Welcome to another Wacky Workshops project – making word games for kids.

If you read my post, Are you Ready to Face the Music, you’ll know just how much I love to play around with words.

The oldest Goddess recently started “big school” (otherwise known as kindergarten).

I’m hoping to encourage her to share my love of words and I know this is the perfect age to really start.

Five-year-olds have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and, if you keep it fun, you can encourage a lifelong love of learning.

You can get the kids to help you make these projects, or set them up yourself ready for playing.

WACKY WORD GAMES – EASY FIND A WORD

MATERIALS

• Favourite children’s book
• Large sheet of paper
• Coloured markers

METHOD

• Choose two to three words from each page of the book and write them clearly on the paper.
• Read the words on the sheet with the child, pointing out each word as you go along.
• Give a marker to the child and tell them to listen carefully to the words when you read them in the book and to tick near the word when they hear it.
• Give the child a different coloured marker and have them ‘read’ the book aloud, marking the words on the sheet as they see them in the book.

WACKY WORD GAMES – WORD PUZZLES

I can’t resist buying those sets of ready made, blank puzzles you can buy in hobby and cheap stores.

I often use them with my art students so they can design their own jigsaw puzzles.

If you can’t get your hands on these, though, you can easily make your own using white cardboard.

Just mark puzzle shapes on the cardboard and then cut them out.

Alternatively, you can use the back of an existing puzzle.

MATERIALS

• Blank puzzle – homemade or bought
• Coloured markers
• Sheet of paper

METHOD

• Break up the puzzle into sections containing three to four pieces.
• Select a different coloured marker for each puzzle section and write the letters to simple words on each piece of each section.
• Break up all the sections and mix them together.
• Write the same words, using the same coloured markers, on the paper.

• Have the child pick out all the puzzle pieces that share one same colour.
• Tell them what word they should make and help them put together that puzzle section to form the word. They can follow the words you’ve written on the paper as a guide.
• Continue until all the puzzle words are made.

NOTE: I made a puzzle with words containing all lower case letters, and then again with the same words, using upper case letters. Some of the upper case letters, such as H, I, O and X are tricky because they look the same right side up or upside down. This adds a little more challenge to the puzzle, which is good.

WACKY WORD GAMES – A RHYMING TREE

It’s no secret how much I truly love trees. I try to incorporate them in artwork whenever possible, so I love this rhyming tree project.

MATERIALS

• Large cardboard sheets – brown, blue, and green.
• Markers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Blu Tack

METHOD

• Draw a large tree shape on the brown cardboard and cut out.
• Glue this to the blue cardboard.
• Write simple words on each branch
• Use the green cardboard to cut out leaf shapes.
• On each leaf, write simple words that rhyme with the words on the branches.

Have the child add leaves to the tree by placing the leaves with rhyming words next to the branch that matches the rhyme. They can use Blu Tack to hold them in place.

This is a great opportunity for some fun art too, so let them decorate the tree picture by adding flowers around the tree, sunshine and other cute features.

Check out my post, Storytelling Games That Will Help Your Imagination Soar.

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Happy crafting and have a gleeful week, Tamuria