Hands-On Sight Word Activities

Hands-On Sight Word Activities for Kindergarten : One of the biggest tricks in teaching is to make the learning process like an experience for our little learners, especially when it comes to making sight words hands-on! As a teacher on a budget, you have to use everything you have and anything you can get your hands on cheaply to make these experiences happen. We also know that our little learners need lots of repetitious actions to help make muscle memory to create these words as well. Additionally, we know that simple writing sight words is important, but we actually have to SAY the words, hear the words, build the words to learn the words. Otherwise… you are really just teaching visual discrimination. So let’s dive into ways we are making sight words hands-on with independent sight word activities! And these are fun ways to practice sight words at home.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Aqua Doodle

An Aqua Doodle is a typical toy for  two-year-olds because they use the mat and simple water to create pictures that disappear as they dry. This is an ideal writing tool in any classroom because it is easy to clean up, mess free, and only requires water to create. I love the four color coded parts of the mat (can you see the red, blue, green, and purple sections) that allow 4 students to write in “their” area at the same time.  If you can’t find the pen or need more pens, try a new water color brush or a qtip. Since I am obsessed with these mats, I actually own two. If one gets wet, I simply change out the mat to the other while letting the first dry out.  Amazon Link to Aquadoodle.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with White Boards

Every teacher should have these somewhere. We can buy them at a variety of places. Some come plain, while others are magnetic and have lines. The ones with lines are my favorite but I had to leave them at my former school. You can even get a home store to cut this material for you if you are lucky for a great price. Grab a few socks, cut up rags, or even dollar store makeup pads for erasers and THIN Expo Markers in Black to create this station. ALL kids love writing and erasing. So why not encourage them to write using sight words. Amazon link to white boards | Amazon link to thin Expo markers

Hands-On with Frog Street Smart Start Writing Paper

This paper is a great writing tool for little learners. In fact, you might actually have to grab this tool at a teaching supply store or online. I take an orange marker and write my sight words on it. Then I laminate them so I can use them again and again. You can also put these papers into page protectors. My students can practice forming their sight words again and again… and I use only a few sheets of paper each week. Amazon Link to Frog Street Writing Paper

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Gel Bags

These bags are a cheap tool your students will LOVE.  Here are the directions on how to make them. I have to remake them about every two years, as the hair gel tends to dry out over time. BUT since I buy the gel at the dollar store and use baggies that parents bring into school at the start of the year, these bags literally cost me about $3 for a class set. I prefer the gel to paint for many reasons. We pop a few each year so gel is easier to clean up than paint. Hair gel is cheaper. Lastly, I like for my students to see through to any paper that I use for word support which is harder to do with thick paint. {Learn how to create gel bags here.}

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Magnetic Boards

This is a really fancy way to refer to dollar store baking pans that are too small to actually bake with. BUT You can usually write on these and you can use them for forming words with magnetic letters or even a combination of both of these activities. You can get cheapo magnetic letters are dollar stores as well. BUT… most teachers I know love using good quality lower case letters that color code vowels and consonances. We just love to hide in every learning opportunity out there.  Amazon link to one type of magnetic letters.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Watercolors

Little learners LOVE to paint. They need to paint. They should be painting. So let them paint… their sight words. I don’t know any administration who can argue with this high interest, developmentally appropriate form of word writing. My students LOVE painting so much and work hard to make it neat and colorful.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Sand Trays

This idea is a fun way to bring the beloved sand box into the classroom. Many teachers use pencils boxes and other use paper plates. You can check out my sand trays here and make them yourself. I made them once 8 years ago and haven’t had to remake them since. In fact, I still have the same sand too! To find colored sand, I went to the garden section at Walmart. Next to the play sand they usually have a variety of Crayola Sand; green, blue, pink, or purple. It was under $8 for a larger bag that has lasted me years and years.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Play Dough

Although I am not a fan of play dough in the classroom or at home, play dough is exactly what little hands want and need to build strength. So therefore, we use it. Your students can roll out dough and take ABCs cutters to make words. I also LOVE using toothpicks to write words as well. Amazon Link to Play Dough | Play Dough Sets with Rollers

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with Letter Beads

 Use lowercase letter beads and pipe cleaners to create words. This sounds easy but when you add the idea of putting the letters ON the bed in order and remembering to flip around those b, d, p, and q.Think about how tough it can be for those little hands. This is an amazing way to work on fine motor skills and the idea of letters together make words. I LOVE using these Learning Resources Letter Beads.

Hands-On Sight Word Activities with More!

Shaving Cream, Ketchup, and Pudding- Use shaving cream on a table to create another FUN and wet sensory experience. The best news is… it is CLEANING the tables with you. I saw another idea recently that had students writing in ketchup! How much fun would that be when focusing on the letter K. I know families that use chocolate pudding as well. Messy? A little. BUT memorable… yes.

Pipe Cleaners- Use these art supplies to form words. They can be cut, bent, twisted, and arched to create FUN sight words. They are cheap and can be used again and again.You can find these everywhere; Walmart, Target, Michaels, and more.

Wiki Sticks- These are like pipe cleaners BUT they have a wax covering on them making them more slick and sticky. You can apply slight pressure to this material for it to hold onto paper plates or such for a few moments. They even make glow in the dark wiki sticks! How fun is that! Amazon Link to Wiki Sticks | Amazon Link to Glow in the Dark Wiki Sticks

Pull and Peel Licorice- Grab these at the grocery store, but you do not need a large pack of Pull ‘n Peel licorice to go a along way. Look near the check out aisle at stores for smaller, cheaper packs. Theses pack are a little messy but are also LOADED with great learning fun. My students love to form words with these pieces and it is a great sensory experience. They have to PULL apart the pieces, then work to make the pieces the correct size to form the words. Nibbling is usually required and provides MORE fun for the learning process.

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I use all these items because they are in my classroom. But I am always on the lookout for awesome materials at consignment sales, yard sales, and from my students’ parents. I am providing you with Amazon links to show you what I use and love. You can and should look everywhere you can for these items cheaply. I highly recommend begging others and saving money.

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