Toys and Games That Teach Kids How to Read
25 Toys, Games, and Puzzles That Will Help Your Kids Sharpen Their Early Reading Skills
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Whether your child is just beginning to identify letters or has already started recognising sight words, learning how to read should be fun every step of the way. From fast-paced multiplayer games that encourage building word families to spelling activities that kids can do on their own, there are a bunch of toys, games, and puzzles that will help to sharpen your child's early literacy skills.
Keep scrolling to see and shop some of our favourites that can help to get your little ones excited about reading!
1 Learning Resources Sight Word Swat
While playing Learning Resources Sight Word Swat ($11), kids ages 5 and up can build their reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills as they race to swat various sight words before other players.
2 ThinkFun Zingo!
Kids in preschool and up will love ThinkFun Zingo! ($22), which challenges players to find sight words to fill in their bingo-like cards.
3 Learning Resources Slam Ships Sight Words Game
While playing Learning Resources Slam Ships Sight Words Game ($13), kids ages 5 and up will use their suction cup spaceship to grab sight words before the other players.
4 Matching Letter Spelling Game
Your kids can take on three- and four-letter sight words with this Matching Letter Spelling Game ($14).
5 LeapFrog Storytime Buddy
Not only does LeapFrog Storytime Buddy ($53) help build your child's literacy skills, but the books that come with Buddy teach kids about emotions, numbers, colours, shapes, and opposites.
6 Junior Learning Spelligator
While playing Junior Learning Spelligator ($30), kids ages 5 and up can practice sounding out words, building words, and spelling.
7 Sight Words Bingo
Rather than filling a bingo board with numbers, Sight Words Bingo ($10) focuses on sight words.
8 ThinkFun Zingo Word Builder
ThinkFun Zingo Word Builder ($20) comes with beginner and advanced cards that require kids to build words with the letters on their cards and the letter cards they pull from the zinger.
9 LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
Toddlers will be introduced to 100 words across multiple categories — like colours, animals, and food — in the LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book ($18).
10 Edupress Sight Words Splat
Edupress Sight Words Splat ($13) gives kids an opportunity to practice 75 sight words through a fun card game.
11 Educational Insights Hot Dots Jr. Let's Master Pre-K Reading
Educational Insights Hot Dots Jr. Let's Master Pre-K Reading ($23) comes with two books that contain lessons in letter recognition, phonics, sight words, and more.
12 Learning Resources Snap It Up! Phonics & Reading Card Game
Learning Resources Snap It Up! Phonics & Reading Card Game ($12) is a fast-paced card game that builds spelling, reading, and word families skills.
13 Learning Resources Goodie Games ABC Cookies
The Learning Resources Goodie Games ABC Cookies ($14) provides kids with all they need to boost their alphabet, letter recognition, beginning sounds, consonant-vowel-consonant word building, and early vocabulary skills.
14 Scrabble Junior
In this version of Scrabble, Scrabble Junior ($15), kids ages 5 and up will match their letters to the ones on the board to build words and get points.
15 Gamenote Sight Words Wooden Magnetic Fishing Game
The Gamenote Sight Words Wooden Magnetic Fishing Game ($23) is a fun way to teach kids sight words with a competition element built in.
16 Moonlite Storybook Projector for Smartphones
The Moonlite Storybook Projector for Smartphones ($17) makes reading magical and allows kids to follow along with their favourite stories.
17 Little Bud Kids Spin-and-Read Montessori Phonetic Reading Blocks
Early readers can practice their consonant-vowel-consonant word building skills with these Little Bud Kids Spin-and-Read Montessori Phonetic Reading Blocks ($24).
18 AGO Phonics Card Game
The AGO Phonics Card Game ($23) comes with three different game decks, each with over 100 words to identify.
19 Learning Puzzles: Beginning Sounds
Learning Puzzles: Beginning Sounds ($14) contains 20 five-piece puzzles that teach and reinforce beginning consonant letter sounds.
20 LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Interactive Learning System
LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Interactive Learning System ($46) includes over 700 activities across a library of more than 25 compatible books.
21 High Frequency Vocabulary Flash Cards
These High Frequency Vocabulary Flash Cards ($17) combine illustrations and short sentences to reinforce sight words and their meeanings.
22 BOHS Literacy Wiz Fun Game — Lowercase Sight Words
The BOHS Literacy Wiz Fun Game ($15) helps kids to identify and spell lowercase sight words.
23 Melissa & Doug See & Spell
Melissa & Doug See & Spell ($12) includes eight double-sided spelling puzzles.
24 Pixel Premium Magnetic Foam Letters
Each pack of Pixel Premium Magnetic Foam Letters ($17) comes with an ultra-light magnetic dry-erase whiteboard and more than 40 learning games. Plus, the product touts itself as the "safer, superior choice" to other magnetic letters, as each letter has a completely magnetic back sealed in a rubber casing.
25 VTech Write and Learn Creative Centre
The VTech Write and Learn Creative Centre ($20) combined early reading and writing skills in one magnetic drawing board.
