Posted in My Homeschool FAQs

Want to know a secret?  I'm a kid at heart.  I'd rather play a game than teach a lesson.  Because of this I am always trying to find or come up with a game to use to teach my children things.  Here are three of our favorite phonics games:

ABC Stomp



This is my very own original game!  I came up with the idea years ago when my now 11 year old was 2.  I first used these to teach him his ABC's.  Then we used them for learning the basic phonics sounds of each letter.  Later we started using them for spelling.  We used them for years!  I think he was probably 3rd grade when I put them away.  Now I am using them with my daughter and she loves them just as much.  This is my original set.  They still look like new, even though they have been "stomped" zillions of times!

To make:  Trace one of your children's shoes on sheets of fun foam.  (You can purchase fun foam at JoAnn's and Michael's in sheets like felt.)  Cut out 26 shoeprints.  Write a letter of the alphabet on each.  I wrote both lower and uppercase on each.  Also write letters on both sides.  They will flip over while your using them.  User a Sharpie marker to write on the fun foam.

To play:  Spread the shoeprints out on the floor.  Take turn calling out letters, or letter sounds.  "Step on the letter B.",  "Step on the letter that sounds like buh.",  "Step on the first letter of truck.", "Step on the last letter of can.",  "Step on the letters that spell happy." 

Clever Catch



This is another fun way to learn you letters and phonics sounds.  You can purchase one on the Clever Catch website or you could get a beach ball and write the letters on it with a Sharpie marker. 

To play:  Toss the ball back and forth.  Whatever letter your left hand lands on you say that letter, it's sound and a word that starts with that sound/letter.

(Note:  There are also  bunch of other fun Clever Catch balls on the website that teach everything from Humn Anatomy to the Presidents & State Capitals!)

Phonics Go Fish



To make:  purchase 2 sets of alphabet flash cards & combine.  Your done! 

To play:  pass 5 cards to each player.  Take turns asking for cards using the phonics sound.   "Do you have any buh?"   In the beginning you may want to throw in the letter too  "Do you have any letter b's that say buh?"  Continue playing in the style of Go Fish.  Have fun!

(Note:  The card holder shown with the Phonics Go Fish are made from 2 margarine lids top sides together held together with a large brad pushed through a slit in the center.  They are a great help for little hands.) 

All of these games are tried and true at our house.  I hope you and your kids have fun with them too!