My soon-to-be Kindergartener is all excited about learning to read. We have been practicing sight words all summer, and she is now discovering the thrill of seeing those words in a sentence and reading it. Now reading short, entry-level books, she has come a long way since the end of school year when she didn’t know a single sight word.
I attribute much of her success to practice and making it fun.
I wish I could take credit for creating this sight word game, but it actually came from her summer camp teacher. But because it has been so successful for my daughter (and because I am a Popsicle Ambassador so we love crafting with Popsicle sticks) I had to share it.
Sight Words Game — DYNAMITE!
Start with clean Popsicle sticks (go ahead, let the kiddos have an extra one this weeks so you have lots of sticks!). Write a sight word on one end of your Popsicle stick. We started with 20 words plus two sticks that say DYNAMITE! (22 sticks total.)
To play, take turns drawing a stick and reading the word. For every word that is read correctly, the player keeps the stick. But if a player draws DYNAMITE!, they must put back all of their sticks. When all of the sticks have been drawn, the player with the most sticks wins.
This game is all about using upcycled materials so we keep out sticks in an old Crystal Light container that I let my daughter decorate. (Note, Fudgecicles do not have jokes on the back of the sticks, so they are perfect for this game.)
The best part about this game is that it can be played with several players or alone. My daughter had a great time playing it with friends from camp, but she also plays it solo now that she knows the words better. Next week, I am going to switch out some of the words and make it more challenging for her again. The possibilities with this game are endless – math, science, etc. Anything you can use flash cards for.
Watch out Kindergarten, here comes K with 40 words under her belt.
Not sure what sight words to start working on? Click on the image below to download and print a list of 220 of the most common sight words by grade level.
This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Popsicle Blogger Program. Visit www.facebook.com/popsicle to join the conversation.
This is a great idea. Thank you for sharing. My son isn’t quite old enough to do this yet but he will be in a few years.
We would make them into alphabet letters. Some velcro on the ends and they can make shapes and letters.
We Would Make A Pencil Holder To Gift Teacher’s, Or A Birdhouse
One thing I’d like to try is making Christmas tree ornaments out of them
well you have to make picture frames out of them with toddlers….that’s a given, right? But my little one also likes to make puppets by adding googley eyes and feathers.
Such cute ideas! I like the popsicle stick fireworks.
Love these ideas. We made photo frames out of popsticks. Thanks so much.
We’ll probably make frames and ornaments.
I would make a house with them.
A logcabin house 🙂
I would make a toy house
I would love to do the sight words and make a house out of popsicle sticks! I also saw that you can make bracelets out of them!
Maureen
maureen.tenney@gmail.com
So many great ideas, I would do Popsicle Stick Fireworks project first.
I would use them to write an event and have my son pick one to write a paragraph on to get writing practice.
a dog house for the playset
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I would like to make a picture frame with my popsicle sticks
I’ll make garden markers with popsicle sticks.
We use the sticks for all kinds of crafts and for puppet shows
Popsicle Stick Fireworks
use them to build “log” cabins! they are so much fun
birdhouse
I’d make photo frame magnets!
I would like to make snow flake Christmas ornaments.
picture frames
I would make a picture frame.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
birdhouse
kport207 at gmail dot com
I would make either a picture frame or door sign
I’d make markers for my plants in my garden
I’d love to make a model log cabin out of Popsicle sticks!
My daughter and I will make a house for her hamster.
some frames
My grandson would love using them to make unique robots and contraptions.
I will make a bird house.
the popsicle stick fireworks.
the classic popsicle stick frames are always fun!
The sight words are a great idea and perfect for my grandson. He knows all this letters and is interested in reading books now. These will help him recognize words!
We’ll make christmas ornaments!
Would like to make a house.
A house is always fun to make!
a popsicle stick flag.
We would want to make flowers!
A bird house
i would make frozen yogurt pops
I am thinking a birdhouse!
I want to make the Popsicle Stick 4th of July Flag Craft. It looks really pretty!
The popsicle picture frame would be so fun with my nephew!
Honestly, the granddaughters would make the picture frames in their favorite colors!
I would make a popsicle stick house.
I want to make the Popsicle Stick Picture Frame.
I would make snowflake Christmas ornaments.
I like the fireworks idea
I will make plant markers
I like the photo frame idea, probably make the ornaments too.
a jewelry box!
I’ll make a frame with the sticks
As a kid I always made things that I could use with my hot wheels. My favorite was a bridge. I think I would make one of those with my son so he can have as much fun as I did.
I love the popsicle stickts fireworks!
I like the picture frame!
i have made the picture frames before so i will make another one
I like the sight words idea only I’d do letters for my 2 year old.
Letters would be fantastic! On that same thought process, I think I might do colors with my baby girl!
the picture frame
I would make picture frames.
I like the sight words game but I also like the picture frame.
I like the frame.
I will make Popsicle stick flags of the world to help my kids learn their flags. thanks for the chance! 🙂
Picture frames!
I’d like to make the picture frames with my daughter, she loves when we do crafts together.
I’d make the Popsicle Stick Picture Frame.
I would like to make the picture frame.
I don’t think I will make anything with the sticks, but I will eat the Popsicles :0)
Not sure if I will make anything. We will be eating the popsicles.
The Picture Frame kid craft.
love to try and make a dollhouse with my niece
I would make the picture frames.
picture frame
My kids would enjoy designing their own Popsicle Stick Picture Frames
The flag popsicle stick idea is adorable
We will make a birdhouse.
a square pencil cup
I would help my boys make a cool castle! 🙂
I like the Popsicle Stick Picture Frames!!
A SMALL BIRDHOUSE
I’d make trivets.
I would make a popsicle stick picture frame.
The flag is cute
a dollhouse
Barbie furniture, painted in colors!
We would use them to build little houses.
Entered the rafflecopter as “Wild orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
i make trivets and coasters with my popsicle sticks! thanks for such a nice and yummy giveaway!
I like the picture frame!
a picture frame for sure =)
I would make a fan. Or make farm animal art.
Popsicle sticks become chew toys for hamsters.
I would use them at school to draw names for helpers.
I like the Popsicle Stick Picture Frame, but we would love to make a little birdhouse too! Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway!
furygirl3132[at]comcast[dot]net
I love all those ideas! I think I will store them away in my craft drawer until I have some kiddos to share in the fun with 🙂
I like the popsicle stick picture frame
I would put them up so that we could make snowflake oranments for the tree when Christmas comes around. Thank you!
Oh I love the popsicle stick picture frames! So cute!
I would make the picture frames with my girls for their first day of school pictures!
I like the Popsicle Stick Flags
I’d turn them into a building set/shapes practice set by adding little Velcro dots to the ends.
A fairy house with all the trimmings.
I would make boxes with them.
I would let my son spell his name with them
I think they could make fun math flash ‘cards’ too.
I would make a popsicle stick house.
I’d use some for educational games, but save some so my son and I could build a popsicle stick cabin!
Use them as paint sticks
I would build boxes with them and maybe gifts for relatives. I am sure Pinterest would have plenty of ideas!!
My boys love making bridges and buildings from these.
Popsicle stick picture frame
Puppets
I’d make those Popsicle stick photo puzzles using pictures of our family members that live further away.
Jewlery box and use ribbon to pull up lid and paint it
i’d make picture frames!
rafflecopter: daniel
Kids want to make a log cabin, for some small dolls.
I would make the Popsicle Stick Picture Frame Kids Craft
I love the sight words idea but I’d take it further and make letters so my older son could spell anything with them.
I would like to make a bird house with them.
I think we may make a picture frame. Although this sight word game is a good idea!
I would make a little house with a fence
Popsicle Stick Picture Fram Kids Craft
Popsicle Stick Flags are a cute idea
A hot pad made them when I was in bible school in grade school
My grandsons made picture frames with popsicle sticks a couple of weeks ago. They are really cute.
I think I might use some around a tin can to make a little vase!
I would make a little bird house or something 🙂
We would make stick stickly from Nickelodeon
I’d use them as paint sticks!
i think we would make some picture frames and fridge magnets
a popsicle stick house.
I would let my niece and nephew build houses with them.
I’d make Popsicle Stick Picture Frames!
I think little fences for toy horses would be a good thing to make.
I would build a Popsicle stick castle. My son would love it!
My kids go through popsicle sticks like hot cakes. They make puppets, log cabins. fairy houses, flags, sculptures and more. You can never have too many popsicle sticks on hand in this house.
picture frame is cute
My girls love to make puppets out of pom poms, yarn, googly eyes and Popsicle sticks!
I’d make a Popsicle stick sign board.
Popsicle Stick Picture Frames.
I would love to make a birdhouse or some christmas ornaments with my kids with popsicle sticks
I like the Doc is in sign
picture frames 🙂
magnets with names on them
birdhouses
I will make picture frames with my grandchildren.
My kids would build airplanes.
The picture frames would be cute painted and decorated with glitter and those pretty accessories!
i would make a manger
My kids like to make picture frames and also Christmas ornaments using old Christmas cards that they glue to the popsicle stick frames
a fort like I did in grammar school
I saw a project for a Craft Stick Trinket Box that I thought was great. I would make that.
I would make a picture frame
Picture frames.
I love the sight word game myself with a child who will learn to read soon this will really help
Would love to make a picture frame out of the popsicle sticks! Such a GREAT idea!
We’d like to make a jewelry box. Thanks for the chance.
I would make plant markers for my garden.
picture frames.. pencil holders.. christmas tree ornamanets
We would like to make a picture frame or an ornament
I think we would make a picture frame 🙂
we would make log cabins and other houses
I would make tags for all my new plants in my garden.
The 4th of July flags are super cute!!
Maybe make a little house.
Thanks for the giveaway! =)
I would make the picture frame.
Christmas tree ornaments!
I would make a box with a lid!!
Probably would make the pop sickle stick picture frame, thanks!
We will be building a cabin for my sons army men.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
We would make puppets and picture frames.
We will be making picture frames : ) I also saw a popsicle stick farm critters craft the kids would just love!
http://pinterest.com/pin/438397344947721917/
I have a niece who knows how to make picture frames with popsicle sticks;I’ll leave the creativity to her!
I would make a picture frame.
bridge for my 2 yr old sons cars to roll over
We use them to make stick puppets of my son’s favorite characters.
I would make little picture frames with my daughter.
I like to have ideas in the back of my head. I prefer to let them use their own creativity instead of telling them, this is what we’re making.
my son needs to get ready for kindergarden- i printed the sight words- ill be making this soon
tcogbill at live dot come
thanks for the list
A picture frame.
I like to use them as plant markers in my garden.
I would make a birdhouse
We have a new project to try – making coasters.
Thank you.
I like the picture frame kids craft
picture frames
I would make a picture frame
I love this game that you mentioned! My baby is still too little, but when she gets older this will be a great game to play! I also really like the picture frame idea! Great ideas I cant wait til she is old enough to try them!!
We will make a house!
We will make picture frames and match games.
They make great plant markers.
We would make a Popsicle Stick Picture Frames to show off some of the kids artwork.
haven’t made anything in years actually
I’d love to make a birdhouse with my kids
i think i would make a trivet
A pencil box
annabella @ centurytel dot net
The Popsicle stick picture frame. So cute!
I would make picture frames
I will make plant markers with the Popsicle sticks.
I would build a fort
We would build a castle
I would make picture frames!
As a child, I used to make birdhouses! Thank you, girl scouts!
I think my children would have fun building popsicle mail boxes.
A popsicle stick house!
My Nana used to make barbie furniture (chairs and beds) out of Popsicle sticks! I thought it was such a neat idea. She would make them with hot glue and let the grandchildren paint them.
what a fun game! I may have to do this one!
We would make picture frames and fences!
I would have my grandaughter help me make a picture frame
karenb834atyahoo.com
herbname markers for herb garden
We like to make Popsicle stick frames for pictures and artwork.
The ribbon flags.
We would make a picture frame!
I like the idea of cutting up pictures of faces and putting them on the sticks and it’s like a puzzle.
i like to make a house with my popsicle sticks and a fence too!
I would make the Popsicle Stick Fireworks except that I would make them snowflakes and hang them on the Christmas tree
The kids make bridges and houses for their matchbox cars
My kids use them to make racetrack barriers and use them to build houses/garages.
I save them and write what plants I have in my garden rows on the sticks. Thanks for this contest.
I like the fireworks made with sticks
Thanks for the giveaway… a bird house !
I would make a log cabin 🙂
I would build a dollhouse.
A box to store things.
I would make snowflakes
Picture frame
chrismtas tree decorations
decorative box
We would make a bird house.
Probably telephone poles, my autistic son has an obsession with them and makes them all the time
I like the frames, we would make those
fireworks.
Thanks for the contest.
I’d make a bracelet
Great idea with those sticks, mom.
Thanks! My kids love it!
You could also paint them (or buy colored ones from the craft or teacher store to level them! Red for kinder, orange for 1st, and so on for multiple level playing with siblings or friends!
I have 5 list of 50 phrases that I put each list on a different color of popcicle stick for difficulty level. For each 10 phrases I put in a stick that says “Zap” if they get a zap all sticks go back into the jar and they start over. The winner is the one with the most sticks at the end. This works on fluency as well as sight words.