The great thing about this free spelling game is that besides having kids practice writing their spelling words, it gives them the opportunity to analyze and compare the words in their list. Read on to learn how!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- a copy of the game board (get it at the end of this post)
- a die
- playing pieces
- each spelling word written on a piece of paper and put in a cup
- a complete spelling list to use as a reference
How to Play:
1) Put all playing pieces on “Start.”
2) On your turn, roll a die to move forward. If you land on a question, read it to the next player. That player chooses a spelling word from the cup, reads it silently, and answers your question. Turn over your word list and use the clue to guess the word.
For example…
You land on “Does it have any letters used more than once?” If the other player says “yes,” then you look for a word with repeated letters on your word list page. You might guess that the secret word is “steep,” but you wouldn’t guess “help.”
Here are all the questions that you will find on the game board:
- How many syllables are in the word?
- What is the word’s last letter?
- How many vowels are in the word?
- Is it something you can hold?
- Is it something you can eat?
- What is the first letter?
- What is a word that rhymes?
- Is it something you can do?
- What is the first sound?
- How many consonants are in the word?
- What is the last sound?
- What is the word’s last letter?
- What is the second letter?
- Does it have any silent letters?
- Does it have any letters used more than once?
If you guess the correct word from your word list, good for you! Move ahead to the next picture. Your turn is over.
3. If you roll the die and land on a colored space or a picture, the other player reads you a spelling word and you spell it out loud or write it on a sheet of paper. You may not use that spelling list to help you. Keep it turned over! If you spell the word incorrectly, you must go backward to the nearest picture.
4. The first to reach “Finish” wins!
To assemble the game, I printed the two pieces of paper (pages 2-3 of the download), mounted them on sturdy cardstock, and laminated each of them separately using our wonderful (and affordable) home laminator. Then I taped them together using clear packing tape. Simple!
Want to get your own copy of this game?
Get your free spelling game!
Free Spelling Games
Get this fun variety of sample spelling games from the membership site! The download includes resources for spelling CVCE words, long vowel teams, and multi-syllable words.
Lynn Bailey
I can’t wait to use this after vacation.
Scarlett
Love and want but it says the file is damaged 🙁 Please help and thank you in advance!!
Anna Geiger
Did you click on the box that says “having trouble downloading or printing?” 99% of the time one of them works.
Anna Geiger
What happened when you tried #2?
Scarlett
Same error message: File is damaged. If it were a Monday, I’d understand because things like this happen on Monday / lol
Anna Geiger
We continued this conversation via email.
Lois Tschaepe
Anna, you never cease to amaze me with your creativity. Another great game!
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much, Lois!
Kristina
Love this idea!!! Thanks for sharing! My son is an advanced reader, but struggles with spelling. I just showrd him this and he’s excited to play.
My question is: you said you laminate it after you tape it together, right? How do you do that? I have the same laminator, but the sheets are only big enough for one page and can’t go in backwards, right?
Anna Geiger
Kristina, I think I wrote that wrong in the post. It’s been a long time, but I’m pretty sure what I did was laminate each page individually, then connect them together using clear packing tape. I’ll fix that up in the post now. 🙂
Kristina
Ok thanks for the clarification. I was so hopeful you had found an awesome method lol Thanks again! My son loved the game 🙂
heather
I would love to use this game with my first-graders, but the link for the printable is broken! Is the file no longer available?
Anna Geiger
Actually it comes right up for me, Heather! Sometimes you need to make a little change in how you access it. Let me know if one of these tips doesn’t work for you! https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/
miss a
Thank you so much 🙂
Can I translate it to other language and use it ?
Anna Geiger
You are welcome to print and cross out words to write in a different language and use for your own personal use – but it is against my Terms of Use to digitally alter files.
miss a
Thank you 🙂
I like the game idea and I will print it the same.
also I will mention your blog as a good resources to my team work.
Paula
Thank you very much for sharing these games! I appreciate it.
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Paula!
Meghan
Thank you so much! This is just the kind of game that I was looking for to play with my 1st-3rd grade classroom! Thank you for sharing!
Anna Geiger
Yay, so glad you can use it, Meghan!
jm
Thanks you for this fun game! Your site is a blessing.
Tina at Mommynificent
We love Words Their Way and use it as our homeschooling spelling curriculum. I’m so excited to try this game! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tina
Anna Geiger
How wonderful that you’re using Words Their Way! I love to hear that homeschoolers are finding it. I hope you have fun with this!
Olivia Rothenberger
I have tried to download your spelling game to no avail. I did go to “Click here” but when I printed it, the copy came out with gibberish. Pictures are there but any printed words are gibberish!! Very frustrating! Any suggestions??
P.S. Love your stuff!
Anna Geiger
Hello, Olivia! Agreed – that would be very frustrating! I had someone else with the same issue on this printable for some reason. I think she was using Internet Explorer and then switched to Google Chrome. Using Chrome, she was able to download and print without trouble. What browser are you using? For some reason Internet Explorer does not always work well with my site. Let me know! I’ll be checking back and we can look at other options if that one doesn’t work.
Anna Geiger
Hello, Enne! Go to the bottom of the post where it says “Click here” and click on the link afterward. I made it bigger so you could see it 🙂
Do NOT click on the advertisement which says “Download.”
Let me know if you still can’t find it!
Enne
this looks great, but how do i get the files to print please?
Anna Geiger
Hello, Enne! Go to the bottom of the post where it says “Click here” and click on the link afterward. I made it bigger so you could see it 🙂
Do NOT click on the advertisement which says “Download.”
Let me know if you still can’t find it!
Deb @ Living Montessori Now
What a fun idea, Anna! Thanks for so generously sharing your printable. I featured your post as the Free Printable of the Day at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page and on Pinterest. 🙂
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much, Deb!