CVC games are the perfect way to practice phonics skills in kindergarten. Let me show you some fun ways to have students practice new words while having a great time. You will also find a free download with simple CVC words at the end of this blog post.
Let’s talk about CVC words for a second—those simple consonant-vowel-consonant words like cat, hat, and map. These are some of the very first words our students start reading, and they’re such an important part of helping kids feel successful early on. Once students know a handful of sounds—usually just four to six to start—they’re ready to start blending. And that’s where the magic begins.
I like to begin blending practice by using short vowels and consonants. Two phoneme words like at, am, and an are an easy way to incorporate blending practice into your lesson plans. These little words pack a big punch when it comes to building confidence and helping students hear how individual sounds work together. Once they’ve got those down, we can start swapping out beginning sounds to build different cvc words: cat, can, ham, and so on. It’s a step-by-step process that helps them go from sounding things out to reading more independently.
And here’s what research tells us: blending phonics instruction with high-frequency words gives young children a solid foundation. They start to recognize patterns, build fluency, and develop those early reading muscles. Plus, when we add in hands-on CVC word games and playful practice, students stay engaged and really start to take off. It’s all about making reading feel fun, doable, and something they want to keep doing.
This classic memory game gets a fun little upgrade with CVC word cards that come in tons of cute themes for every season. I love that it feels fresh each time students play it, but the structure stays the same—so they know what to do and can jump right in.
As they flip through the cards looking for matches, they’re practicing their phonics without even realizing it. It’s such a simple way to build in extra decoding practice. Plus, you’re not stuck with just one way to play—kids can use the cards for different matching or sorting games too, which keeps things interesting and gives them even more exposure to those short vowel words.
This predictable game is available in multiple different themes so you can easily use these CVC word cards throughout the school year. I love telling students that there is a “new game” in our literacy centers when in fact it is exactly the same! Predictable center activities are a life-saver!
There are 20 different themes in this set, so it’s easy to switch things up and keep your centers looking fun and inviting all year long.
This CVC word practice game is fast, fun, and just right for those wiggly learners who love a little competition. Students use three spinners—one for the beginning sound, one for the vowel, and one for the ending sound—to build real cvc word recognition skills It’s a simple setup that gets kids excited about blending and segmenting letter sounds without even realizing they’re practicing key phonics skills.
You can use magnetic letters, letter tiles, or just have them write the simple words with a marker—whatever works best for your setup. The goal is to build a complete word as quickly as possible, which keeps the pace lively and gets everyone engaged.
What I really like about this game is that all the word combos actually make sense. That means kids aren’t getting tripped up by nonsense words—they’re making real connections and building confidence. It’s hands-on, it’s active, and it’s one of those games that gets lots of smiles and “Can we play again?” moments.
You can teach this engaging activity in your small group before moving into an independent practice activity like a literacy center.
This CVC game is included in a bundle of race games where students practice a variety of important skills: Beginning sounds, blends, digraphs, CVC, and CVCe words. Click on this link to take a closer look:
Science of Reading board games are such a fun way for students to get extra practice with blending and decoding—real and nonsense words alike. The best part? These games are non-seasonal, so you can use them any time of year without having to swap anything out.
Players move their game piece around the board, forward or back, depending on the spin of the spinner. First one to reach the hamster wheel wins… and when the game ends, they just reset and play again. It’s simple, repeatable, and the kind of game that kids ask for again and again.
When you add the response page, this game becomes an interactive spelling game!
You can find this fun CVC word game by clicking this link:
Here are some additional themes that include CVC word cards:
In this short vowel CVC word game, students get hands-on practice —and they won’t even realize how much they’re practicing these foundational reading skills because they’re having so much fun! Just grab some game pieces, and you’re good to go.
You can choose to focus on one specific word family or use the review version that mixes them all together. What makes this game extra easy to set up is that the beginning sounds are already printed right on the board. All students have to do is add the ending sound (or sounds) to complete the word. It’s quick to prep, easy to play, and a great way to reinforce phonics skills during centers or small groups.
There are 5 CVC board games in this set:
These BINGO games are perfect for intervention time or as a small-group warm-up activity. Students work on their blending skills with onset and rime practice. Instead of having bingo cards, the students color their page.
Students blend the initial sound (found on the coloring sheet) with the CVC bingo words that are read to them.
This domino game provides lots of practice with finding the short vowel sounds of CVC words. Students practice matching the picture to the middle sounds in these three-letter words.
The CVC set of domino cards is in the November set, along with CVCe words. You can find it here:
Bump games are always a class favorite! I like to introduce them right at the beginning of the year, and then I just switch up the skills and themes as we go. It keeps things fresh without having to re-teach the rules every time.
I usually gather everyone on the rug and pick a student to help me model how to play. Honestly, you really only need to show them once—they catch on so fast. After that, they’re ready to play with a partner during centers or stations.
The best part? They’re having so much fun, they don’t even realize how much they’re practicing. It’s such an easy way to sneak in phonics review all year long.
This fun game is included in this set of Math and Literacy Bump Games:
I sort of love this pocket chart game! It’s perfect for whole group time and works really well when you’ve got a few extra minutes in your day but don’t want things to spiral into chaos. You know those awkward in-between moments? This is your go-to.
Here’s how it works: I hide special cards behind some of the CVC word cards in the pocket chart. A student comes up, picks a card, reads the word out loud, and then checks behind it to see if they’ve found one of the hidden surprises.
The kids get so into it—they cheer each other on and practically burst when someone finds a special card. If you want to add a little flair, you can even toss in a fun sound effect when someone makes a match.
While we’re playing, I have students write the words on their dry erase boards or lap desks. It keeps everyone involved and gives them extra practice with decoding and spelling. Simple setup, big engagement.
Check out the bundle for an entire set of pocket chart games for the year.
Games 9 and 10 are digital CVC word activities, and they’re such a fun way to mix things up. Sometimes just switching to technology is all it takes to keep students engaged and excited to practice.
This set includes both printable and digital options, so you can use whatever works best for your schedule or classroom setup. There are 21 word family books included, and each one comes with a short video that walks students through how to complete their own book. It’s a great way to support independence while reinforcing those important phonics skills.
Check out this interactive way of practicing CVC words:
Boom Cards are such a hit with students! They’re easy to use on your interactive whiteboard during whole group time or on individual devices for centers or at-home practice.
This set of CVC Word Boom Decks includes 11 fun games—and there’s even a free one you can try out! You’ll need a free Boom Learning account to get started, but your students don’t need accounts at all. Just share a “Fast Play” link through Google Classroom or Seesaw, and they’re ready to go.
The best part? Boom Cards are self-correcting, so students get instant feedback as they work. It’s a super helpful way to keep practice meaningful while giving you one less thing to prep.
To learn more about Boom Cards in the classroom, check out this blog post:
Center time is such a great opportunity to sneak in hands-on CVC word practice. If your students rotate through centers with a partner or small group, adding games into the mix can make things even more fun and effective.
This one’s always a favorite! Students look at the picture, say the word, and then race to trace the matching CVC word. It’s simple, engaging, and gives them lots of decoding and handwriting practice.
Here’s another fun option—students spin, find the matching word on their mat, and cover it with a token. I like to have each student use a different color so it’s easy to see who’s covering what.
If you’re looking for ready-to-use activities, I’ve got a set of UFLI-aligned centers that are perfect for this kind of independent or partner practice. You can check them out here:
This activities ask students to decode words in the context of a sentence. It works great as a small group activity, morning work, center activity. Students simple match the picture to the sentence.
These Elkonin boxes can be differentiated for your students. You may have some students who are working on the initial sounds while others are working on the ending or middle sound. You may even have students who are able to identify each of the individual phonemes. This activity would also work well as an early finisher activity!
This game is like Chutes and Ladders. Students move their game piece along the game board. As they pull picture cards, they fill in the missing letters and move their game piece. There are a few versions of this game that target various phonics skills! There is also an optional response page that can be used as an exit ticket if you wish.
I’m not sure if there could be a simpler game! Students take turns spinning the spinner and writing the word they landed on!
Sometimes you need a few no-prep ideas. Just because you don’t have to work hard to set these up, it doesn’t mean your young learners won’t be getting meaningful fluency practice! All of these worksheets are aligned with the UFLI scope and sequence, so they will fit seamlessly into your instruction.
If you’re looking for a way to build fluency while keeping things interactive, these Partner Fluency Practice Activities are a great fit. Students work in pairs to blend and read CVC, CCVC, CVCC, and CVCe words using simple, engaging games. It’s an easy way to sneak in extra decoding practice—and the partner format keeps students motivated and on task. These activities are perfect for centers, intervention groups, or even a quick warm-up before your phonics lesson.
If you’re looking to add some variety to your phonics centers, these Roll and Read Worksheets are a fantastic option. They cover a variety of word patterns, giving students plenty of practice with different word structures. The game-like format keeps things fun—students roll a die and read the corresponding word, which adds an element of chance that they love. It’s a simple, low-prep way to reinforce blending skills and build reading fluency.
These Find, Write, and Count Phonics Worksheets are a must-have for any teacher following the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence. These activities that give students repeated practice with reading and writing decodable words. Whether you’re working with small groups, sending home extra support, or filling your literacy centers, these pages are ready to go. Students get to read, write, and build words—helping them grow their decoding and fluency skills in a way that feels like a game. It’s a simple, effective way to support phonics mastery all year long!
These Roll and Write Worksheets are a fantastic option. Students roll a die and write the corresponding word, which adds an element of chance that they love. It’s a simple, low-prep way to reinforce blending skills and build reading fluency.
These word searches are a fantastic way to couple decoding and fun at the same time! Word searches always remind me of the Applebee’s kids menus! But they are not just fun! Word search activities ask students to look at each letter and think of their letter-sound relationships.
As students master CVC words we can find lots of ways to help them practice that don’t involve CVC word flashcards. With this free CVC printable file, students will match the CVC pictures each of the simple sentences! EASY!
Here is a set of free decodable sentences that feature CVC words. Simply add your email to the box below and you will get this file sent to your inbox.
These CVC decodable sentences are great for centers! Add your name and email address to the box below to snag this free sample. Check out more of these center activities here:
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