I’m always looking for fun activities for kids to do inside during the winter months. It is always a bonus when I can incorporate literacy ideas into those activities! The kids end up having so much fun that they don’t even realize they are learning.
Ideas for literacy games can be tricky to come up with for beginning readers. This game covers all the bases.
It’s fun.
It’s filled with sight word practice opportunities.
And, it’s perfect for beginning readers.
Snowman Sight Word Race is great for beginning readers who are working on sight word recognition. The sight words included in this free printable are words that a typical first grader would be learning during the winter. You could adapt the game and include words that your individual child needs to practice.
Supplies Needed:
- free printable playing board and sight word pieces (recommend printing on cardstock)
- scissors
- 2 game pieces (we used pom-pom balls)
- 2 pieces of blank paper
- 2 drawing utensils (crayons, markers, pens or pencils)
Set-Up:
Cut out the playing cards (snowballs) and place face down in a pile.
You will need to play in an area with a hard surface for drawing.
Each player will need a playing piece, a piece of paper and a drawing utensil.
How to Play:
Each player places their playing piece on “start”.
The youngest player goes first by choosing a card and reading the sight word. If they read the word correctly, they get to move one space up the board. If the player lands on a spot with a direction, they read the direction and draw the part of the snowman on their paper. A player does not move if the word is read incorrectly.
If a player draws a snowball card they have to return to start.
The first player who reaches the finish line and completes the drawing of their snowman wins!
