This word family activity is serious fun for all ages. If you’re looking for a family activity that also combines learning, this is one that you just can’t pass up. Plus, it’s simple to make easily with supplies that you probably already have at home!
Word ladders provide a fun and easy way for young readers to learn words easily. This activity can build fine motor skills, and can work well for kindergarten centers, quiet time, or just general hands-on literacy! Any time you can combine the love and learning with fun, it’s always going to be a win-win outcome!
Here is a quick tutorial on how you can create your own word ladders at home.
Word Family Activity
This family activity is so simple, you’ll just need a few supplies to get started! Most of these you probably have in your craft area at home!
Word Family Activity Materials:
- Scrap Construction Paper
- Ruler
- Sharpie
- Letter Manipulatives
How to make this word family activity
Teach word families with these easy DIY word ladders!
Grab some strips of scrap construction paper. With a Sharpie, make a ladder, giving yourself plenty of space in between the ladder steps.
You can choose to laminate these for durability. Use small letter manipulatives to mix and match.
To extend the activity: Use the activity to sound out nonsense words “lat” “nat” “wat,” and to distinguish them from real words, like “cat” “hat” “rat” and “mat.”
And just like that, you’ve created a fun learning game!
What are some ways to play this word family activity?
This is totally up to you. But, in case you need some ideas, here are some fun ways that you can mix it up a bit:
- See who can make the most words and read them out loud in a minute
This can be fun and challenging so make certain that you’re also encouraging during this time!
- Take turns making words that rhyme then make up a silly song using them
Rhyming words are just so much fun! And when you take the time to then try to create a fun song using them, hilarity is certain to happen.
See how much fun it can be? The great part about this word family activity is that the imagination can totally take over. While the point is to learn about sight words and reading, it’s totally fine and fun to add an interactive spin to it as well!
