Word search with sight words

A large collection of sight word worksheets and other resources, including folding booklets, word searches, posters and games. Sight words (often referred to as high-frequency words) are the most commonly occurring words in books. For fluent reading, these words need to be recognised quickly (without being sounded out). These sight words activities and worksheets will help students learn the words they need to know.

Choose Sight Words Focus from the side menu to browse resources that focus on a single sight words.

Choose Sight Words Mix from the side menu to browse resources that involve groups of sight words.

Use the filter above to narrow the results by resource type.

Teachers are always on the hunt for great sight word activities. Sight words are any words readers recognize automatically “by sight”—for fluent readers, that’s almost all words! High-frequency words, the most commonly occurring words in written English like those on the Dolch list, are often thought of as the most crucial sight words.

It’s a myth that blindly memorizing every letter in a sight word is the only way to learn it. The science of reading tells us that linking sounds and letters is the most effective way for kids’ brains to learn any word. Many common words are easy to tackle using beginning phonics skills (like “at,” “can,” “him,” etc.), so staying true to a strong phonics curriculum is one way to support kids’ sight word learning. Even irregularly spelled words have decodable parts, e.g., kids can use the sounds of “s” and “d” to help with “said,” even if the “ai” is unexpected. Experts often call these words “heart words” to call out for kids that they should learn the unexpected word parts “by heart.” (If all this is unfamiliar to you, it can feel overwhelming, but you’ve got this! Check out teaching guru Jillian Starr’s explanation for more help.)

Check out these low-prep and engaging sight word activities for both teaching and practicing words.

Sight Word Activities for Introducing Words

1. Map it and drive it

This is a genius way to introduce words with appealing materials: Say the word, represent each sound with a LEGO brick, write letters for each sound, and “drive” to read it.

Source: @droppinknowledgewithheidi

2. Smush play dough for each sound

Set up a routine that works for any word. Play dough squishing for each sound is the ultimate multi-sensory component.

Source: @playdough2plato

3. Map words with a magnet wand

It is so super-satisfying to drag those magnetic dots around! Watch the video below for lots of tips on introducing a word using this process.

Source: @warriorsforliteracy

4. Make a mini book

Lots of handy info in one place for your little learners.

Source: @hughesheartforfirst

5. Tap it, pop it, learn it!

Hardwire those words in kids’ brains with this comprehensive word intro routine. (You had us with the pop its!)

Source: @hellojenjones

Sight Word Activities for Practicing Words

6. Find and swat words

An oldie but such a goodie. Find a word in an array and WHACK! Swat it with a fly swatter!

Source: @kids_play_learn_laugh

7. Flip word pancakes

Serve up sight word pancakes while practicing spelling them aloud.

Source: @bee_happy_teaching

8. Wear heart word bracelets

Make kids feel like sight word VIPs.

Source: @teachingmoore

9. Search for sight word balls

Write sight words on ball pit balls with a chalk marker or dry-erase marker. Kids can race around hunting for balls to read and toss in a basket, or hunt through a big tub of balls for a certain word.

Source: @preschoolforyou

10. Start a sight word band

Loud but oh-so-fun! Feel the rhythm while tapping and reading sight words stuck to homemade percussion instruments.

Source: @earlyyears_withmrsg

11. Drive on a sight word path

This is one of many fun ways to use magnetic tiles for learning! Kids love “knocking down” word tiles with a toy car as they read each one.

Source: @travisntyler

12. Use sticky notes to inspire sight word sentences

Have kids stick words on items that give them ideas for sentences. “My Mom said to wear a helmet!” = so good!

Source: @kinneypodlearning

13. Write words on a sensory bag

So easy: Fill a zip-top bag with a small amount of kid-safe paint, seal well, and have kids practice “writing” sight words with their finger or a cotton swab.

Source: @makeitmultisensory

14. Wear a sight word crown

Wear your word proudly and practice reading others’ words. Fun in person or virtually.

Source: @mrsjonescreationstation

15. Play a magnetic-tile board game

We love new ideas for ways to use magnetic tiles for sight word activities. Easy to set up and fun to play.

Source: @twotolove_bairantwins

16. Spell words to a familiar tune

Get sight words stuck in everyone’s head, in a good way. We’d add a line for chanting the sounds in the word!

Source: @saysbre

17. Feed a word monster

Nom, nom, nom.

Source: @ecplayandlearn

18. Search for the pom-pom under sight word cups

Read all the words as you try to find the cup that hides the prize.

Source: @la.la.learning

19. Play sight word KABOOM

This classroom classic is perfect for sight words. If you need a refresher on the rules, Jillian Starr covers them.

Source: @essentiallykinder

20. Roll and write words

Roll, write, repeat.

Source: @mylittlepandamonium

21. Write words with rainbow colors

Bonus points for aromatic markers.

Source: @mylittlepandamonium

22. Trace words with flashlights

Stock up on batteries because kids never get tired of this!

Source: @giggleswithgerg

23. Find words in plastic eggs

Give kids a checklist of words to find as they open each egg.

Source: @blooming_tots1

24. Spy words around the classroom

Just add a magnifying glass and clipboard to make kids feel like supersleuths!

Source: @readingcorneronline

25. Find words in the morning message

Don’t forget about old standbys! This is one of our favorite ways to get kids to recognize sight words in connected text.

Source: @tales_of_a_kinder_classroom

26. Build words with bricks

Such a great use of extra building bricks!

Source: @raysinkinder

27. Write words in sand

Easy-peasy to set up and keep neat if you use plastic pencil boxes.

Source: @teacherhacks

28. Spell words on a construction site

Bulldozing over each word to read it is the best part!

Source: @planningplaytime

29. Spell words with toy cars

Drive on over!

Source: @lozlovesprep

30. Park in a sight word “parking lot”

This one is easy to modify based on whatever toys are available in the classroom or at home.

Source: @msbendersclassroom

31. “Plant” words in play dough

Watch those reading skills grow!

Source: @planningplaytime

32. Build words in a sensory tub

Because spelling is just more fun when your hands are covered in beans!

Source: @coffeeandspitup

33. Write words on a magnetic drawing board

That eraser track makes for a perfect word card holder!

Source: @moffattgirls

34. Or write words on the window!

Everyone wants a turn to write on the window!

Source: @kindergarten_matters

35. Shhh! Discover words written in invisible ink

Write words in white crayon and reveal them with watercolors on top!

Source: @teachstarter

36. Dot-paint words with a cotton swab

Calming and effective.

Source: @sightwordactivities

37. “Type” words on a keyboard

Busy day at the sight word office! Use a keyboard cover or any old keyboard.

Source: @lifebetweensummers

38. Read words before heading through the door

The line leader can double as the word pointer during transitions.

Source: @ms.rowekinder

39. Read the word the teacher’s wearing!

Wait, is there something on my shirt?

Source: @theprimarypartner

40. Take a sight word cakewalk

Choose a winning word when the music stops!

Source: @joyfulinkinder

41. Play sight word hopscotch

If you can’t get outdoors, tape on the floor works just as well.

Source: @wheretheliteracygrows

42. Play tic-tac-toe

I’ll be team “the.”

Source: @create_n_teach

43. Go sight word bowling

No bowling pins? Use half-filled plastic water bottles instead.

Source: @thecreativeteacher_

44. Ready, aim, read

Just throw a beanbag at a word target if foam darts are a no-go.

Source: @laurens_lil_learners

45. Play muffin tin ball toss

Toss and read. It’s easy to use colored muffin cups to prep different sets of words.

Source: @homeschooling_fun_with_lynda

46. DIY sentence flash cards

Authentic use of words in context for the win.

Source: @teachertipsandtales

47. Play sight word checkers

King me! If kids don’t have a partner available, they can “play” with a stuffed animal and get double practice.

Source: @sightwordactivities

48. Play sight word Guess Who?

Set up this game once and use it forever.

Source: @lessons_and_lattes

We’d love to hear—what are your favorite sight word activities? Share in the comments below.

Want more articles like this? Be sure to sign up for our newsletters.

Plus, what are sight words?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a word search?

A word search is a puzzle where there are rows of letters placed in the shape of a square, and there are words written forwards, backwards, horizontal, vertical or diagonal. There will be a list of words for the player to look for and the goal of the player is to find those words hidden in the word search puzzle, and highlight them.

How do I choose the words to use in my word search?

Once you’ve picked a theme, choose words that have a variety of different lengths, difficulty levels and letters. You don’t need to worry about trying to fit the words together with each other because WordMint will do that for you!

How are word searches used in the classroom?

Word search games are an excellent tool for teachers, and an excellent resource for students. They help to encourage wider vocabulary, as well as testing cognitive abilities and pattern-finding skills.

Because the word search templates are completely custom, you can create suitable word searches for children in kindergarten, all the way up to college students.

Who is a word search suitable for?

One of the common word search faq’s is whether there is an age limit or what age kids can start doing word searches. The fantastic thing about word search exercises is, they are completely flexible for whatever age or reading level you need.

Word searches can use any word you like, big or small, so there are literally countless combinations that you can create for templates. It is easy to customise the template to the age or learning level of your students.

How do I create a word search template?

For the easiest word search templates, WordMint is the way to go!

Pre-made templates

For a quick an easy pre-made template, simply search through WordMint’s existing 500,000+ templates. With so many to choose from, you’re bound to find the right one for you!

Create your own from scratch

• Log in to your account (it’s free to join!)
• Head to ‘My Puzzles’
• Click ‘Create New Puzzle’ and select ‘Word Search’
• Select your layout, enter your title and your chosen words
• That’s it! The template builder will create your word search template for you and you can save it to your account, export as a Word document or PDF and print!

How can I print my word search template?

All of our templates can be exported into Microsoft Word to easily print, or you can save your work as a PDF to print for the entire class. Your puzzles get saved into your account for easy access and printing in the future, so you don’t need to worry about saving them at work or at home!

Can I create a word search in other languages?

Word searches are a fantastic resource for students learning a foreign language as it tests their reading comprehension skills in a fun, engaging way.

We have full support for word search templates in Spanish, French and Japanese with diacritics including over 100,000 images.

Anyone (of any age!) who’s interested in increasing their English vocabulary or literacy skills needs to be familiar with sight words—what they are, how they work in the English language, and which words are considered sight words!

One effective way to master sight words is by playing games. Science shows that high-quality educational games can be effective tools to help you learn new concepts and skills. And hey—who doesn’t want to have fun while learning? 

To help you choose sight word games that are proven to be effective at increasing vocabulary and enhancing literacy skills, we’ve compiled a full guide to sight word games and activities for you. Included in this article are: 

• A definition of what sight words are and why they’re important
• Three do-it-yourself sight word games
• Three physical sight word games
• Three digital sight word games and sight word apps

So by the end of this post, you’ll have nine sight word games and activities that can help you improve both your vocabulary and reading skills! 

What Sight Words Are (and Why They’re Important)

Here’s one way to define “sight words”: sight words are words in the English language that you need to be able to recognize the meaning of right when you see them. That’s why they’re called sight words: you need to be able to recognize them and know what they mean on sight. 

But how is this type of word different from other words that you read? Don’t we recognize the meaning of all words when we look at them? Well, not exactly. We recognize the meaning of most words in the English language through a process called decoding. As we learn to read, we get the hang of letter-sound relationships and letter patterns, which allows us to pronounce words correctly and begin recognizing words we haven’t seen before. 

Kinda cool, right? 

Most people learn how to decode words through phonics instruction in school. But, here’s how sight words are different from all those other words that we learn to decode through phonics: sight words defy standard phonetic patterns and must be memorized. Memorizing sight words is important because sight words account for around 75% of beginning reading material. For children and adults who struggle to recognize sight words, learning to read is going to be a challenging process. 

When we’re able to recognize sight words, we can focus instead on meaning and comprehension while reading, instead of having to decode every single word. You can actually find several lists of common sight words online, but it’s important to know that U.S. schools usually use the Dolch or Fry Sight Word lists. Most often, children begin learning sight words in kindergarten in the United States, but many, many people learn English or acquire full, functional literacy at a much later age in the U.S. as well. 

But what do games and sight word activities have to do with memorizing all of these words? A lot, actually. Literacy learners of all ages are able to memorize sight words more quickly through repeated practice, but reviewing the same material over and over can become tedious or stressful for language learners. Gamifying literacy learning can help learners who struggle with memorization learn more quickly, be more attentive while they practice, and increase their confidence in their ability to learn to read. 

Now that you know what sight words are and why they’re so important to literacy learning, let’s look at nine different sight word games that you can play to increase your knowledge of sight words!

Do-It-Yourself Sight Word Games

If you’re looking for an affordable way to help someone memorize sight words, there are plenty of inexpensive sight word activities that you can put together on your own! Here are three tried and true, do-it-yourself sight word activities for people of all ages. 

DIY Flash Cards

• Cost: Free if you’re already stocked up on blank paper and a marker!
• Best For: All ages 

While there are definitely sight word flash cards that you could buy pre-made online, you can also make flash cards using your own materials at home. To create your own sight word flash cards, all you’ll need is a pen or marker and blank notecards! 

Sight word flash cards are good for children and adults working on their English literacy and vocabulary. Working through flash cards can help you recognize sight words more quickly and memorize them. You can also use flash cards for practice in the following ways: 

• Practice saying the word aloud when you see it on the flash card
• Practice saying the word aloud, then spelling it aloud
• Practice reading the word, writing it yourself, then saying it aloud

Making flash cards is an especially good activity for kids. They’ll have fun decorating their cards, which has an added bonus of sneaking in some extra study time, too. 

To create sets of sight word flash cards, you’ll probably want to use the Dolch and/or Fry Sight Word Lists, since these lists correspond with those used by teachers in school. Luckily, those are available online for free at the links above. You can use flash cards to study at school, work, or home, or take them on the road for practice as well!

Put Together a Word Search

• Cost: Free if you’ve got paper and pen on hand already!
• Best For: Kindergarten and up 

Creating and/or completing a word search that includes several sight words can be an excellent way to practice picking out sight words quickly. Creating a word search is pretty easy! All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and a list of sight words that you can incorporate into the word search. For a tutorial on creating your own word search, check out this resource. 

If you have a friend, classmate, or fellow parent who is learning sight words or helping someone else learn sight words, you can create word searches and exchange them with each other. Not only will you get in extra practice, you’ll also make friends with a study partner who can help you practice your words. 

You can repurpose an old Candy Land game and turn it into a sight word extravaganza…for free!

Sight Words Book Land

• Cost: Free, if you already have all the materials, or about $13 for a Candy Land board game on Amazon
• Best For: People ages 5 and up 

We’re going to get into some board games you can purchase to practice learning sight words in the next section, but did you know you can also create your own sight word board games with materials you have at home? Sight Words Book Land is one DIY board game option, if you’re feeling a little crafty! 

Sight Words Book Land is modeled after the popular kids’ game, Candy Land, and provides a fun, engaging format for sight word repetition. The game can accommodate two to four players, which is great for family learning. 

To create your own version of the game, you’ll need the following materials: 

• Book Land Board, which you can download here
• Book Land Cards, which you can download here
• A color printer, or access to one
• Scissors
• Tape
• Game pieces of some kind

Alternatively, if you don’t want to print out your own game board and cards, you can repurpose an old Candy Land game for Sight Words Book Land. If you use a list of sight words online, you can write them on the old Candy Land game cards yourself!

To play, each player starts with their game piece on the “start” arrow, then takes turns drawing cards and attempting to successfully read the word printed on the card aloud. When a player reads the word on a card correctly, they move their game piece forward according to the colored dots on the card they drew. The first player who gets to the end of the board wins! 

If you’re not the crafty type, there are plenty of sight word games you can buy, too. 

Physical Sight Word Games

When we say “physical” sight word games, we mean word games that use physical materials, like board games or card games. (Don’t worry: we’ll talk about digital games and apps a little later.) 

For many learners, having a tactile learning experience can help them memorize sight words more effectively. We’ve listed four physical sight word games that you can purchase in stores or online to help you practice learning sight words by heart. 

Key Education Sight Word Space Station Game

• Cost: About $20 on Amazon
• Best For: Kindergarteners to second graders

If you’re looking specifically for kindergarten sight words games, Sight Word Space Station could be a great choice! This multiplayer board game can be ordered online and includes all the materials children need to practice reading and memorizing sight words. 

This game is designed for kindergarten through second graders to help this age group practice reading and memory skills by identifying pairs of sight words. Up to eight players can participate in this concentration-style game, which includes 96 game cards total, and 48 color-coded, high- frequency sight word cards. As an added bonus, you can limit the number of card pairs that are in play to make the reading tasks less overwhelming for stressed or reluctant readers. 

Oh, and here’s where the space theme comes in: as matched cards are removed from the game board, an alien space station is slowly revealed. Past parent purchasers tout this feature as a major point of interest for their youngsters!

Sight Words Four in a Row

• Cost: About $7 on Amazon Prime for the Connect Four game, and an additional $3 for sight word flash cards
• Best For: Kindergarten and up 

Sight Words Four In A Row uses materials from the familiar game Connect Four in order to build learners’ confidence with sight words through repetition and quick reading. To recreate this sight word activity, you need a Connect Four board, Connect Four pieces, and a stack of sight word flash cards. 

Now, here’s how you play Sight Words Four In A Row: get two players together, place the Connect Four board between them, and take turns drawing a flash card from the stack and attempting to read the corresponding sight word aloud. Each time a player reads the sight word on a flash card aloud correctly during their turn, that player gets to drop a game piece into one of the Connect Four board slots. The first player to place four game pieces in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins! 

Sight Word Bingo

• Cost: About $7 on Amazon
• Best For: People ages 5 and up

Another classic sight words kindergarten game is Sight Word Bingo. Like several of the board games and card games we’ve mentioned, you could make your own sight word bingo at home, but if you don’t have the time or interest, there are Sight Words Bingo games out there that you can purchase online and have delivered to your doorstep!

Sight words bingo works pretty much exactly like regular bingo. The caller calls out the word on a card or shows the card, then players search their cards for a match. If they find the sight word on their playing mat, they cover it with a chip. Learners get practice reading 46 words, increase their vocabulary and word recognition, and build reading and spelling skills. 

There are many variations of sight word bingo games that you could purchase, but most versions comes with 35+ playing cards, 260+ playing chips, calling cards, caller’s mat, answer guide, and a storage box. They also come in different difficulty levels: we’ve linked to an easier game, but don’t be afraid to bump up the challenge. 

There are some great apps out there that can help you take your studying on the go! 

Digital Sight Word Games and Sight Word Apps

The last category of sight word activities we want to give you some options for is sight word apps and sight word games online. We’ve selected games that you can play on desktop or mobile so that you can have sight word games with you wherever you go. 

Learn Sight Words

• Cost: Free! 
• Best For: Kindergarten and up 

Learn Sight Words is an iPhone and iPad app designed for children. The 300+ sight word flash cards are based on the Dolch Word List (which we linked to above) and can be used for various forms of sight word practice. Reviewers say that if you’re looking for a sight words kindergarten game that’s compatible with what children are learning in school, Learn Sight Words is a great choice!

Children can use the app themselves to read sight words, listen to sight words, practice with app-generated mixes of 25 sight words per day, flag difficult words for extra practice, and view words in alphabetical or random order based on their grade level (the app has settings for pre-k through third grade). As an added bonus, the app’s “read aloud” feature can be temporarily turned off so children can practice saying the words aloud all on their own!

This sight words app doesn’t have a lot of fancy bells and whistles, but it’s easy for children to use for straightforward practice with sight words. 

The Sight Word Adventure

• Cost: About $3
• Best For: Kindergarten and up 

If you’re looking for a more immersive sight word game experience, The Sight Word Adventure is a great pick. This app offers seven different sight word games based on games children will likely be familiar with already—like bingo and whack-a-mole—and features a friendly kangaroo as a guide through the different games. 

The app allows you to select a level, ranging from pre-k to third grade, and tailors the sight word games to the designated learning level. The games are also structured into two categories: reading games and writing games. The reading games help learners recognize complete sight words, and the writing games test their ability to reproduce the words on their own. 

Parents might be interested to know that the app is customizable: you can include new sight words or prioritize specific words based on your child’s progress, which is trackable through the app’s parental dashboard. Finally, The Sight Word Adventure app is Voice-Over compatible, making it accessible to learners with disabilities. 

Education.com Sight Words Games

• Cost: Free!
• Best For: Kindergarten and up 

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for sight words kindergarten games, check out the various online games provided by Education.com. Their repository of free sight word games includes everything from puzzles, to time-based challenges, to digital card games—and they’re paired with lively narration and engaging sound effects. 

Each game in the Education.com collection is prefaced by a one-paragraph description of the skills children will learn and practice, which age group the game is ideal for, and the option to view which state or national learning standards the game aligns with. The variety of types of sight word games available on this single site will keep children interested in learning sight words!

The only caveat here is that you’ll need to create an account with Education.com, and when you set up your account, you’ll be asked to indicate if you’re a parent or teacher. In other words, if you’re interested in using this resource for your own child or your students, you’ll have to do all of the online registration yourself. Additionally, since this is an online portal, you’ll want to supervise your children as they play. (The online-only aspect makes this resource super convenient for adult learners, though!) 

What’s Next? 

If you love learning through games, we have many more recommendations on our blog. Be sure to check out our posts on spelling games, learning games for toddlers, and alphabet games.

If you’re working on your sight words, you may be interested in building some of your other vocabulary skills, too. Here’s an article on the 265 vocab words you should know to help you improve your vocabulary even more.

Vocabulary and literacy go hand-in-hand. To learn more about how to improve your reading comprehension skills, be sure to check out this resource. It’s full of expert advice and helpful tips for young adult and adult learners. 

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!