If you’re looking for a way to teach your child to recognize rhyming words, try these free printable clip cards!
Free clip cards for teaching rhyming words
I created a set of 48 picture cards to use with my toddler and preschooler. I started with my Two (he’ll be turning three next month). He has just started showing interest in doing more “sitting” activities with me, and he was excited to try this one.
We’ve done informal rhyming activities before. We read a lot of rhyming books, and we also play some rhyming games in the car. But this was my Two’s first formal introduction to rhyming. It sounded something like this.
“Let’s look at this picture. Chip.”
“Chip!”
Can you find the word that rhymes? Let’s read them. Chip, ship. Chip, clock. Chip, chick. Which one rhymes?”
“Chick.”
“No, that one doesn’t sound the same at the end. How about this one… chip, ship?”
“Chip, ship!”
Obviously, he did not learn to rhyme from this short activity. That’s totally fine! The point was not for him to suddenly grasp the concept; that will come. But by doing a handful of cards together (we did about ten), he was able to get a start in hearing how words can sound the same.
Later on, my Four was ready for a turn. Rhyming can be hard for some kids to pick up, but he’s always had an easy time with it. I think a lot has to do with the fact that he loves the printable books of rhymes and songs I began making for him when he was two. (Psst… you can get those books for free here!)
In fact, after about ten clip cards he started doing these in his head without reading the words aloud. He didn’t do the entire stack – and I didn’t expect him to (48 is a lot!).
These would work well as a classroom learning center, for a busy bag at the doctor’s office, or an “I’m bored” activity when you’re trying to get supper on the table. Have fun with them!
P.S. Did you know?
When you join our low-cost membership site, The Measured Mom Plus, you’ll get instant access to hundreds of resources that will get your learners ready to read! Click here to learn more.
YOU’LL LOVE THIS PRACTICAL BOOK!
Looking for an easy-to-read guide to help you reach all readers? If you teach kindergarten through third grade, this is the book for you. Get practical ideas and lesson plan templates that you can implement tomorrow!
Get your free clip cards!
YOU’LL LOVE OUR NO-PRINT BUNDLE!
Pre-Reading No-Print Bundle
$6.50
Your students can complete these activities in Google Slides on a computer or tablet – no printing necessary! The resource includes activities for rhyming, syllable counting, beginning sounds, and upper/lowercase matching.
Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade
Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!
sadaf
Hi, I have tried many times but somehow I do not get the email with the file to download.
Darla
This was exactly what I was looking for! My boys will love the motor skill part to this activity! Thanks for making a great resource!
sonia
ana
estoy revisando todos los correos y guarde muchas actividades que son muy hermosas, leí como son usadas por sus hijitos, replicare con Maximiliano. algunos no se habrieron.
muy agradecida.por su trabajo.
Carol
These are a good resource. Thank you.
Anna G
You’re very welcome, Carol!
The Singing Librarian
I am a school librarian, and these cards make a wonderful center when we are enjoying rhyming stories or if teachers have expressed a need for extra practice for this skill. I love keeping a rotating supply of rhyming activities available for extra practice, and clip games are always a hit!
Anna G
I’m so glad this helps you!
mario manganiello
I am a huge fan of rhyming! I write poetry myself. I love how kids learn faster threw rhyming and it makes it more fun for them. Thank you for the great examples of how to teach them threw rhyme!
Anna G
You’re welcome, Mario!
Tammy Martinez
Thank you so much for sharing so many awesome activities. This site is simply great!
Anna G
You’re very welcome, Tammy!
Eliza
Love this! Looking forward to using it with my student – it’s a fun way to teach and a great idea.
Thank you for sharing!
Eliza
Anna G
You’re welcome, Eliza!
Janice
This is very helpful for me, a mom of 9 and 6 year old kids with difficulty in reading. I saved time and effort. Thank you for sharing this for free. God bless you!
Anna G
You’re very welcome, Janice!
Suzi Watson-Roberson
Hi! I am so thankful for your resources. This past August, our son’s preschool teacher decided not to teach above age 3. Our son’s birthday meant either entering Young 5’s or wait a year. I am so glad we waited. I have enjoyed my time w him. We want to ensure he is just as ready as any other child entering kindergarten this fall. Resources such as yours are invaluable to parents like me.
Anna G
I’m thrilled that you can use my resources with your son, Suzi! Thank you so much for your comment!
Susan Wheeler
Hi I really love all of the activities you have shared with me. I am preschool teacher assistant and I teach 3 & 4 year olds and I am going to print out these activities and use them because I think they are extremely helpful to my students. I really am happy I found your site and I will be sharing it with other teachers and assistants where I work again thanks. Do you have any activities for teaching the children opposites if so could you please share them with me I will really appreciate it.
Anna Geiger
Hi Susan –
Here you go —
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/25-books-about-opposites/
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/10-fun-ways-to-use-opposite-cards/
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/opposites-game-for-preschool/
Here is our bundle for purchase: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/product/opposite-activities-pack/
Julie Ann
Thank you so much for sharing your resources. I work in a school for children that have dyslexia and these resources are exactly what I need when practising phonological awareness activities.
Many thanks.
Anna Geiger
That’s so wonderful to hear, Julie Ann! Thankful!
Jessica
Thank you for sharing your fabulous resources! I have used several of your printables and my kids have loved them. They have really helped them practice the target skill. I really appreciate you sharing your creativity!
Anna Geiger
That’ s so wonderful to hear, Jessica! I’m so glad you can use my printables!
VirginiaW
Thank You so much for sharing so many free, fun, high quality and age appropriate activities. My kinders will love these. I have forwarded a link to your site with many other kindergarten teachers and parents.
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much for passing on my site, Virginia – I really appreciate that! 🙂
Tina Kegley
I cannot open the file for the free printable rhyming cards. It will not work with pdf and it doesn’t give me the option to save. Can you help?
Thanks, Tina
Anna Geiger
Hi, Tina – did you try these tips? https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/ One of them usually works.
Yasrin
U am unable to find a link to download this fabulous activity.
Anna Geiger
It says “Get your free rhyming clip cards HERE.”
Amanda
This is a fantastic page ad full of great resources. I am looking forwards to getting some. There seems to be a problem with the free download of the activities. The PDF won’t open.
Anna Geiger
I asked a number of friends to try opening the file, and all of them could open it on a desktop computer using the Chrome browser. Did you try the tips here? https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/
Pauline
Hi, is the link for this activity broken? Because I cannot seem to download it by saving it or accessing through Chrome.
and thanks for sharing a great activity 😀
Anna Geiger
What happens when you right click and choose “save link as”?
Pauline
Its tries to save but the file will state error in downloading.
Anna Geiger
Okay – let me ask my web host about this. The file is definitely there.
Alejandra
Como puedo tener los clip cards porfa
Anna Geiger
Haga clic en el enlace en el mensaje .
Ria connellan
Hiya what a fab idea!!! I work in a misery and the children would love this activity. Could you email them to me please.
Thank you
Ria
Anna Geiger
You can download them right in the post.
Mel
Love the idea of this activity but can’t get the link to work, is it just me? Can you help me out please.
Many thanks
Mel
Anna Geiger
Try one of these tips! https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/
latifat
it was very useful for my kids. Thanks a lot for the opportunity given.
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Latifat!
vanessa
Thank you so much for sharing!! I absolutely LOVE your clip cards. Thank you again for creating such a wonderful resource to teach our little kiddies!!
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Vanessa – thank you so much for your kind words!
iman
Thank you sooooooo much!
Amazing web sight so inspiring and creative you have saved me I’m telling everyone even the school how great this website has been for me.
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much for sharing my website with others, Iman! I really appreciate it!
catherine
Thanks you for these, they are amazing quality, I will enjoy using these with my 6 year old!
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Catherine!
Angelica
Hello! This looks like a wonderful activity! Thank you for sharing! When I tried to download the link it gave me an error message. Is there an updated link I could use? Thank you in advance!
Anna Geiger
Hi Angelica,
Please click the box underneath the download where it tells you to get help with downloading or printing. 99% of the time, one of those solutions will work!
Wendy
how do I get these rhyming cards
Anna Geiger
It’s right there near the end of the post, in big letters:
Get your free rhyming cards HERE.
Andrea
HI there.
WOW thank you so much for this fabulous activity! Helps with their fine motor skills as well (something my grade R’s are struggling with). And the fact it is so easy to print, wonderful!!! Thank you!
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Andrea!
The Practical Mom
Hi Anna, I came across this on Pinterest, wonder how I missed this on yr printables page! Do you also have a count and clip syllables printable? Will be a BIG help if you do!
ThePracticalMomBlog.Blogspot.in
Anna Geiger
I recently updated my free printables page, but somehow my syllable clip cards didn’t make it! https://www.themeasuredmom.com/fun-syllable-count-activity/
Laura
Hi,
I like the idea for the activity, and I’m wondering if you chose on purpose to not include the letters for the pictures along the bottom. I would think part of learning to read would be seeing how the similar and different letters between the two words cause the similarities in sound (boat, coat), which is harder to do without the words there, and also that would help clarify in terms of some of the potentially ambiguous words (car, auto; coat, jacket – both of which are answers to the rhymes). The rhyme is broken if the kids don’t think of the right word, but with the letters there they would be able to see that a different word was intended and maybe sound out the word and get the rhyme. What are your thoughts?
Anna Geiger
Great question, Laura! I actually left the words off on purpose. I put them on top just so parents would know for sure what rhyme we were going for. But I kept them off the bottom because rhyming has to do with HEARING. I didn’t want kids to be able to figure out the words by the visual cue because this is intended as a pre-reading activity, not as a learn-to-read one. I do have many, many word family activities for early readers that allow them to read rhymes. You can see them on this page: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/word-families/
Laura
Thanks! Your reply totally makes sense. My son’s almost four and I thought the idea of the activity was great because he loves to rhyme, but I think he’s more in a pre-reading stage (in that he’s spelling short words out on his own already), so I’m off to check out your link!
Michelle
Thank you so much for these cards! I featured these on my homeschool blog at http://discoveringourway.blogspot.com/2015/01/new-rhyming-cards-on-language-shelves.html. My son absolutely loves this activity. And it saved me so much time to just print the cards you already had prepared.
Anna Geiger
Thank you for sharing that, Michelle! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I think we’ll get a lot of use out of them. And lol, my little guy always has a car (or two or four) nearby too!