Mixed Up Words - Take vocabulary words, Halloween words, or spelling words and mix up the letters. Challenge children to figure out the words and try to write them correctly on their paper.
Hint! Colored pencils or smelly markers make this so much more fun.
Word Makers – Give children a seasonal word or vocabulary word. How many other words can they make using the letters in that word? (This might be a good activity for children to do with a partner or in a small group.)
Pumpkin Head - This game is similar to “Wheel of Fortune.” The teacher thinks of a word and makes blanks on the board for the number of letters. As children call out letters, the teacher writes them on the appropriate blanks. If a child calls out a letter that is not in the word the teacher draws a pumpkin on the board. For each letter that is not in the word the teacher adds features (stem, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) to the pumpkin. The children try to identify the word before the pumpkin head is completed.
*Keep a “bone pile” in the corner where you write letters that are not in the word.
Picture Words – Challenge children to write words in a way that reflects their meaning. For example, write “spooky” in shaky letters, “fall” in letters that go down, “colorful” with many colors, “candy” decorated with sprinkles, etc.
Mystery Word - Choose a word each day as a “mystery word” that relates to the season or holiday. Write it on the board and then tape a sheet of paper over it so they have to “take a peek.” At morning meeting discuss the meaning of the word. Can they dramatize the word? Can they use it in sentences?
Word Search – There are several free websites where you can create your own puzzles with specific holiday or seasonal words.
Word Bag – Put flash cards with seasonal words in a zip bag. Add different multi-sensory materials similar to those below. Children can take the bag and choose any material they like to reproduce the words.
*Wikki sticks
*magnetic letters
*colored pencils for rainbow words
*alphabet stickers
*alphabet blocks
*dry erase board
*play dough
