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Early literacy games you can play anytime and anywhere

Say the words ‘early literacy’ and many parents often feel a little lost. As if we aren’t busy enough, we also need to squeeze in activities to extend our child’s literacy skills. Where to start and — more importantly — how do we find the time?

A child learns best from those around them, so you are the most important teacher your child will ever have. Research shows that up to 90 per cent of a child’s brain development happens in the first five years! These early years hanging out with Mum and Dad really are critical in their early literacy learning.

Thankfully, in a community such as ours, we are surrounded by literacy — and it’s not just books. From signposts and menus to billboards and playgrounds, and event the streets we live in are filled with easy opportunities for a little early literacy fun.

 

Early literacy games to play anytime and anywhere

 

At the supermarket

Turn a simple trip to the supermarket into a fun literacy excursion by playing games as you push your trolley around the aisles. These games also keep the littlies occupied whilst shopping, making the experience easier for everyone involved!

  1. Spot three vegetables that start with the letter ‘C’.
  2. Find all the letters of your name in the breakfast cereal aisle.
  3. For younger children, have them write (or draw) a shopping list before your go out. Have them read out everything you need to buy as you go around the shop.
  4. Older children can be in charge of your shopping list, reading out and crossing things off as you go.
  5. Go on a word hunt, looking for fun words they don’t know. The fresh produce section is great for this. Think rhubarb, celery, squash and kiwifruit.
  6. Older children can test out their maths skills, comparing prices or adding things up along the way.

At the park

There are so many unique words and interesting adjectives to be found on a simple trip to the park!

  1. Go on a scavenger hunt and document what you see. Take a notebook with you, so children can draw and write down what they find. Alternatively, you can take photos on your phone. Hunt for different textures to learn words such as ‘crunchy’, ‘furry’, ‘tiny’ and ‘spikey’.
  2. Support those maths skills by counting how many trees or fence posts you pass, or rungs on the monkey bars they climb. Have older kids count in fives, or skip count, or even count backwards!

Out and about

Reading signs when you are out and about, on the bus or on the way to school, is another way of sprinkling a little literacy into your day without kids even realising!

  1. Spot sight words on billboards, or pick out letters and numbers from signposts.
  2. Older children can play ‘road name mash-up’, where you take the first syllable of one road name and the second syllable of the next, and blend them together to make new funny names!

Get baking!

Baking together is a great way to boost those literacy skills (and get a delicious batch of biscuits at the same time!)

For younger children, reword the recipe in basic language so they can follow it. If it helps, have them draw pictures of the steps.

Older children can read the recipe, measure and count out quantities.

Use plenty of words along the way, such as ‘gooey’, ‘sticky’, ‘delicious’ and ‘tasty’… Don’t worry about the mess!

Don’t forget the chores

The weekly chore board is a great support for everyday literacy. The repetition of seeing the words coupled with completing the action every week will have those new words learnt in no time!

For younger kids, include an image on the chart next to the words so they start to link the word to the action.

Other fun literacy games you can create

License Plate Bingo

Going on a long journey? This is a great game for a road trip as it can be played repeatedly, and with several players.

You need:

  • Bingo cards with letters on them (rather than numbers)
  • Pencils

The game is simple. Kids look for the letters on their bingo card on registration plates and cross them off when they spot one. First one to get a full row is the winner!

Pool Noodle Alphabet Knock Down

You need:

  • A pool noodle
  • Marker pen
  • A soft ball

Cut a pool noodle into sections of around 15cm to 20cm.

Stand the pieces up and write an alphabet letter on the front of each piece of noodle.

Spread them out around the room.

Shout out a letter and kids have to ‘bowl’ over the letter using a soft ball.

Take it one step further with older kids, where they take the knocked-down letters and make up simple words from them.

Splat on Sight

This game is messy, but a lot of fun. Kids love it!

You need:

  • Paint
  • A large tray (to hold the paint)
  • A fly swatter (or two, if you have two kids competing)
  • A large piece of paper

Write a selection of sight words on the large piece of paper.

Shout out a word and kids race to splat the word with a paint-covered fly swatter!

Tip: Play outside and wear clothes you don’t mind the kids getting dirty, the paint gets everywhere!

For a less messy version, use ink and stamps rather than paint and fly swatters.

Find and Rhyme Treasure Hunt

This simple game teaches rhyming words in a fun way. The kids will never know they are learning and it’s an easy way to keep them occupied and engaged.

You need:

  • Paper plates (or can use squares of card)
  • Marker pen
  • 4x Hula hoops

Choose four sets of rhyming words, such as: cat, hat, bat; fun, run, sun; take, cake, rake; and head, led, bed.

Lay one hula hoop in each corner of the room.

Write one word on each plate. Then place one plate from each rhyming group into the centre of a hula hoop and hide the rest of the words!

Kids hunt around to find the missing words and when they find them, they put them in the correct hula hoop.

For more early literacy ideas, simply head down to your local library or visit the State Library of Queensland’s First Five Forever program.

 


Related Reads

How creative play can improve your child’s early literacy
Early Literacy: What is it, and what do I do?
Dads matter! Early literacy tips for dads


Servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is an online guide for parents with kids events, attractions & things to do with kids, schools and education, school holiday guides, health & wellbeing for families, parenting and lifestyle news located on Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane, QLD.

 

 

By Claire Gilligan
WITH A FIFO HUSBAND WHO WORKS AWAY WEEKS AT A TIME, CLAIRE ENJOYS FINDING FUN, LOCAL THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO VISIT TO OCCUPY HER AND HER TWO GIRLS' TIME. ORIGINALLY FROM SYDNEY, CLAIRE AND HER FAMILY LOVE ALL THE THINGS THE SUNSHINE COAST HAS TO OFFER AND ENJOY SHOWING IT OFF TO VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Kids on the Coast is a free family magazine whats on guide for Kids: things to do, school holiday fun and free activities for kids... Fun attractions, family food & travel, kids health & wellbeing, kids parties venues, parenting, pregnancy & babies, guide for parents. Servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is an online guide for parents with kids things to do with kids, schools and education and lifestyle news located on Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane, QLD.

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