Word Games Activities
Quick, energetic word games to practise tricky words, sounds, and reading skills without it feeling like “work.”
Tricky-word swat
Lay out the tricky word cards, call one out, and race to swat it. Fast, physical and surprisingly competitive for something involving the word "said".
Tricky-word memory
Play pairs with tricky word cards — turn two over, read them both, find a match. Classic memory game with real phonics value.
Silly sentence builder
Pick word cards and build the most ridiculous sentence you can. Read it aloud, laugh at it, build another one. The sillier the better.
Reading scavenger hunt
Set a hunt challenge before you start reading: find a word with sh, spot an exclamation mark, count how many times a character's name appears. Keeps attention sharp.
I spy sounds
Play I spy the phonics way — using sounds, not letter names. "I spy something beginning with s" (and you mean the ssss sound, not "ess").
Tricky-word snap
Play snap with tricky word cards — but instead of shouting "snap!", shout the word. Fast, fizzy, and surprisingly effective.