Best Word Games For Kids (to boost literacy skills)

Word games are a favorite in our house, mainly as Freddie hates to write! So if we can sneak in a game or two to help boost his literacy skills I will! Check out our favorite word games for kids.

I imagine you have most of these word games already at the back of the closet or hiding under the bed. Go and grab them today, and start “playing!”

There is nothing better in our homeschool to break up the day with a game or two, or three! Everyone is a winner, the kids are happy because they are not doing school work, and you are happy because they are!

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Word Games For Kids

Although new games and toys come along all the time, there are some old favorites and traditional games that remain popular. Carry on reading for our favorite word games for kids.

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Flashcards/word puzzle games

Many children will play with flashcards and word puzzle games as their introduction to playing with words. A simple puzzle game that matches a picture with its name, for example, can be a lot of fun for young children and is an easy way of introducing them to the written language.

Scrabble

Scrabble is perhaps the most famous traditional word game. Available in both junior and standard editions this can be a fantastic way of getting a child to enjoy learning about words and language whilst having fun.

Boggle

Many children find that Boggle can help them develop their word recognition and building skills. The aim here is to find as many words as possible from the Boggle cube and to score more points by creating longer words.

Rummikub Word

The aim of Rummikub word is to be the person that creates the longest words to win the most points. Based on a simple concept, this game is a lot of fun for all the family.

Bananagrams

This word game is kind of like a portable crossword that can be played anywhere by any age and ability. Bananagrams players use their letters to build words, changing them as they go to get rid of their letters.

Bear in mind that word games for kids may come with age recommendations. Some games may be too complex for younger children and others may be too easy for older ones so this may be worth considering before buying any games.

Benefits Of Word Games

A lot of children don’t like feeling that they are being made to learn outside the school environment.

As soon as they get the idea that their parents are trying to teach them something, they switch off.

One of the biggest benefits of word games for kids is that they are designed to be fun.

Their educational advantages may, therefore, not be that obvious to the child.

If children are playing word games then they will be learning at the same time, even if they don’t realize it.

As far as they are concerned, they are simply sitting down with their parents, siblings, or friends and playing a fun game or with a fun toy. Word games can specifically help with their:

Vocabulary
Spelling
Understanding of language and its structure

Here are a few other educational board games ideas that can be fun for all ages, and if you are looking for board games for math check out our top 20 favorites.

Word Games for Kids Online

Word games can also be played online, often for free at a variety of sites. Children may also enjoy this option as well as playing traditional board games. Again, the fun factor of the actual gameplay here may well hide the fact that they are learning at the same time!

Night Zookeeper

This is a favorite of ours at the minute, check out our review of Night Zookeeper to find out more. Check out Night Zookeeper for yourself here (or if you are in the UK here) where you will get a 7 day free trial plus an exclusive 50% off.)

Adventure Academy

For children aged 8-13 there are quests to complete, books to read, word games to play and so much more. Check out our review of Adventure Academy, or get your 30 day free trial here.

ABC Mouse

This is for children aged between 2 and 6 years old. ABC Mouse has games, puzzles, and other fun activities for word games. Check out our detailed ABCmouse review or grab a 30 day free trial here.

Hooked On Phonics

Hooked on Phonics is a reading platform, they guarantee they will get kids reading in 30 days!! Have fun while learning, there is nothing better than that!

Free Word Games To Play

Word searches and mad libs are SO MUCH FUN for the whole family, not just for kids. We can spend hours on them. We have created the following free word games to play at home with the kids:

What are your favorite word games for kids? Let me know in the comments below.

Last Updated on 29 April 2022 by homeschoolof1