Play Nursery Rhyme Madlibs!
By the end of kindergarten, most kids can recite classic nursery rhymes like Jack and Jill, or London Bridge. They're fun, easy, and comfortably familiar. Here's a silly game to draw on that knowledge while introducing a concept that will be a big part of first grade reading and writing: ...
Learn Sight Words with a Water Game!
Try this goofy, outdoor game to build your child's reading and spelling abilities. Not only will you both have fun splashing around outside, but she'll be improving her reading skills at the same time!
Play Action Word Charades
In first grade, kids commonly learn to tell the difference between nouns and verbs. While they may learn quickly to tell you the definition of each, by saying something along the lines of "a verb is an action word," a full understanding usually takes more time. Here's a fun skill-boosting game ...
Write a Story From an Ant's Perspective
For independent first graders, it's quite instructive to watch a group of ants work together to carry a crumb of food. Here's a writing activity that helps kids explore an ant's perspective...and practice writing, too!
Make a Story with Magnetic Words
Celebrate Read Across America Day with the words used by Seuss himself. Challenge your kid to come up with her very own story using magnetic words inspired by "Green Eggs and Ham."
Make an ALL ABOUT ME! Book
Kids love talking about themselves - their likes, their dislikes, and details about everything in between. Spark their interest in writing with a mini-book about their favorite subject - them!
The Build-a-Word Card Game: Better than Go Fish!
Compound words may look hard at first, but things get easier if kids can spot two smaller words that they already know. Want to add a little "holy moly!" to something that can feel ho hum? This card game will help you practice making compound words-- and have some fun while you're at it!
Write a Mixed Up Story!
Want to help your child recognize the recipe for a successful sentence? Here's a fun activity to get your child thinking about how sentences work. Plus, he'll create a truly crazy story!
Make a Santa "Wish List" Holder
This fun holiday activity will help your first grader collect a list of her Christmas wishes and she'll also get extra reading and writing practice!
Play Punctuation Red Light, Green Light
With nothing more than a flat open space and some lively kids, you can reinforce key concepts of punctuation while having lots of healthy laughs.
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