon it at the best time possible. The pages are easy to edit and I was excited to include them in the packet I put together for the students for doing their work from home while the schools are shut down. So excited about this.” ~ Kathleen D.

“This is absolutely one of the best Spelling resources to help students study. You can use it through distance or print it out in person. I actually use it both ways because our school is on a Hybrid schedule where we have students some days and virtual others. Thanks for this resource.” ~ Amanda W.

~ Written By: Janessa Fletcher

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, we’d love it if you could share  Education to the Core  with a friend and BOTH of you can receive $5 off a purchase of $10 or more with the code: FRIEND5.

At Education to the Core, we provide  done-for-you curriculum  that is simple, fun, and engaging! In order to be an   effective educator , you have to  take care of you first ! We strive to make a healthy  work-life balance  a reality for  you  each and every day.

If you enjoyed this blog post,  be sure to join my email list  to get exclusive FREEBIES, exclusive content, updates, deals!

Welcome! I’m Emily, Founder of Education to the Core. We are all about helping K-2 teachers by providing unlimited access to affordable printables for every subject area.   

5th Grade Spelling Words & Activities

Check out these 5th grade spelling words and activities. Whether you're a home school teacher, a classroom teacher, or a parent who's interested in strengthening your own fifth grader's spelling skills, we think you'll find these resources to be very helpful.

List of 5th Grade Spelling Words

5th grade spelling words - A gigantic list of 300 words  compiled after researching textbooks and several leading online resources.  Many of these words are typically included in fifth grade spelling programs; you'll also find a few interesting surprises. Use these words to make your own spelling word games, worksheets or for extra oral practice. From action, actor, and amusement to wound, wreck and x-ray , you'll find words to challenge most levels of students.

5th grade spelling bee words - A list of 100 words, arranged from easiest to most challenging. A good "short list" for your fifth graders to use and practice. Most of these words also appear on our master list of 300 words. Some are more difficult to challenge your best spellers. For something more difficult, go to this directory of spelling bee words . 

5th grade spelling lists - 3 more big lists from typical fifth grade math , science and social studies classes. Lots of great words for your students to learn! These words are great for extra spelling practice, quizzes and language activities. See the links to more spelling lists at the bottom of this page!

5th Grade Vocabulary Words  - Mega-word list of 200 words! Some are arranged  in ten categories to engage your students in topics such as sports, adjectives, people, places, social studies, fruits and more! How about a game of  hilarious   racquetball  on a  tundra  with a  cartographer ? 

5th grade lesson plans - Spelling dictation has never been so simple for teachers and parents! I've written 30 ready-to-go sentences using lots of words on the 5th grade spelling word list. Dictation lessons give students practice with listening, writing and spelling. What could be better? 

Fifth Grade Spelling Words and Activities will provide excelling spelling practice with 240 grade-level words across 12 topical units. Lots of different activities are provided to make learning enjoyable. Learn more and download free sample pages here.

Sixth Grade Spelling Word Lists and Activities   provide extra practice for your students with 240 spelling words, using a wide range of activities.  Go to the full  description page  where you can view samples and purchase your own copy immediately! Great for home school, remote learning and in-person classrooms. Also available for Fifth Grade .

NEW!   Double Take - One of our newest word search puzzles printable! This is TWO fun puzzles in one! First you must finish spelling the words on the word list by inserting the correct pair of missing double letters. There are 42 words in all, and many possible combinations, but only one that works! When you've finished that puzzler, then you can search for all 42 in the word search puzzle. How long will it take you to complete this double take/double treat???

NEW!   Vicious Vowels Search and Find Word Puzzle   Look for 45 words with tricky vowel spellings in this fun word search puzzle! Built-in practice activities will enhance learning. Extension activities also included on the web page. Words appear on our list of sixth grade spelling words , but 4th grade through adult ages will enjoy this challenge!

NEW!   Fourth Grade Find-A-Word Puzzles: Words from our 4th grade spelling word list are hidden in this fun "4" shape for students' FUN and LEARNING! This word search puzzle features words with silent letters. It's printable for your convenience. Don't miss the special twist!

Fifth Grade Writing Prompts

I've written two sets of engaging writing prompts, aligned with our fifth grade spelling word list.  Use these stimulating prompts anytime throughout the year for fun spelling and writing practice!

Set #1 - Twelve engaging prompts featuring a magic frog act, a birthday surprise, Different Day and nine more!

Set #2 - Twelve more writing prompts for 5th grade, featuring a sneaky mouse in the principal's office,  mysterious bubbles and more. 

Spelling Worksheets

Hideaways - One of our most challenging spelling worksheets for Grade 5! Students must carefully choose the correct letter in each clue to spell two hidden words.  It's a fun way to practice spelling and thinking skills!

Shoe Shenanigans  - Great practice in identifying and correcting misspelled 5th grade spelling words in this story about shopping for shoes. Some sentences have misspelled words, but not all of them! Can you students find only the words that need to be corrected, and then fix them properly? Along the way, they'll read a light-hearted story about two friends who go shoe-shopping. 

A Snowy Situation  - Give students valuable spelling AND vocabulary practice with this engaging worksheet. First, they must pick the correctly spelled word in each pair. Then they have to find the sentence in which it makes the most sense. The sentences flow together to tell the story traveling in dangerous conditions. 

Fun, Flexible Fifth Grade Worksheets - "Fish Net" and "Intersecting Synonyms" provide fun spelling practice with almost any spelling word!  If you've been considering my AnyWord Worksheets eBook , here's your chance to try out two pages for free!

Three Part Puzzler - Students must reconstruct 12 familiar words, syllable by syllable in this challenging page. Students will draw lines to connect three word parts, one from each column, to spell a common word. 

Word Search Puzzle - Students identify incorrectly spelled words and find the correct ones in a unique puzzle. The worksheet is based on our fifth grade spelling word list.

So N "ICE" to Know You! -  This page provides great spelling and vocabulary practice for students in middle school and older. Each answer contains the letters ICE. Some of the words are super-easy. Others? Not so much!

Don't miss my brand-new crosswords! I've written a collection of easy crosswords , and some more difficult ones , too. 

Croaky Meets the Plumber and Extra Letters Worksheets : Students chose the correctly spelled words to complete an interesting story or eliminate extra letters to solve a word puzzle.

Brain teasers for all abilities. Try our Level 1 or Level 2 puzzlers for new ways to help students think and spell!

Spelling Games & Activities

Missing Letters and In Between  - Two super-simple ways for students to practice spelling, develop their vocabulary and practice dictionary skills. "Missing Letters" is a great practice activity because once you teach it to your students, they can start making the next versions for you! And we all know, that students learn best when they teach. "In Between" provides fun practice in using alphabetization and guide words. The competitive aspect only adds to the fun!

More Spelling Fun for Kids - New games to play on a Scrabble game board. Mumbo-jumbo, anyone?   

Fifty-Fifty - Fun word game for kids. Older students earn points as they engage in word play and spelling fun.

Here are two fun ideas to put some pizzazz into your weekly spelling bee quizzes. Try these spelling test games this week!

Spelling Bee Games - Try one of our new Silent Spelling Bee variations. A fun--and quiet--twist on  a classic game!

Another Spelling Bee Game - Students step up to victory as they help their team advance in this fun new game.

You May Also Enjoy...

Spelling Homework Ideas  The more practice the better! 20 fabulous, flexible ideas for any list of weekly spelling words . Spelling Word Games View our entire collection of interactive games for small and large groups of students. Spelling reinforcement can be fun! Spelling Worksheets See the entire assortment of reproducible pages for spelling practice. Lots of formats from which to choose.

We have helpful  spelling lessons , too, including this  Step-By-Step lesson plan  on those tricky IE/EI words.

AnyWord Spelling Practice Books - A wealth of worksheets, games and writing prompts for practicing any 5th grade spelling words. Use the pages over and over!

Ann Richmond Fisher is a longtime published educational writer, a former classroom teacher and a former homeschool teacher. Ann's spelling bee resources, graded spelling word lists, spelling games, worksheets, and other language arts resources have become respected around the globe since she launched Spelling-Words-Well in 2010.

Ann is also the creator of  www.word-game-world.com .

Sign Up Here for My Free Newsletter

• Spelling Words Well
• 5th Grade Spelling Words
• What's New?

Spelling Bees!

• Spelling Bee Resources
• Spelling Bee Words

Grade Level Resources

• Preschool-K
• 1st Grade Spelling
• 2nd Grade Spelling
• 3rd Grade Spelling
• 4th Grade Spelling
• 5th Grade Spelling
• 6th Grade Spelling
• 7th-12th Grade Spelling
• Kindergarten
• Grades 1 - 2
• Grades 3 - 5
• Grade 6 - 9

Classroom Helps

• Bulletin Boards
• Correct Spelling Tips
• Difficult English Words
• Spelling Lessons
• Word Lists:Grades 1-12
• Vocabulary Words
• Writing Prompts

Spelling Games & Puzzles

• Word Search Puzzles - NEW
• Brain Teasers-Level 1
• Brain Teasers-Level 2
• Easy Crosswords
• Harder Crosswords
• Spelling Word Games
• Word Scrambles

Sight Words & Phonics

• Phonics Activities
• Phonics Worksheets
• Sight Word Games
• Sight Word Lists

Site Sections

• Privacy Policy

Subscribe or Read the Latest Updates Here

Word Puzzles Search, Find, FUN!

Word Search Printable Puzzles

Think-A-Spell! A fun collection of brain teasers and spelling challenges. Best for ages 10 to adult. 

Sixth Grade Word Lists & Activities :  240 Superb words and lots of learning activities! No printer needed. Also available for fifth grade.   Learn more>>

AnyWord Spelling Practice Series    Fun Worksheets, games & prompts that work with almost ANY spelling words!

Gigantic Spelling Bee Word Lists with definitions, sentences and languages

Spelling Bee Toolboxes for Grades 3/5 and 6/8     All the resources you n eed for a successful bee!  

Monumental Spelling Bee Word Lists  for grades 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8 with definitions, sentences and languages

Mammoth Spelling Bee Word Lists   for grades 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8   with sentences, definitions, and languages

Young Spellers Spelling Bee Word List for Grades 1 & 2 only 

100 Difficult Spelling Bee Words with Definitions, Sentences and Pronunciations, Volumes 1 and 2

600 Spelling Bee Words & Sentences for Gr 3/5 & 6/8 Extra words & sentences at two levels

101 Word Play Puzzlers    Discover the FUN of letters & words as you solve each unique puzzle. Great vocabulary & spelling practice!

© 2010-2024 Ann Richmond Fisher.   All Rights Reserved.

Commercial use of all content on Spelling-Words-Well.com is strictly prohibited.

Disclaimer & Copyright Info               

Affiliate Info                 Updated Privacy Policy