Phonics is one of the fundamental building blocks of early literacy. Understanding the alphabet principle, or that letters have predictable sounds that form words, is an important component of beginning phonics activities. As students learn about these letter-sound relationships and develop phonemic awareness, they can start to read and spell words. While a systematic and explicit approach is the best way to teach phonics, it’s also important to reinforce new learning through games and other fun phonics activities. Here are some of our favorite ways to teach and consolidate these key skills using phonics activities!
Hands-On Activities and Phonics Activities
1. Sing
Singing songs is such a fun and effective way to learn! Kids will love to watch and sing along and might not even realize they’re learning along the way.
Try it: Phonics Songs for Kids
2. Reading
Does reading count as a phonics activity? Absolutely! While reading a book aloud doesn’t necessarily target specific phonics skills, it still serves a valuable purpose in understanding the building blocks of reading. When we read to kids, we show them how words and sounds add up to something bigger, which is the purpose of reading instruction! To make it more targeted, pick out important phonics features as you read, such as letter names and sounds, vowel teams, rhymes, and much more.
Try it: List of Preschool Books To Stock Your Classroom Library
3. Hang phonics anchor charts
There’s a lot to remember when learning new phonics skills. To help reinforce new concepts, post anchor charts around the room to help kids remember rules like silent E, vowel teams, and hard and soft C and G.
Try it: Perfect Anchor Charts for Teaching Phonics and Blends
4. Use a chart to practice saying beginning sounds
Many reading programs come with their own letter sound chart. If you don’t have access to one, there are so many online resources you can use to print your own. Similar to anchor charts, displaying an alphabet chart with corresponding pictures boosts letter-sound recognition and automaticity.
5. Go fish
This classic game can be adapted to any skill or lesson. First, make cards with target patterns or letters. Some examples of skills to work on are capital and lowercase letters, vowel team matching, and digraphs. One kid asks another if they have a card to make a match. For example, they might say, “Do you have a card with the ‘ee’ vowel team?” If the answer is no, the player says “Go fish!” and the first person picks up a card from the pile in the middle. Students set down a match after getting one. The person with the most matches at the end wins!
6. Slap the letter sounds
Sounding out words letter by letter is way more fun with a flyswatter! All you need for this activity are foam or magnetic letters (or even printed letters) and a flyswatter. Make a word and have students swat each letter as they say the sounds. This is a great idea for active learners. Touching each sound can help students remember them as they blend the words.
7. Word walk
This one will also keep active learners moving and happy. Write words in sidewalk chalk, then walk (or hop or skip) along them, sounding the word out along the way. Simple but fun!
8. Rhyme sparkle
How many rhymes can you find? Say a word that has many possible rhymes. While standing in a circle, each student comes up with a word that rhymes with the word. If someone can’t think of a rhyme, they sit down. If there are no new rhymes, give them a new word. Keep going until there’s only one student left.
9. Make magic spoons
Pick up a pack of plastic spoons at the dollar store, then use them to practice building words by combining beginning sounds with word endings. Write beginning or ending patterns on a spoon and the other parts of the word on a piece of paper. Read mixed and matched words by moving the spoon around to create new words.
10. Flip the pages
Divide the pages of a small notebook into thirds, then write letters on each page. Flip them to form new words. The easiest version is CVC words, where the vowels would go in the middle. You can also easily differentiate this activity with blends, vowel teams, and more.
11. Hack pool noodles into phonics tools
This pool noodle game has got to be one of our favorite phonics activities. Cut a pool noodle into pieces and label it with letters. Then stack and spin for learning fun!
Try it: Pool Noodle Phonics
12. Spin and blend
Here’s a different spin (pun intended!) on Pool Noodle Phonics. All you need is a cardboard tube, a wire pants hanger, scissors, and a marker to make this fun DIY blending activity. Write several beginning sounds on one of the tubes and place it on the wire hanger. Then, make a tube with vowel sounds for the middle, and then ending letters on the last tube. Students spin each tube to create new words.
13. Make some phonics cubes
Make two sets of cubes with beginning and ending chunks. Then roll until you get the correct combination of letter and word ending. This digraph blending resource from the Florida Center for Reading Research is a great place to start. Create your own cubes for any type of phonics skill.
14. Grow a flower
We love this gentler, more positive version of Hangman. Think of a word and write down blank spaces for the number of letters in the word. When someone guesses a letter correctly, fill in the letter in the blank spot. If a letter is not correct, draw a stem. Then, add flower petals for each incorrect letter. Students try to guess the word before you fill in the whole flower. This a great transition game when you have a few extra minutes during the day.
15. Use paint stirrers to make word pull-outs
These clever phonics tools are easy to make using paint stirrer sticks and paper towel tubes. On a paint stick, write down letters to use as beginning sounds. On paper towel tubes, write down ending chunks. Simply slide the paint stick in and out of the tube to make new words!
16. Hopscotch
Make squares on the floor with tape or outside with chalk. Place a word card next to or inside each square. Students play by jumping to each square and reading the words as they go. Include words with targeted phonics patterns for students to practice again and again.
17. Alphabet ball
Another fun phonics ball game! Write letters on any ball big enough to throw. Toss the ball to someone, and whoever catches it calls out the first letter they see. They can also say a word that starts with that letter. To extend it further, students can spell the words they say aloud.
18. Use a pocket chart for phonics activities
Here’s another reason teachers love pocket charts: They’re great for phonics centers. Place a sound or pattern in the pocket chart and then have students sort and match cards into the spots underneath. This is a great way to practice beginning sounds, blends, short and long vowels, and more.
19. Play bingo
Every kid loves a good game of bingo. You can create bingo boards to focus on any phonics skill. Print out letters, words, or patterns on paper in grids. Try to make each board slightly different. Call out letters or words and kids put counters on the correct answer. Play five in a row or blackout!
20. Toss some phonics water balloons
This one almost seems too fun to count as learning! Tape up beginning-sound cards (outside is easiest for clean-up!) and write different ending chunks on the water balloons. Toss the balloon next to the sound card and then say the completed word after you throw it.
21. Word ladder
Create a chain of words by changing only one letter at a time. Start with a word at the bottom of the ladder and change one sound to make a new word. For example, start with the word “fun” and go up the ladder: fun-run-runt-bunt-bent-sent. You can easily differentiate ladders based on skill and ability.
22. I Spy
I Spy is always a favorite game. And you can play it anywhere, anytime. Start with the phrase “I spy with my little eye …” and then add something to look for to practice a phonics skill. For example, you could say “I spy something that begins with the letter n” or “that starts with /n/.” You could also mix it up by looking for rhymes: “I spy something that rhymes with …” The possibilities are endless!
23. Word memory game
There are so many ways to customize this game! One version is to match picture cards and their corresponding words. Spread out an even number of matched cards face down. Take turns flipping over two cards and read the word or words to see if it’s a match. Another idea is to match vowel teams or the same high-frequency words.
Try it: Free Vowel Teams Word Cards and Free High-Frequency Word Cards
24. Play Phonogram Connect 4
This connect-four game is a variation of bingo to help reinforce vowel teams. Create a board with a grid of learned vowel teams repeated a few times. Make cards of words that include these vowels teams. Students pick up the word card, read it, and place it on the matching phonogram on the board. For example, the word card might be “boat” and the student would find “oa” on the board and place the card on this spot. The goal is to get four in a row!
25. Mix and match cups to make words
Another great plastic cup activity! Label each cup with letters, blends, or vowel teams, then use them to mix and match words. This hands-on game makes decoding practice refreshing and exciting.
26. Alphabet sound race
Spread out for this fun, fast-paced game to boost letter-sound recognition. Place large, magnetic letters on one side of the room and a magnetic board on the other. Call out a letter sound and ask someone to find the letter that makes that sound. For example, you might say: “Find the letter that says /p/.” The student runs across the room to grab it and places it on the magnetic board. Mix it up for simple letter recognition, and ask them to grab the letter X, for example.
27. Letter Says
We all love the classic game Simon Says. Try this letter-based version to practice letter recognition. The rules are the same as in the original game, but the cues can be anything phonics related. One way to play is to hand out letter cards to students and say, “Simon says, hold up the letter C.” Kids with this letter hold up their cards. Or focus on letter-sound correspondence instead. Say, “Simon says, think of a word that starts with the letter M” and have them shout out their answers.
28. Write the Room: Digraphs
Play a letter scavenger hunt to move around the room to search for pictures with digraphs. Put up pictures of words with digraphs and have students search for them. Write a number on each picture. Students can use a clipboard with a list of the pictures by number. Beside each number is a list of digraphs. Students circle or color in the correct digraph that goes with the picture. For example, if the first picture is “chair,” the student would mark “ch” on number one on the worksheet.
29. Use disappearing ink for letter formation
One of the first keys to early reading success is letter identification and formation. Keep it fresh by using “disappearing ink” (aka water) to practice this skill. After you write a letter using water, students must trace it multiple times to prevent it from disappearing too fast. With so few materials and such high engagement, what’s not to love?
30. Letter bag
Fill a brown paper bag with many foam or magnetic letters. Kids reach into the bag and grab a letter. They can simply say the letter name or sound. Or you can extend it by having them color or fill in letter outlines with their matching letters. Alternatively, kids can name the letter and think of a word that starts with the letter. It’s so fun to see what letter everyone gets!
31. Do word sorts
Word sorts are great for comparing word patterns that make the same sound, like vowel teams. They can also help reinforce so many different phonics skills, making them the perfect activity that can be easily differentiated for learners of all stages. To do a word sort, create cards with new letter or spelling patterns that you can distinguish. Sort words into categories, depending on the phonics feature. Short and long vowels also make a great word sort.
Try it: Free Printable Short ‘A’ Word Cards and Free Printable Long ‘A’ Word Cards
32. Roll and read
Roll a die and read the word from the corresponding column on a chart of words. Play with a partner or do it solo by coloring in the words as you read them. For bossy R syllables, like “or” and “ar,” check out Lesson 79 Roll and Read at UFLI.
33. Roll letter dice
A perfect DIY idea for old blocks! Use three plain wooden or plastic cube-shaped blocks and write consonants on two of them and vowels on the other. Have some fun rolling and blending CVC words.
34. Try locks and keys to learn phonics
This self-correcting phonics activity is also a good way to practice fine motor skills … and a lot of fun to boot! Label keys with beginning sounds and locks with word endings, then match them up and try the key to see if you’re right.
Try it: Unlock-and-Learn Game
35. Color the phonics sound
Most kids start learning phonics by mastering the beginning sounds of words. Print pictures of items with targeted initial sounds, and students can color in the pictures that start with the matching sound. You could also do the middle or ending sound too.
36. Toss and blend with plastic cups
Grab a stack of plastic cups and some Ping-Pong balls for this fun phonics game. Label the cups with different letter blends and set them out (tape them down if they tend to fall over). Kids toss a ball into a cup, then think of a word that uses that letter blend to earn a point.
37. Fill in the missing letters
This active game combines a scavenger hunt with phonics. Hide sticky notes around the room with various vowels. Then, write CVC words with the vowels missing. Have kids hunt for the missing sounds and fill them in.
38. Sort syllable types
If you are teaching multiple syllable types, a word sort reinforces learning of the different types and shows you what your students know. Create word cards with the syllable types and have students sort them into categories. You can compare two or three types of syllables, or all six!
39. Flip the pizza
This simple game is a great way to reinforce automaticity with letter recognition. Cut several circles out of colored construction paper to resemble mini pizzas. Write one letter on the back of each pizza. Using a spatula, kids flip over the pizzas and read the letter name on the back or say the sound the letter makes.
40. Word roller
Grab a ball and some letter cards for this fun, interactive activity. Roll the ball to someone while showing them a letter card. They name the letter and come up with a word that starts with that sound. Next, they roll the ball to someone else, who has to say another word with the same beginning sound. Move on to another letter after a few turns.
41. Do letter puzzles
Print out large, colorful letters and cut each one into a few pieces using zigzag patterns. Kids will love reassembling the letters and completing each mini puzzle with this phonics activity.
42. Sound spin
A fun activity for our youngest learners! You just need a spinner with about eight lowercase letters written on it and small buckets with letter names on the outside, matching the letters on the wheel. Spin the wheel and say the sound of the letter you land on. If you say it correctly, add a counter to the bucket with the same letter on it. This game is great for repetition for letter-sound correspondence, and it’s so fun to see the buckets fill up!
43. Sort digraphs with craft sticks
This craft stick digraph sorting activity is easy to make and versatile. Write words with beginning digraphs on craft sticks. Students pick up the sticks, read the words, and then sort them into categories by digraph.
Online Games and Phonics Activities
44. Starfall
Starfall is a wonderful online educational hub. It has many phonics games and activities to reinforce early letter and sound recognition and decodable books. It’s designed to be engaging and interactive, with no ads!
Try it: Starfall
45. Google Slides
Google Slides has tons of fun phonics activities kids can use in the classroom or at home. There are some helpful online resources for any type of skill.
Try it: Interactive Google Slides for Teaching Phonics and Sight Words
46. Letter Match
Mix it up with this online version of letter match with capital and lowercase letters. Letter recognition is a very important skill for early readers, and finding fun ways to practice it can make all the difference.
Try it: Letter Match at ABCya
47. Spelling Play
PBS Kids has some great reading and phonics games for our earliest readers. Check out Princess Presto’s Spectacular Spelling Play to practice building words one sound at a time. Kids will feel accomplished and confident spelling these words together!
Try it: Princess Presto’s Spectacular Spelling at PBS Kids
48. Bossy R Spin To Win
Reading words is always more fun when it feels like a game show! Use this quick and easy spinner to practice using phonics activities while decoding the ‘or’ pattern in words.
Try it: Bossy R Spin To Win at Wordwall
49. Color by Sounds
This simple, engaging activity is great for kindergarten. Pick from three different templates and color in the letter sounds on each one. The voice prompts you to listen for sounds and color in the correct letter.
Try it: Color by Sounds at eSpark
50. Word Building Pyramids With Vowel Teams
For readers ready for vowel team practice, these word-building pyramids are so much fun! As you spell each word correctly, the pyramid gets bigger. Auditory and visual prompts offer helpful support too.
Try it: Word Building Pyramids at eSpark