Free Preschool Learning Games

Our free preschool learning games will help your youngster get a jump on those all-important sight words. Here is one of our favorites.  

Why do we like this one so much? Because it's so simple to prepare and so much fun to play! It teaches reading and helps build memory skills, too!     

CCSS.ELA-Literacy L.K.2c*  

What's Missing?

To play at home:

1. Choose 5 of these preprimer sight word flash cards at a time. Or make your own cards from this list:

a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little, look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said, see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you

2. Show the words to your child and have him read the words with you several times. Take turns thinking of sentences that use each word. For example, you might select these five words:

Sample sentences include:

• Please help me find the ball.
• Can you come over to my house tomorrow?
• Which of us can run the fastest?
• Let's try to jump over this puddle.
• I like to help my dad. 

3. Then lay just 4 of the cards on the table. Have your child to read each word aloud. Then ask him, "What word is missing?"  When he correctly identifies the missing word, show him the card and have him read all five cards again.

4. Play this several times, omitting a different card each time. Also, "turn the tables" so that you are the one to name the missing word.

5. If you like, you can "keep score." Using paper and pencil, make a tally mark every time your child correctly names the missing word. When he gets 10 marks (or some other number of your choice), he has successfully completed the game.

6. Eventually add more word cards to your set, or make an entirely new set of 5 words.  Be sure to practice a lot of sentences as you play the game. Use sentences with familiar contexts, if possible. For example, if your child enjoys jumping rope, make the sentence for jump about that. 

To use in a classroom:

1. Make several different sets of 5 sight words on index cards. Use the words listed above or other words from our Dolch Word List. 

Place each set of word cards in a separate resealable plastic bag.

2. Assign pairs of students to work together on each set of words.

3. Explain how to play the game, following steps 2 - 4 above. Students should ask you for help in reading any unfamiliar words. They should always read the words together at the beginning of the activity, and use them orally in sentences.

4. Students may keep score as explained above. They should play until both partners have reached the desired score.

Use these free preschool learning games to build spelling skills!

Instead of removing one card from each set and asking, "What's missing," replace one of the word cards with a misspelled word. Ask, "Where's the mistake?"

For example, you could show your child these words:

Your child will point out that funy should be spelled funny.

Note: This works best when playing at home or when using the board with the whole class.

Use this simple idea to create your own fun, free preschool learning games!

More Preschool Games

Please note that we have lots more free preschool learning games. Make the learning fun, and make the fun worthwhile!  Here are a few of the games from our collection that you may want to try:

Free Alphabet Games - "Secret Letters" and "Order, Please!"  Two easy games to play with a group of early learners. In the first game, kids guess what letters are taped on their backs. In the second, they learn about alphabetical order.

Clip Count:  A fun preschool counting game that teaches number words, too! This is a great game to play at school with partners. You can also play it with your child at home.

Letter Lane - A phomenic awareness board game that features beginning consonant sounds for the letters b,d,f and m. No reading is necessary. 

Stand Up, Sit Down - You and your kids are sure to love this game that asks kids to listen to consonant sounds and to move! Tell students that you will be calling out pairs of similar words. Remind them to listen very carefully to the sounds at the beginning of each word. If the words are the same, children will remain seated, but if the words are different,  they should stand. Lots of listening fun!

A Pickle or a Tickle:  Fun preschool game for children! Your students will need to listen carefully to initial consonant sounds as they play these entertaining games.

Ann Richmond Fisher is a longtime published educational writer, a former classroom teacher and a former homeschool teacher. Ann's spelling bee resources, graded spelling word lists, spelling games, worksheets, and other language arts resources have become respected around the globe since she launched Spelling-Words-Well in 2010.

Ann is also the creator of www.word-game-world.com.

Visit my YouTube Channel for fun spelling practice videos!

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AnyWord Spelling Practice Series Worksheets, Games and Prompts that work with almost ANY spelling words!

Fun Spelling Worksheets for Grades 1 and 2    50 All-new reproducible pages for early learners!

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