Sight Words Practice Ideas

📝 This post about Sight Word Practice was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Ever get tired of practicing sight words the same way over and over? I certainly did! I needed to get my son up and moving, so I searched for new ideas, put my own twist on them, and tried them right away. When my son shouted, “This is so much fun!” I knew I had a winner — even my youngest, who wasn’t anywhere near ready for sight words, wanted in on the games! Check out these 5 sight word practice games.

These sight word activities require a little prep, but believe me — it is completely worth it when your child is engaged and learning without any complaints!

Sight Word High Five

Materials Needed:

✔️ sight word cards
✔️your child

I wrote my son’s weekly sight words on colored paper and hung them on the wall by the front door. As we leave each day or arrive back home, I say a word and he gives that word a high five. He loves doing this and it is simple, fast and easy to remember beause it is the last- or first thing we see when coming or going.

Other Ways to Play:

💡Hang the words on the wall by your child’s bed to review at bedtime or in the morning if you have time.
💡Hang them on the bathroom wall and practice during bathtime.
💡Hang them on the seat in front of them in the car to practice while driving.
💡Place a few cards on the dinner table and have your child tap them carefully with a spoon.

Looking for a template for your child’s sight words? Click here for a free template.

Around the Plate Sight Word Practice

Materials Needed:

✔️ sight words
✔️paper plate
✔️ clothespin
✔️ colored markers

This time, I wrote my son’s words around the rim of a paper plate. You can fit quite a few words on the plate since most sight words are short. I had my son move the clothespin around the plate, reading each word as he went. 

Other Ways to Play:

💡Use a plastic plate and an erasable marker instead of a paper plate. Erase and add new words as you go.
💡Use a piece of cardboard instead of a plate.
💡Place a marble in the middle of the plate, spin it, then read the word it lands on.

Sight Word Beach Ball Toss

Materials Needed:

 ✔️ sight words
✔️beachball
✔️ erasable marker

This game is crazy fun. Blow up a beach ball- you can usually get them pretty cheap at the Dollar Store. Write your child’s sight words around the ball. Throw the ball back and forth and wherever your right thumb lands, is the word you have to read.

Other Ways to Play:

💡Roll the ball instead of throwing it.
💡Bounce the ball off a wall, catch it, then read the word.
💡Play with multiple players.

Search and Find Sight Words in the Neighborhood

Click here for more details.

Materials needed:

✔️paper
✔️ pencil
✔️ camera (optional)

Grab a paper, a pencil, and your camera if you like, then head out. As you explore your neighborhood, look for sight words all around you! Record the sight words on paper or take pictures with your camera. Print them out and continue practicing! Or simply enjoy your sight word walk.

Other Ways to Play:

💡Take a logo walk. See how many logos your child recognizes by sight!
💡Tally how many times you see each word! “Stop” and “look” are bound to be everywhere!
💡Play “I Spy” with sight words along the walk. For example, “I spy a sight word that starts with the letter ‘L.’

Sight Word Practice Magazine Search

Materials Needed
✔️constructionpaper or notebook
✔️ magazines, advertisements, or newspapers
✔️ scissor
✔️ glue

Gather some magazines, advertisements, and/or newspapers, and hunt for sight words your child can read. Once located, cut them out and glue them onto a piece of construction paper or in a notebook for further practice.

Other Ways to Play:

💡Name a sight word your child is working on and search through the reading materials for the letters that make that word. Cut them out and glue them on paper.
💡Cut out letters from the reading materials, lay them out in front of your child, and have them create their sight words with the letters.
💡Play “I Spy” with sight words while you look through the reading materials. For example, “I spy a sight word that starts with the letter ‘t.’

Looking for a complete sight word practice system? Check out our Sight Word Practice Box — everything you need in one place!