CVC words can be both challenging for our little learners, since it´s their first step to blending separate sounds together to make a word, and it can also be so much fun and exciting.
Fun and interesting..hmm…OK, could you be more specific? Yes, I can! Below, I am going to share with you some of my favourite CVC word games and activities as well as some of the CVC words worksheets that I’ve used over the years and have proved to be fun and interesting for my students.
But before we dive in,
What are CVC words?
CVC are words made up of three letters that begin with a consonant, have a short vowel in the middle, and end with a consonant (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant).
CVC´s are the first step to reading for kids because they are simple to sound out. Each letter makes its own sound and there are no tricky blends, digraphs, long vowels, and so on.
Learning CVC words is exciting for students as they will see that what they´ve previously learnt (letters and their sounds) can be put together to form words that they can now read.
To help you in teaching these words, I´ve made a list of brilliantly fun games and activities that will make learning and teaching CVC words a pleasure. Also, remember that you can download all the worksheets presented in this post for FREE.
This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure here.
CVC words Activities and Games
1. CVC Lego Blocks Game
For this game, you will need three Lego blocks, a dry-erase marker, some crocodiles (or any other toy animals) and a Lego figurine (ar any other small doll will suffice).
The story goes like this: in a far far away jungle, there was a lake filled with hungry crocodiles and a little bridge. Sam wanted to cross this lake using the bridge. In order for Sam to be able to jump on each block, he first has to sound out each letter.
After the child has sounded out each letter (as many times as needed), encourage him/her to blend the sounds together and form the word.
As an extension of this activity, you could ask the child to close his/her eyes and take away one block. The child has to say which block is missing. Or you could scramble the blocks and ask the child to put them in the initial order.
2. CVC Plastic Cups Game
You will need some plastic cups and a dry-erase marker. The basic version of the game is pretty simple. Have three cups, on each cup write a letter so that when put together they spell a CVC word. Ask the child to sound out each letter on each cup and then to form the word.
To make the game more exciting you could ask the student to hit each cup with a ball before sounding out the letter. Guaranteed fun.
Help your child learn the alphabet and practice spelling with the fantastic Happy Letters Busy Book.
It contains 55 interactive worksheets divided into two sections: letter recognition and spelling. Get your FREE SAMPLE from here or order the whole pack from our Etsy Shop.
A nice variation that I like to do once students are more comfortable with CVC words is to have more cups, write different letters on them and stack them one on top of each other thus creating different words.
If your children are just starting out with CVC words, I suggest using flashcards as well to visually support them.
3. CVC DIY Dice Game
If you have three blank dice sitting around, great. If not you can make them easily (like I did) from paper. I downloaded a template off the internet, folded it and I got my dice. It wasn’t time-consuming or complicated.
Now that you have your three dice it’s time to write some letters on them. On two of the dice write consonants (a letter on each side) and on the third write vowels.
The player will roll each dice and try to make a word. Have a piece of paper or a notebook and encourage the child to write down the CVC words.
4. Swat it CVC Game
A fun game best suited for kids who are not absolute beginners with CVC words. You will need some words clearly written on bits of paper, corresponding images, and a fly swatter (or more depending on the number of players).
Have the words scattered on the floor or any other surface. Show the child one image and s/he quickly has to find the word and swat it.
5. Spin and spell
Another simple DIY game is Spin and Spell. Simply make a wheel or if you like, download a template off the internet.
Put an image representing a CVC word in each of the sections of the wheel. Spin the wheel and the image that the arrow points at is the image that the child has to spell. It’s up to you whether the student writes the word on a paper or you use magnetic letters.
6. CVC puzzle
Kids love jigsaw puzzles so they are sure to love this CVC activity. Simply download the worksheets, laminate them and play. The goal of the game is for the little one to connect the CVC word with the correct picture. There are 2 blank jigsaw puzzles for you to write your own words and stick or draw a picture on.
CVC Worksheets
There are so many fun, engaging CVC worksheets that will make learning these words a pleasure for kids.
These are just a few examples of CVC worksheets that you can download for free but stay tuned because many more are on the way.
1. Complete the Missing Vowel CVC Worksheet
Vowels are very important since they can be found in almost every word as well as help us distinguish between words like cap/cup/cip. So it is vital that children get a firm grasp of vowels early on. This worksheet will practise vowels as well as CVC words. Students have to complete the missing vowel in every word having pictures as support.
2. Unscramble the CVC Words and Draw Lines to the Pictures
Adding a little bit of mystery always adds up to the fun. In this worksheet, children have to unscramble the letters and write them in the squares. Alternatively, they can also use magnetic letters. After they have discovered the word, encourage them to draw lines to the corresponding image.
3. Choose the correct option and write the word
A simple yet effective CVC worksheet in which students need to circle or underline the correct word out of two options based on the image. Then, underneath they have space where they can write the word.
4. Read the CVC word and draw it in the box
An excellent worksheet for beginners that only requires students to read the CVC word and then draw it in the box beneath.
5. Search for the letters that make up the CVC words on the crayons and colour them
This CVC worksheet provides good spelling practice for beginners. On the left side, there are some words written on coloured crayons and on the right side, scattered letters. The little learner will have to read the word on the crayon, then find and colour the letters that make up that word. For example, on the red crayon, there is the word “web”. The child will have to find the three letters on the right and colour them red.
DOWNLOAD THE CVC WORKSHEETS NOW.
CVC words are the first step for little learners of using their knowledge previously learnt about letter sounds and blending those in order to read their first words. It is an important and exciting step that lays the foundation for reading more complex words.
In the end, I’d like to stress two things that, as a teacher, I consider to be vital in the learning process. First, whatever you are teaching your child/children, make sure you add a fun element. Learning is easier for everyone when it is enjoyable, right? And second, always make sure the child is ready for the stage you are about to embark on. Keep in mind the student’s learning rhythm and try to be as flexible as possible.
If you found this article helpful, make sure you share it with others who might find it informative. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙂
Mom of two wonderful children, dedicated teacher and book lover.
This looks like a great way to start kids learning how to read and write! Thanks for the free activity sheets!
i use to do this all the time with my students
This very interesting concept. I am going to use your activity sheets for my boy. Hope he finds it fun.
Thanks
These worksheets will definitely help me teach my kids in a fun way. Thank you!
This such a great activity for kids!
My daughter would love these worksheets!
love these resources to teach young learners their reading and writing skills
This is handy to have! My kids both work with CVC words often with schoolwork.