When it comes to sight words repetition is the key to success. This is mainly because sight words can often be confusing because they don’t follow the same sounds that they are used to. This means that kids have to memorize the actual word through practice and repetition. Often kindergarteners get frustrated doing this unless you make it fun, that is why we are so excited to share with you these fun sight word activities for kindergarten to make learning fun!
15 Great Sight Word Activities for Kindergarten
First of all, it is super important to have Sight word flash cards on hand! This helps kids see the words and you can use the cards with a lot of the activities. I highly recommend laminating them for added durability.
1. Read and Build
One of our favorite sight word activities is read and build. Just pick a sight word and then have your kids find the right letters to build the word. These can be letter blocks, stamps, or cards with letters.
2. Shaving Cream
If you want an activity the kids are sure to love, let them play in shaving cream. Sure I mentioned this fun activity in our fun activities for 3 year olds, but how doesn’t love playing in shaving cream?
For this activity, give your child a sight word and then have them trace it with their finger in the shaving cream. Once they form the word, have them smooth it out and then spell it again.
3. Word Hunt
Sight words are all around us, we just have to be willing to hunt for them. That is why a word hunt is perfect. Grab some magazines or newspapers and let your kids search for sight words. I usually give kids about 2-3 words at a time to look for when playing this game.
4. Rainbow Write
Kids love rainbows, so have them practice writing sight words by rainbow writing it. Write each word on a piece of paper with a black marker. Then heave your child pick 3-5 colors and have them trace the words with each of the colors.
5. Color by Sight Word
Kids love color by number, so do that with sight words. Have your child color the right word with the right color to see what picture they create while learning their sight words.
6. Manipulate a Sight Word
Give your child several pieces of yarn and some sight word flash cards and have them create the word out of their piece of yarn. This is a no prep activity that your kids can pull out anytime they want to practice.
7. Memory
Print two copies of the sight word cards, and then set up a game of memory where the kindergarten students will have to find a match. You can even use index cards as well, if you prefer.
8. Whiteboards
There is something about whiteboards that kindergarten kids love! So grab a white board in the $1.00 section and dry erase markers and let your kids practice writing words again and again. They will love doing this and you will love not going through reams and reams of paper.
9. Swat a Word
Grab some sight word flashcards and then a cheap fly swatter and play swat a sight word. To play you will want to say a sight word and then your child will search for the word. Once found, they will swat it with the fly swatter. They can then remove it and place it in a stack of words that they know, or you can leave it in there so they can swat it again.
10. Write in Play dough
This is a zero prep sight word activity the kids will love. Grab your favorite color playdough and a wooden stick or skewer that has no point and then have them write the word in the playdough. Once they do it they will roll up the dough and flatten it again ready for the next site word.
11. Sight Word Bingo
Build some fun Bingo boards and have your kids play sight word bingo. Call out different sight words and if they have that word on their card then they mark it off with a marker. When they get a bingo they yell bingo and earn a small prize.
12. Fishing
Your kids will love fishing for sight words! Grab the sight word cards and attach a paperclip to each one. Then grab a wooden dowel and attach a string and then a magnet. Once it is set up, say a sight word and have your child find the right sight word. You can even have your child free fish and tell you what sight word they find!
13. Bean Bag Toss
Lay all the sight words on the ground and then have your child toss the bean bag. Wherever the beanbag lands, then they will get that sight word if they can tell you what the card says.
14. I Spy a Sight Word
Sometimes simplicity is exactly what you need, so with this game it is simple to set up and simple to play. Just grab your sight word flashcards and lay them out on the table or ground. Then one person secretly picks a word. The other person points to the word and says what they think it is. The picker of the word then says, “Yes, that’s it,” or “No, that’s not it.” If it is taking a little longer to figure it out you can give the first letter of the word to help them.
15. Sidewalk Chalk
One of the best sight word activities for kids is to get them using the words and writing them. This helps them memorize them over and over again. With that being said, get them outside writing them with sidewalk chalk. See who can make the biggest sight word, who can make the smallest. The kids will love covering the pavement with words that they know!
What sight word activities do your kids love? Share in the comments!
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