25 low-prep sight word activities

Today I’m sharing some simple sight word activities that you can prepare in minutes!

So what are sight words, anyway?

Some people will tell you that sight words are words that kids can’t sound out; they just have to learn them by sight. Others tell you that sight words are the high frequency words: the words that kids encounter the most when they read.

But researchers tell us that sight words are words we recognize automatically without needing to sound out or guess.

The real question is … how can we turn high frequency words INTO sight words? 

The number one thing to do is to teach each word explicitly. That’s why I created my set of sight word lessons with decodable books.

Once you’ve taught the words with attention to the spelling patterns (these sight word worksheets are also great for this), you’re ready for these low prep sight word activities that you can put together in under 15 minutes!

Low prep sight word activities

1- It takes just 5 minutes to set up Sight Word Sticky Note Match. Just write the words on sticky notes and have your child cover the words on a dry erase board!

2 – Grab your alphabet stamps and some play dough for this simple sight word activity. 

3 – Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your child write them in sand.

4 – Teach sight word songs. 

5 – Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your child swat each sight word  with a fly swatter as you name it!

6 –Do fun actions with your sight words with This Reading Mama’s free action cards.

7 – Write sight words in play dough with a stick or wooden skewer.

8 – Try chanting sight words in a variety of different ways – like a robot, a cheerleader, and more! You can get free sight word chants on TPT here.

9 – Make a sight word memory game. Just write each sight word on two different index cards. Then turn the cards over and invite your child to find the matches.

10 – Print these free sight word cards and build the words with letter tiles. When you join This Reading Mama’s free email list, you’ll get lots of free sight word cards! Learn more here.

11- Learning is always more fun with dice! Grab these free rainbow roll & write pages for a variety of sight words. Kids roll a die, check the key at the top of the page, and write the word in a particular color.

12 – This is such a creative way to practice writing sight words! Find the words with a magnifying glass and write them on the lines. Get the freebie here.

13 – Are you students learning beginning sight words? Print and play sight word blackout.

14 – Simply write your child’s sight words on a piece of paper and have him stamp them with alphabet stamps.

15. Grab the play dough, a sheet protector, and a dry erase marker. Your child can build the word with play dough and write it on the lines below. Get the freebie here.

16 – Grab these free color-by-sight-word pages.

17 – Get some colorful craft sticks and write the words with a permanent marker for some simple sight word puzzles.

18- Sight Word Showdown is both simple and genius! Just grab a stack of index cards and write each word twice. Then follow the directions in this post.

19 – Write sight words in muffin tin liners and play a simple game of Three in a Row.

20 – Bury magnetic letters in a sensory material. Have children dig out the letters to build words.

21 – Make a sight word parking lot. Draw tiny parking spots on a piece of poster board, and write a sight word in each one. As you name the words, have your child park a toy car in each spot. Learn more here.

22- Practice writing sight words using a dry erase marker on a dry erase board.

23- Write sight words on craft sticks and provide some magnetic letters for this portable sight word activity.

24 – Where’s the bear? Write the words on paper cups and hide a small bear or other tiny object. Your child guesses where the bear is hiding by naming the word on the cup.

25 – Go on a simple sight word hunt by matching the sticky note sight words to the words on a clip board. (This one’s a favorite at our house.)

And there you have it! 25 low-prep ways to practice sight words!