Ahhhh-summer. Love those three months of sun and fun. I’m always a little worried, however, coming back to school hoping and hoping that not too many children fell victim to the “summer slide.” Although school is not in session, summer offers tons of opportunities for practicing skills in an active and fun way. I especially love incorporating active movement into learning. Here are 8 super activities for practicing sight words during the summer!
1. Beach Balls- Using a Sharpie permanent marker, write sight words on a beach ball. Have your child throw the ball in the air and then catch the ball. Have her read the words that touch her hand.
2. Hopscotch- Hopscotch with a twist! Create an old fashioned hopscotch board on your sidewalk and write sight words in each square. Have your child read the sight word each time she hops on a square. Can’t remember how to play? Click the following link: How to play hopscotch.
3. Jumping Words- Have you seen the movie “The Spelling Bee”? The main character practiced all her spelling words while jump roping! What a great way to incorporate movement and rhythm.
4. Sand Writing- Going to the beach this summer? Take a few moments and have your child write sight words in the sand. If you don’t live near a lake or ocean, put some craft sand on a tray to write words.
5. Waterpainting- So fun and yet so simple. All you need is a flat surface, water and a paint brush. Have your child paint words with the water on a dark surface or on the cement. Another variation of the water painting acitivity is having your child “paint” over a word that you name. In the picture below, I painted a board with chalk board paint and purchased a mini “touch-up” paint roller. Both items can be purchased at the Home Depot. Write words in chalk and have your child paint over the words as you name them.
6. Flashlight Fun- This activity is really, really fun! What you’ll do is write sight words on sticky notes and place them on the wall. They could be placed all in one area or throughout your house. Say a word and have your child flash the flashlight on the word.
7. Magnifying Words- Cute magnifying glasses can be found now in any large department and craft stores. I found this adorable bug magnifying glass in Michael’s Craft store. Say a word and have your child try to find the word in text. Books, newspapers, magazines all work.
8. Fly Swatting Sight Words- This has to be one of the all-time kid favorite sight word activities. Lay out the flies on the table and have your child “swat” a fly. If she can read the word on the fly, she can keep it.
The Fly Swatting Dolch Sight Words activity is available in my online Teachers Pay Teachers store or through the Make, Take & Teach website.
Most of all, have fun with your child this summer and read, read, read and read some more!
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