Reading & Phonics Activities - Page 2

Hide letter cards around the room like Easter eggs. Hunt for them, find them, say the sound. Seasonal phonics that gets everyone moving.

Pick a digraph — sh, th, ch, ng — and go hunting. How many times can you spot it hiding in words on a page, a sign, a cereal box? Detective hats on.

Use letter cards to build simple three-letter words — consonant, vowel, consonant. Sound them out, blend them together, read the word. The basics, done brilliantly.

One person sits in the hot seat as a character from the story. Everyone else fires questions. Great for getting inside a character's head.

Earn a star each time a space flashcard is read correctly. Simple reward, real progress — and a chart that fills up faster than you'd think.

After reading, build the story's setting out of toys, blocks, cushions or paper. Then re-read a scene from inside the world you've made.

One question before you open the book. One after you close it. That's it — but it shifts everything from just decoding words to actually thinking about them.

English spelling is chaotic and that's kind of the point. Hunt for words that share the same sound but are spelled completely differently — and turn the confusion into a game.

Grab the Halloween colouring sheet and get spooky with sounds. Brainstorm creepy words, spot the digraphs hiding inside them, and make phonics feel just a little bit frightening.

Find a fireworks story, read it together, colour the sheet, then chat about it over a simple book review. Seasonal reading with a bit of reflection built in.

A star a day keeps the reading slump away. Track your child's December reading on our Advent chart — a small ritual that makes the whole month feel a little more magical.

Build a proper blanket den, decorate it with colouring, hang up a certificate, and curl up inside with a book. Reading as an event, not a chore.

Colour our World Book Day page together and chat about favourite books, characters and stories. Low-key, lovely, and a good excuse to talk about reading.

Pick a scene, grab whatever props you can find — a tea towel, a cushion, a very willing teddy — and act it out. Bring the book to life.

Sum up the whole story in exactly five words. Harder than it sounds, more fun than it should be, genuinely great for comprehension.

Pick a sound before you set off, then race to spot it on signs, number plates and shop fronts. First to five wins. Road-trip phonics.

Your child becomes the teacher. They show a teddy (or any toy) the letter cards and explain each sound. Teaching something is the best way to really learn it.

Share two true things from the book and one you made up. Your child guesses the fake. Low-pressure comprehension that feels like a trick question.

Design the cover, pick the characters, plan the plot — then tell the whole story out loud. Your child is the author today. No experience required.

Swap books with a friend or family member. Tuck a handmade bookmark inside and chat about why you picked it. Sharing books, sharing opinions.

What if the story had ended differently? Talk it through, then invent a new ending. Encourages real thinking about plot, character and consequence.

Design a bookmark inspired by a favourite book — add a character, a favourite word, or just go full creative chaos. A five-minute make with a genuinely useful result.

What if your child was the illustrator? Redesign the cover of a favourite book — and have a proper conversation about what to put on it.

Fill in a short review while the book is still fresh — favourite moments, characters, whether they'd recommend it. Turns opinion into words.