There is a website called Learning Games For Kids. It has free games that kids can play. Each game allows kids to practice a specific concept that has to do with words, spelling, or language. These games can be easily added into your lesson plans, as a fun way to practice a new concept.
Learning Games for Kids has games that teach math, health, art and music, geography concepts, science games, and more. They have some excellent word games. There are games designed to let your child practice alphabetizing, spelling, understanding contractions, understanding homophones, and even some poetry concepts! This can be a fun alternative to word puzzles and word searches. Often, children learn more when they are having fun while learning.
Here are a few games they offer that are good practice, and good fun:
Which One?
In this game, you are presented with a sentence. The sentence has a blank. Choose the best answer from one of two homophones. Correct answers are rewarded with a chime sound, or an “alright”. If you choose an incorrect answer, you will hear a crying baby, or a “boing” noise. If you get it right, you move to the next question. If you get it wrong, you get to try again.
Pairs Word Game
This combines homophones recognition with a memory game. The game is made of several disks, each with a homophone on it. The disks are turned over. Select two disks. You want to choose the two that have a pair of homophones on them. For example: do and dew. Match them all to end the game.
Wizards and Pigs
You are a wizard. Click the arrows on the game to move the from room to room. When you encounter a goblin monster, it will read a poem. Decide if the poem is using rhyme, rhythm, or alteration. There is one potion that matches each type of poem. Use the correct potion to turn the goblin into a pig. The pig will run away, and drop a key. Collect all the keys to enter the dragons lair. This funny game is the only one I know of that incorporates poetry.
Alphabetical Whack-A-Mole
Several cartoon moles pop out of holes. Each is holding a card with a letter on it above it’s head. Move the hammer to whack the mole that holds the letter a. Next, you must whack the mole who holds the letter b. Continue until you complete the alphabet. You must hit each letter in the correct order for it to count.
Image by Kyle Van Horn