Unique and Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words

Toss out that paper and pencil and practice spelling words with these unique and fun activities. Your kids will be begging for more and love learning again!

Spelling words are boring! There. I said it. Kids hate the mundane pencil to paper to practice their words, week in and week out. Why not make the boring fun? Learning doesn’t have to be a battle! Check out these creative and fun ways to practice spelling words that will have your kids begging for more.

Creative and Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words

Beads Pipe Cleaners

Provide your child with a small bowl of white letter beads and short lengths of pipe cleaners. They can either use them for initial practice while looking at their spelling list or you can quiz them and have them spell out the words by stringing the correct letters on a short length of pipe cleaner. This not only adds a sensory aspect to spelling, which is well known to improve spelling memory, but it is also a great way to strengthen fine motor skills.

Playdough/Alphabet Cookie Cutters

Play Dough is just fun! Line up alpha cookie cutters and let your child roll out their favorite playdough color. Call out spelling words and have them press the letters out to spell each word. Another way to reinforce memorization of spelling words is for you to spell out part of the word and leave some letters out, have your child stamp in the correct missing letters, as they try to figure out what is missing it will help impress it into their mind better.

Wikki Stix

If your child has never used Wikki Stix, they are in for a treat! They are a super fun medium that can be used to practice letter formation, create artwork, and practice spelling words! They are a yarn that has been dipped in wax, very pliable, and can be used and formed over and over.  As you call out spelling words, they can use the Wikki Stix to form the letters of the word.

Letter Magnets

I love letter magnets! You can pick up a cheap set at the dollar store or online. They are great because they can be taken on the road; in the car, at restaurants while waiting, in doctors offices, or at the kitchen table. Add a couple of sets to a cookie sheet picked up from Dollar Tree for on the go spelling practice. Check out this fun Homework Tray we made from a cookie sheet.

Ransom Letter

Remember the days of cutting letters out of a magazine to send anonymous notes to friends? As your child searches magazines for each letter to complete the spelling word, it is impressed deeply into their memory. Let them place the letters or even glue them down. Because this activity is fun and colorful it will break up the monotony of spelling practice.

Shaving Cream/Sand

In preschool, these two sensory delights are lovely for children to practice making their letters. Chances are your elementary student has not had the opportunity to have this kind of fun in a while, and it will be a novel and silly experience for them. Spread sand or a good sized pile of shaving cream on a tray, as you call out spelling words they can trace them in with their finger. Erase and repeat for the next word; this is so fun you may find you want to get in on it too!

Typing

Typing is excellent, especially if your child balks at writing. Typing practice is a great skill to learn too! Have them type their words five times each, just like writing them on paper. There are several online spelling games that are free for families too! Check out gradespelling.com and SpellingCity.com.

Do you have a fun idea to help others practice spelling words? Share them in the comments below!