Guide · activities
15 Sight Word Activities
The best sight word activities get a child reading the word many times in a short burst, with a bit of fun around it. Try a word hunt, sight word hopscotch, bingo or a quick game, and change the activity every few days so it stays fresh.
Calm activities
Word hunt: highlight a word every time it appears on a page. Rainbow words: write a word in three colors. Magnetic letters: build the word on the fridge. Salt tray: write it with a finger in salt or sand. Read the room: walk around with a pointer reading labels and word cards.
Active activities
Hopscotch: chalk words in the squares and read each one you land on. Swat it: tape words to a wall and swat the one you hear. Stepping stones: cross the floor on word cards. Ball toss: read a word and throw. Hide and seek: hide cards and read each one you find.
Games around a table
Bingo: print a card for each player. Memory: make pairs with two sets of flash cards. Go fish: ask for words by name. Roll and read: number six words, roll a die and read the word. Sentence builder: arrange word cards into a silly sentence, then read it.
How to do it with Wordburrow
- Pick five words from a Dolch list or your school's list.
- Print flash cards and choose two activities for the week.
- Turn the same words into a game for the days you're short on time.
- Check progress with the checklist.
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Questions people ask
What's the best sight word activity?
The one your child will happily do again tomorrow. Repetition matters more than the activity itself.
How long should an activity last?
Five to ten minutes. Stop while it's still fun.
An app is on the way
We're building a Wordburrow app for iPhone. The plan is everything you can play here, plus offline play and a parent view of the words that have stuck. It isn't out yet. The whole game is free here in the meantime.
Coming soon on theApp Store