Elementary Spelling Games

Traditional Spelling Games

Lots of traditional games actually reinforce language arts skills like spelling. Creating worksheets or blackboard games out of the following activities can help students learn their spelling words:

• Hangman
• Crosswords
• Word searches
• Word scrambles

Elementary students may also find making their own flashcards to use with a partner fun. Mini-spelling bees held at the beginning of the week can be added incentive for helping students learn their spelling words.

Upper elementary students may find word searches or flashcards juvenile. Instead, have them do a cross-curricular activity like writing a short story or newspaper article using all of their spelling words. Publish a classroom newsletter once a month that features a short story or article by each student.

Physical Education and Spelling Games

Kids can find working at their desks on games a difficult task to do if they have a lot of excess energy. Modify physical education games to suit your spelling needs. Two games that work well for this are Around the World and Red Rover.

Around the World is a basketball game that involves shooting baskets from several points around the free throw lane. Divide students into two teams, otherwise it may take a while to get through every person. Have a teacher's aide or classroom parent conduct the second team. Before students are allowed to take a shot, they must spell one of their words correctly. If they miss, they must stay in the same spot until they spell the word correctly. After misspelling three times in a row, the student is out. Students continue around the world until a final person is left standing.

To play Red Rover, students are divided up into two teams that hold hands lined-up facing each other. After chanting "Red Rover, Red Rover, send XX right over," the teacher will say a spelling word. If the student chosen spells it correctly, he/she is allowed to run over to the other line and attempt to break through the hand chain. Should the student break through, he/she is allowed to take another person back to his/her team. But in order to do so, the student must spell a word correctly. If the first student does not break through the hands, he/she must stay with that team. The game is over when everyone is on one big chain.

Online Elementary Spelling Games

To avoid frustration and keep things interesting, use free Internet spelling games to help with spelling skills. Some games may allow kids to enter their own words, while others simply work on general spelling skills.

Try out the following online games to help your child work on his/her spelling skills:

• Word Spell from Game Scene: Spell out words for the wizard's books by clicking on the letters provided. Hit the goal score before the time runs out and move up to the next level.
• Bunny Drop from Free English: Seventeen different spelling word lists are available to choose from for this fun game. Membership is needed to play the game, but is free.
• Wordo at Miniclip Games: This game is great for upper elementary spellers, as directions are somewhat more complicated. The goal is to spell as many words as you can before the tiles reach the top of the game.
• Spelling Wizard from Scholastic: Enter up to ten spelling words and create a customized spelling word search or scramble.
• Alphabet Soup from Room 108: Unscramble the falling letters to form a word before they hit the bottom of the soup bowl and before time runs out.
• Word Safari from Room 108: Enter your own spelling words or use ones provided. Drag the kid with balloons to collect the letters of the word. Be careful not to hit any animals, or a balloon will pop.

You can also find a listing of various spelling games at Gamequarium.

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