My TOP 3 Reading Games: Play With Letters, Sounds, Or Words!

It’s a fact: children learn fastest through PLAY. There’s a whole host of research on it and reasons why it’s absolutely the best way to learn (if you’re curious: it’s simply because the brain lights up more during play).

But most importantly, it’s FUN! And fun feels good for everyone. Way better than grueling worksheets or sitting at a table steeped in frustration.

Feeling good = less meltdowns. Hallelujah!

That’s why I’m so excited to share my TOP THREE all-time favorite reading games.

I love these because they’re all super easy and super enjoyable. Plus, you can play them in a bunch of different ways so kids never get bored. And bonus: two of them involve movement, which is proven to help kids overcome their fear of trying and stimulate whole-body learning. Yay!

Simple. Easy. Quick and classic. (Classic for a reason: I’ve literally been playing these with my students every day for over 10 years and kids never get bored of them – and neither do I!)

And the best part is – any of these games can be played with letters, sounds, or words (sight words or decodable). Or even prefixes and suffixes if your child is at that level. Win, win, win!

Okay, now, time for the reveal. Drum roll, please….

My TOP THREE reading games of all time are:

TIC TAC TOE!

Write one letter, word, or affix in each space. The whole board should be full before you play. Read the item in your desired space to take your turn! Play on paper, a whiteboard, or boogie board. Instead of Xs and Os, use lego pieces, coins, or candy. Draw your board with markers, colored pencils, or chalk. You get the idea! The possibilities are endless! Play best of 3. Rematch!

TWISTER!

Spread 7-10 flashcards out on the floor, or better yet let your child set it up! Then say “Put your foot on the letter that says /m/”, “Put your hand on /i/”, “Put your other hand on /sh/” etc. Forget right and left for this one (trust me!). Let your child twist you up first – meaning you’re the only one on the ground moving, they’re giving the directions. They love to be in charge! And they love to see you be silly! Then twist them up. Warning: they’re likely way more flexible than you are, so this could go on for hours. At some point just say “You win!” and celebrate together!

BALL TOSS (aka good ol’ CATCH)!

Stand on opposite sides of a room and use a soft ball (a koosh works great!). You say a letter and toss the ball. Your child has to say the sound the letter makes and toss it back! If you’re playing with affixes or words, you say the affix/word and have your child spell it before tossing the ball back – or you hold up a flashcard they have to read before tossing the ball back to you. Set a goal with your child before starting. 10 tosses and we’re done! That’s it. Have fun!

I told you they were easy! I’d love to hear your experiences and funny kid stories playing these games in the comments below. Share away, I like to laugh!

And if you need more playful ideas to engage your child in the reading process, check out my mini course → Take The Struggle Out of Reading at Home. In just 30 minutes, I’ll show you how to move from meltdowns and power struggles to connection, ease, and joy. Start playing your way to reading success now!

Remember, reading is meant to feel good!

Cheering you on!

xo,