Best Spelling Games for Kindergarten and First Grade

Ever find that a game is just the trick for engaging kids in learning? Spelling games can sometimes be the perfect tool to help our children and students practice spelling words. With options for digital spelling games, hands-on spelling games, and printable spelling games, it’s easy to see why it’s one of my favorite ways to practice spelling words.

Digital Spelling Games

Limited screen time is important in the classroom, so when my students know they will be doing a spelling activity on the computer, iPad, or smart board, they are instantly motivated! Here are some of our favorite ways to practice spelling words online.

ABCYa

I have been using ABCYa in my classroom since the first year I started teaching! It has long been a cherished educational site among my students. It covers skills from Pre-K to 6th Grade and provides reading and spelling practices, math games, and more!

There is a free version as well as a premium membership. The free version offers many games, and that’s all I’ve ever had!

This website serves dual purposes in my classroom: it is utilized on my Smart Board for whole group activities, and the app is employed on our iPads for independent learning centers.

The icing on the cake is that the free version grants comprehensive access to every game available on the site…so it’s a win in my book!

Boom Cards

Boom Cards have become a staple in my classroom. There is truly no better online way for my students to practice a specific spelling skill than when I assign them a deck of Boom Cards.

These are the task cards that you know and love, but digital! Which means no printing, cutting, or laminating for the teachers. If you’ve never heard of Boom Cards, check out this post to see why they’re so great for little learners!

You can find a deck of Boom Cards for your students to practice on nearly any spelling skill! I use Boom Cards so much in my classroom that I created a set for each spelling skill I taught in First Grade.

The Boom Learning platform offers free and paid memberships. I have a paid membership because I create Boom Cards, but as a teacher, the free version is all I need! You can learn how to use the free version here.

These gamified task cards require no prep on the teacher’s end. They’re self-checking, which makes them great for independent practice. And lastly, they’re highly engaging! Boom Cards are the best way, by far, to practice specific spelling skills. Try out a deck to see for yourself!

Spelling City

Spelling City is another great website for playing spelling games.

This quickly became an easy and fun homework assignment throughout the year. Spelling City has a free and paid version, as the other two websites mentioned. While the free version has a limited number of games, I’ve never needed more than those offered to my first graders.

The great thing about Spelling City is that you can add your word lists so students can use the exact words you are working on while playing games. The word lists are then saved on your account to use and assign year after year. This is a feature that comes with the free version that I love!

Hands-On Spelling Games for Kids

These hands-on, physical spelling game choices are ideal to keep your students off the screen! Additionally, they cater to kinesthetic learners who benefit from hands-on manipulation of game pieces.

Zingo Word Builder

If you haven’t heard of Zingo, it’s Bingo with a Zig! This award-winning game is loved by everyone who plays. While Zingo offers games for many different concepts. The word-building set is what you want for spelling practice!

This is a great spelling game for the middle to end of the year in kindergarten and the beginning of the year in first grade. It’s a great game to have on hand for anyone who needs practice building 3 letter words!

This spelling game can be played by 2-6 players. Players will practice letter sounds and spelling CVC Words as they use the letter tiles to build a word.

Bananagrams

Bananagrams is another award-winning spelling game! This low-stakes, low-stress game is a great way to practice building words.

The great thing about the Bananagrams is that it can be played by 1 player and up to 8 players. Each player gets an equal number of letter tiles. Everyone starts building words arranged in a crossword format (think Scrabble). The first player to use all their letter tiles wins!

Unlike Zingo, which must be played with a partner or in a group setting, Bananagrams can be used as an independent activity, which I love!

Printable Spelling Games for Kindergarten and First Grade

Editable Spelling Worksheets

These Editable Spelling Worksheets are, hands down, my favorite spelling worksheets to use in my classroom.

They are editable, so I can use them with any word list! It includes 20 enjoyable and interactive worksheets that are prepped and ready to go. These spelling practice worksheets require no prep time from me and allow my students to practice their spelling words effectively.

You can try this set for free or check out the monthly sets. These are great because the themes change while the concepts stay the same, so your students see familiar activities month after month with your new words.

Spelling Word Searches

Who doesn’t love a little challenge? That’s what these spelling word searches provide for my students. Each year, my class loves word searches. So I thought, “How can I combine the two?” And that’s how spelling word searches were born.

You can find searches for short vowel spelling concepts like CVC Words, Digraphs, and Blends. You can also find more advanced spelling concepts like CVCe Words, Vowel Teams, Suffixes, and more in the Phonics Word Search Bundle.

Spelling Snowballs Game

Stay with me on this one! I am proud to say I created this game on a whim during a snowy January day. This can be played with a small group of students, but I prefer the whole class!

Give each student a small piece of white paper and have them write one of the spelling words from your list. Then, have them crumble it up into a snowball. Say “GO” and have your students toss their snowballs in the air. Each student should pick up someone else’s snowball and read the word. Then, they find a partner, read the word to each other, and trade snowballs. Then, say “GO” and start the snowball fight again.

This spelling game provides instant fun with no prep at all!

Try this Free Spelling Game!

I hope you found some great spelling games for your kindergarten and first-grade students to bring back to the classroom! Do you have another spelling game you love? I’d love for you to tell me in the comments!

Looking for More Spelling Ideas?

Check out these blog posts with fun, engaging, and easy-to-use spelling activities to use with your kindergarten and first-grade students!

• How to Use Editable Spelling Worksheets to Improve Spelling
• Editable Spelling Activities for the School Year
• Easy-to-Use Spelling Activities Your Students Will Love

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