My kids LOVE running around outside and gathering acorns. This activity combines playing outside with learning to read sight words in an easy to prepare, fun sight word game for kids.
Sight Word Games for Fall
If your child is working on letters, sounds, or numbers, they could easily be substituted for the sight words in this activity.
Materials Needed for the Fall Sight Word Game:
Jar
Acorns
Cardstock
Scissors.
Marker
Directions for Making the Fall Sight Word Game
- Gather acorns from the yard or neighborhood park.
- Put them in a clear jar with a lid.
- Cut the cardstock into small rectangles.
- Write the sight words that your child is working on this week on the small rectangles. It is recommended to focus on no more than 5 new sight words per week for young children. Mix in some they already know to help build confidence.
- Put the words in the jar with the acorns.
- Let the child mix the words and acorns together. Have them read the words as they find them in the jar!
- Set the jar on the table and mix often over the next couple days. This repeated reading provides children with more interactions with the words. Some children need to hear and read the word 500 times before it becomes automatic.
Extend the Learning with MORE Sight Word Games
Sight Word Sort
After a few days, the children are done playing with the sight word jar. Have them dump the contents out and sort all of the sight words out.
Sight Word ABC
Have them put the sight words in ABC order. Encourage them to sing the alphabet if they are stuck.
Sight Word Hide and Seek
Hide the sight words around the room while your child is not looking. Have them hunt to find them and read them as they are found.
Plan Your Nut and Seeds Learning Week With Activities from the #PlayfulPreschool Team
Colorful Pumpkin Seed Names by Fun-A-Day
Nuts to You!: Squirrel Feeder by Mom Inspired Life
Nuts and Seeds Theme: Listening Games with Sensory Sound Shakers for #PlayfulPreschool by The Preschool Toolbox Blog
Number Word Punch: Counting Nuts by Tiny Tots Adventures
Turkey Patterns with Pistashio Shells by Still Playing School
Seed and Letter Sensory Bin by Growing Book by Book
Growing Seeds by Learning 2 Walk
Exploring Chia Seeds by Powerful Mothering
Nutty Science–A Lesson in Buoyancy by Capri + 3
3 Fun Activities with Seeds for Preschoolers by Life Over C’s
Easy Sight Word Acorn Game by The Educators’ Spin On It
Nuts to You!: Squirrel Feeder by Mom Inspired Life
Nuts and Seeds Theme: Listening Games with Sensory Sound Shakers for #PlayfulPreschool by The Preschool Toolbox Blog
Number Word Punch: Counting Nuts by Tiny Tots Adventures
Turkey Patterns with Pistashio Shells by Still Playing School
Seed and Letter Sensory Bin by Growing Book by Book
Growing Seeds by Learning 2 Walk
Exploring Chia Seeds by Powerful Mothering
Nutty Science–A Lesson in Buoyancy by Capri + 3
3 Fun Activities with Seeds for Preschoolers by Life Over C’s
Easy Sight Word Acorn Game by The Educators’ Spin On It
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I love this idea!!! So easy to put together and it uses my daughter's favorite material. Acorns!
We love learning with acorns here too! Great idea!
Thanks Kim – we are going to for EASY activities this week =)
Thanks! There is so much you can do with the free things in your backyard!
I love the idea of the sight word jar. I've seen "I Spy" jars for letters but never for sight words. Great idea!
Love this idea! I really like how, you extend it to keep it new to them. Love games that we can change up!
Great idea to do this with sight words!
I'm making one for my 3rd grader too with her vocabulary words inside and give her a list of definitions. The activity is so versatile!
Thanks Danielle – some of our preschoolers are ready to start learning the most common sight words!
Oh yes, changing it up is necessary! What is exciting today may not be tomorrow!
That is a really fun idea for learning sight words in a novel way. I love it!
Thanks Theresa – if you don't have acorns in your backyard – you could substitute beads, buttons, or pom poms.
love this idea!
pinned so we can also do it at a later date once we start on sight words.
My preschoolers have been OBSESSED with acorns this year! What a great activity to add to the writing and science centers in my classroom! 🙂
What great ways to explore sight words! I had not thought of putting them in a jar with acorns.:) Fun activities to play and learn this fall!
I love this cute developmentally-appropriate game, Amanda. I hate to see kids learning sight words in a “drill and kill” way with flashcards. I know they hate it, too! I love when physical activity is paired with lacademics — the best for young learners!
thanks