Home » Misc » Games with sight words for first grade

Games with sight words for first grade


Sight Words Games for 1st Graders Online

Reading Made Fun With Sight Word Games for 1st Graders

Children love to read. As babies, they love to flip pages and pretend to read a book. 

The challenges of reading only become real when children start learning sight words. Sight word reading can be a long and challenging process for most children. 

While some words stick to memory easily, others need consistent practice. 

At SplashLearn, we have some amazing sight word games for 1st graders to make reading more enjoyable for your children. 

Why Are Sight Words Important?

While most of the words we read in our daily life can be spelled phonetically, certain words must be read by sight. Building sight word vocabulary and reading fluency will help your children read quicker and with more efficiency. 

There are sight words of varying difficulty. Familiarizing your child with grade-appropriate sight words will help them learn things faster.  

Sight word games make learning basic sight words and adding new words to your child’s vocabulary fun and exciting.

Interesting Ways to Teach Sight Words to 1st Graders

Learning sight words can sometimes be overwhelming. For children who are more comfortable learning through phonetic sounds, this process may prove challenging and, at times, difficult. 

Here are some of the best ways to make sight-reading for grade 1 easier and interactive:

  • Online reading: There are several books that you can read online. These books flash the text on the screen and have a speech synthesis built into it. As the audio plays, the words on the page light up automatically. Children can familiarize themselves with sight words while enjoying reading their favorite books over and over.
  • Word wall: You can now, quite literally, build walls with words. Make flashcards with sight words, one word on each card. Now, you may build this wall in several ways. You can ask your child to pick a card, read it, and lay the brick(card) on the wall. Use some regular masking tape, or just place the brick on the floor. Another way to play the game is to scatter all the bricks(cards) face open, call out a word, and get your child to pick the right one and place it on the wall. Remember that in the learning process, recognition comes before the recall.
  • Word catch: This is a wonderful game for kinesthetic learners. Fill a tub with some plastic balls. Write a sight word on each. Get your child to pick a ball, read out the word, and throw it to you. Then you take your turn, throw another ball to your child, and ask him or her to read it.
  • Tic Tac Toe: Once your child is quite familiar with sight words, introduce a new challenge. Make multiple tic tac toe grids and write down a sight word in each square. Play the game, as usual, ensuring the child reads the word in the square he or she wants to claim. You can read out your words too, and help make it an interactive experience.

Teaching Sight Words in Grade 1

By the time your child has reached grade 1 sight-reading, he or she should already be able to feel familiar with some 2-letter sight words. 

Always begin by practicing what is known. Then slowly introduce one or two new words a day. Try and follow these steps when learning:

  • Show the word, spell it out, call the word out loud, and use it in a sentence.
  • Now show the word again, and ask the child to repeat it.
  • Spell the word, and call it out. Practice these steps a few times before you move on.
  • Now show the child three or four words, and ask them to pick the sight word.
  • Say the word out, and ask them to spell again.
  • Practice reading a few simple, grade 1 sentences with the sight word in them. This will help them gain the context of the word.

Be The Superhero Your Kid Needs in 1st grade!

First-grade readers are usually very excited about reading and spelling. They may feel a little disappointed when they experience struggles or challenges. Therefore, it is essential to remember a few things when taking your child through the process:

  • Take things at their pace. Don’t rush because that won’t help the child or you.
  • Avoid comparing with other children or the grade level. Some children may require a lot of practice initially and may pick up very quickly later on.
  • Revise and practice. There is a lifetime of learning waiting to take place. Spend time ensuring the child has understood and is comfortable with the words before you move on.
  • Motivate and celebrate – even the smallest wins and the effort.


Teach your child the joy of sight words through SplashLearn’s interactive online sight word games for 1st graders. They’ll make your child look forward to a new learning experience every day.

Try SplashLearn for Free

10 Interactive Online Games to Teach Sight Words to Beginning Readers

Sight words and high frequency words are an important part of teaching new readers. These words have to be memorized, which means they require a lot of repetition and practice. I love using these online games to teach sight words in my classroom.

Sight word instruction can be really challenging in the classroom because you have a classroom filled with students who learn different things in different ways at different paces. 🥴

It requires so much repetition and practice, yet all of our students need those things in different ways.

I tackle sight word instruction from all sides. We read them in sentences, practice them with music and movement, do art projects, and more!

These 10 online games to teach sight words are FREE and super interactive. [Free as of August 2019] They give students the chance to practice identifying, matching and reading sight words, all while playing fun games.

Note: Did you know there is a difference between sight words and high frequency words? I thought they were the same for the longest time. Knowing their differences has helped me with my instruction. Read more about that here!

Sight Word Bingo

This classic bingo game from abcya.com is a favorite for all of my students. The little amoeba monster at the top says a word, then the student identifies it and clicks it.

This game words great on a computer or on an interactive white board. I have my students take turns at the SmartBoard in my classroom during a center or we do it whole group when we have a minute to spare.

No matter when we use it, it’s a student favorite. 👍🏼

Sight Word Smash

Students love this fun, sight word identification game. The computer says a word. Then they use the pointer to find it and smash it.

I like this game because the word is on more than one block so students get the repetition of seeing and identifying the word multiple times!

Sight Word Memory

There are many, many sight word memory games online but this one is my favorite. I like that the computer says the word as you flip the card, whether it’s a match or not.

Seeing and hearing a word multiple times is perfect for auditory and visual learners. I also appreciate that when they finish a level, they can keep playing with new words!

Sight Words in Space

Students love this space themed sight word game. A cat says the word they are trying to find. Words float by in power cells and they have to click the right one.

The words are floating up so students have to identify them quickly. Just like in Sight Word Smash, words appear more than one time, too. 👏

Listen & Spell

I absolutely love this Listen & Spell game! We know that readers struggle with sight words because they do not follow phonics rules or because they are too advanced. We also know that students learn to read and write words at the same time.

This game gives them the chance to spell sight words with a limited number of letters at the bottom. First it says the word, then students use the yellow letters to spell it. The only letters available are letters that are in the word.

Playing this game helps students move on from “identifying” to “creating” on Bloom’s Taxonomy, which we know helps make information stick. Students will gain confidence in writing their sight words as well as reading them!

Sight Word Jigsaw

This identification game uses the same concepts as matching, except students are able to see all of the words at one time. They click the sound button on one of the yellow pieces to hear the word they are looking for. Then they find the blue word puzzle piece and drag it over.

I like that this game adds the element of looking at several words to find the correct one. It gives students practice at quickly identifying words by their beginning sounds.

Popcorn Words

Students playing this game are working the popcorn machine at a movie theater. A monkey comes up to the counter and says a sight word. Students click on the correct sight word to give it to the monkey.

Once they have handed out 10 popcorn buckets correctly, they get to play a quick in-between game and then are promoted. Their goal is to become the manager. I’m sure it will not surprise you to hear that my students beg to play this game!

Kitten Hop

This silly game is another favorite of my students. They are playing a kitten who bounces from yarn ball to yarn ball. The computer says a sight word. That word is on one of the four yarn balls in front of the one your kitten is on.

Students love this game because they are racing three other kittens. The winner is the one who reaches the couch at the end of the game first. They have to be quick at matching the sight word their hear to the correct ball of year if they want to win!

Note: this game has options at the beginning for choosing a color, a name, etc. You will want to teach your students how to do this quickly (and set that expectation) so that they can do it independently.

Starfall Sight Words

Though I’ve already included a Memory Sight Word game, who doesn’t love Starfall? In this sight word game, the students need to determine if it is the same sight word by sight alone as it is not read until the match is made. But I love that they have three stars in the upper left corner to show their progress to the next level.

Once the student completes the game, they can move on to Level 2, where the sight words are slightly more difficult. The students love moving up a level to show their achievement!

My Reading Tools

In My Reading Tools, students see a kangaroo get several tools to become a better reader. The first tool is a flashlight. He uses it to highlight words in a dark cave.

This game is more challenging than the rest because students are asked to finish the sentence with the word spelled correctly. The computer reads the sentence. Then students hover their flashlight around the cave to find the word. 🔦

In this example, I was looking for the word “again.” The other options in the cave were misspelled words “agin,” “agane,” etc. This game is perfect for students who are confidently reading many sight words and are ready for a challenge!

These 10 online games to teach sight words are perfect for giving students extra practice and lots of repetition during centers in my classroom. Did I miss any of your favorites? How do you like to practice sight words? Let me know below! 👇

Digital Sight Word Lessons with Practice

Are you looking for digital ways to teach sight words?

I mean, what’s the point of practicing a word (even with the fun and free sight word games shared above) if a student has not explicitly been taught a sight word? 🤔

For this very reason, I’ve created 150 sight word lessons with practice.

These Google Slides lesson and practice can be used with any free Google accounts and are so easy to assign in Google Classroom!

As you assign words to your students one at a time, they will learn, identify, build, read in context, and master the new sight word. It’s explicit instruction and practice, all in one.

Don’t just take my word for it, watch the lesson in action in the video below. 👇🏽

While the lessons DO have audio, this preview video does not. 🎧 Students can have the words and sentences read to them, if needed.

You can purchase the 150 Digital Sight Word Lessons and Practice (for use with Google Slides™️ on my website or TpT.

Click HERE to buy on Teachers Pay Teachers

Click on the button below to purchase on my website (where you get lifetime access)!

Sight Words Distance Learning | Digital Sight Word Lessons | Homeschool

$25.00

Are you looking for the perfect way to teach new sight words and review old sight words while distance learning? You NEED this resource. Digital sight word activities can be fun, but what good are they if students haven’t learned the sight word yet? Should they practice something that they haven’t learned about yet? Enter: Digital Sight Words Learn and Practice! This 100% digital sight word resource is every sight word teacher’s dream! Yes, that you includes you, homeschool parents! Each sight word activity (there are 100 words included!) guides students through learning the word, reading the word, identifying the word, building/spelling the word, and using the word.

Buy Now

This is such a fabulous digital sight word program and SO well-made!!!! Very creative…love the stickers they can give themselves at the end! -Lacy S.

25 yard games of our childhood, which few people remember now

It was possible to play yard games almost around the clock until mom called home / frame from the movie "Timur and his team"

When the weather whispers like that, only for modern children will come to mind to ignore it and stay at home, trying to master the next level in games on gadgets.

Children and teenagers used to spend all their free time playing outdoor games. "VM" has collected 25 then popular entertainment, which is still vividly in our memory.

1. COSSACK ROBBERS

This is one of the most popular street games of the last century. However, it is possible that its roots go far into the past, since the exact time of the appearance of the "Cossacks" is unknown. They say that the name of the game originated historically: back in Tsarist Russia, the Cossacks really protected civilians from attacks by robbers.

How to play:

Participates from 4 people, the more the better. First, with the help of lots, the guys are divided into two teams, "Cossacks" and "robbers", respectively. The task of the "robbers" is to run away as quickly as possible along the drawn arrows and hide, the goal of the "Cossacks" is to find and catch the "undesirables".

Each of the teams has a "chieftain", if in a simple way - the captain. At the beginning of the game, the “robbers” must get together and think of a cipher word, after which they take the crayons and run away. “Cossacks”, before the game, must determine the place for the “dungeon”, where the captured “robbers” will be imprisoned. When the time for preparation has expired, the "Cossacks" set off in pursuit. Approximately every 20-30 meters, as well as at all turns, the "robbers" draw arrows, not all of which can indicate the right path.

If the "Cossack" noticed the "robber", he must pin him down and take him to the dungeon. If, at the moment when the “Cossack” is leading the “robber” to the dungeon, other “robbers” are coming towards him, they can knock down the “Cossack”, thereby freeing their comrade. Another opportunity to escape is if the "Cossack" accidentally releases the hand of the "robber".

Yuliya Semyonova hits the ball confidently — the novice athlete has already hit the ball / Photo: Anna Ivantsova

When the caught “robber” finds himself in a dungeon, they begin to extort a code word from him. The most common method of "torture" is the usual tickling. It is better to agree on what methods of influence can be used and which cannot be used “on the shore”.

But if you, dear "robber", have already ended up in a dungeon, do not despair! Perhaps your friends will come after you, attacking the sentry and allowing you to escape.

"Cossacks" win the game if at least one of the conditions is met: the secret cipher is found out or all the robbers are caught.

2. COLORS (COLORS-RUN, TRAFFIC LIGHT)

This simple game, for which even a school break is enough, has many variations. Instead of flowers, you can think of songs, cities, cartoon names, and anything - the choice is limited only by imagination.

How to play

Participants (from four people) choose one driver. He stands in the center of the court, with his back to the others, and calls any color. Players are looking for whether this color is on them (in clothing, shoes, hairpins, toys, most often even the color of eyes and hair is “considered”). If the color is successfully found, you need to hold on to the thing on which you found the right color, go to the other side.

Yuliya Semyonova hits the ball confidently - the novice athlete has already hit the ball / Photo: Anna Ivantsova

If you carefully examined yourself and made sure that you do not have the right color, lull the vigilance of the driver and run across. He, in turn, must have time to intercept and overpower the running one. If successful, the unfortunate defector becomes the leader.

This game, like the others, has its tricks. For example, participants can help each other. So, if one has several things of a suitable color, he can use one himself, and let a friend take on the second.

3. SAJO

A quiet ball game, the secret of whose name you may still be trying to unravel. Develops reaction and attentiveness.

How to play

Sajo does not require many participants, it can be played with two people, but, as is usually the case in yard games, the more players, the more fun.

Everyone silently invents a biography for himself - here fantasy is not limited. Defined with name, age, city, favorite dish and so on. Of course, there is room for imagination here too - categories can change and be supplemented.

The first question the driver asks is “what is your name?”. He throws the ball to the player, naming one answer with each throw. If the option is incorrect, the player hits the ball, if it is correct, he catches it. If the driver says the incomprehensible word "sajo", the ball must also be caught. If the player at this time accidentally hit the ball, the answer is the word that sounded during the previous throw.

As you know, not everything planned comes true, so players often catch the ball on a word that was not guessed by them, just not to be Pafnutiy from Uryupinsk. The driver, meanwhile, tries to throw the balls as sharply and quickly as possible. The more goals conceded, the more incredible the biography of fictional characters and the more interesting the game.

The choice of places where you can hide is limited only by your imagination / a shot from the movie "Timur and his team" "and" shooters.

The biggest difficulty of this game was to find the “same”, “correct” rubber band. Even, for example, elastic bands from old clothes, sometimes even knitted-intertwined short elastic bands, could be used.

How to play

Participation from two people (of course, more is possible, sometimes a serious queue could form from those who wanted to jump!) or any other static object on several different levels: the harder the level, the higher the rubber band rises.

Participants take turns performing different jump exercises at all levels. The one who makes a mistake touches the rubber band, passes the baton to the next player. Then, when his turn comes up again, he starts the game from the place where he made a mistake.

You can also play in pairs, then the second player can help out the lost player.

Game levels:

1). The rubber band is at the level of the ankles of the holders.

2). At knee level

3). At hip level

4). Waist

5). Chest

6). At neck level.

It can be even higher, here again it all depends on the imagination, willingness to play and acrobatic abilities of the jumpers.

There are countless exercises that can be performed by players: from simple jumps to sophisticated "steps", "envelopes" and "bows". In some, it is strictly forbidden to touch the rubber band, while in others the main thing is to step on the right area.

The game remains an example of how, using a minimum of props, to ensure the leisure of a children's company for several hours!

Each team in the game "Cossacks-robbers" had to choose a "chieftain" / frame from the film "Timur and his team"

5. CLASSICS

Another game known to almost everyone is jumping. Surely you remember the fields lined with chalk and even paint in almost every yard.

By the way, they say that the game appeared in European countries in the Middle Ages, and perhaps its roots come from ancient Roman entertainment. Back then, hopscotch was mostly played by boys.

How to play:

A field of several equal squares is drawn on the asphalt (a 5x2 rectangular field is considered traditional, but our yards remember many variations). At the end of the field, a semicircle is usually drawn (in different versions it is called “cauldron”, “fire”, “water”, etc.).

Players alternately throw a cue ball (it can be anything that can be thrown - a stone, a tin box, a dice) into the first square of the field. After that, the player jumps over different squares, pushing the cue ball behind him.

According to the classical rules, in the first and second squares they jump on one foot, in the third and fourth - left on the 3rd, right on the 4th, in the fifth - with two feet, in the sixth and seventh - as in the third and fourth , in the eighth - on one, in the ninth and tenth - the left on the ninth, the right - on the tenth.

After that, the player turns around and moves back along the same path. If a player or his cue ball touches the line, the move passes to the next participant.

Some games are considered to be purely “girlish” / a shot from the movie “Nanny with Mustaches”

6. STONE-PAPER-SCISSORS

A game that we all know from early childhood. And until now, adult serious people periodically use it as an assistant in solving complex issues. And the most zealous amateurs even develop special tactics and hold entire championships.

How to play:

After the classic "rock-paper-scissors, one, two, three!" each player must show one of the figures with his hand (“stone” - a hand in a fist, “scissors” - crossed fingers, “paper” - a straight palm). The winner is determined as follows: the paper "covers" the stone, the stone "breaks" the scissors, the scissors "cut" the paper. The loser is out of the game. The winners, if there are several of them, remain for the next round.

By the way: There are many variations of this game. In addition to traditional items, a well is added (“stone, scissors, paper and a well are also needed”), a bottle of lemonade and more. And fans of The Big Bang Theory also remember the version with Spock the lizard.

7. SIFA

Another "boyish" entertainment. The girls rarely played such a game, because a dirty rag acted as a projectile.

How to play

The first player picks up a rag and throws it at a nearby participant, shouting “Sefa!”. The task of the second one is to quickly be touched by a rag of some other participant, otherwise the “dirty” status was assigned to the player until the end of the day.

Usually the game started suddenly, without prior agreement, and not all players wanted to take part in such entertainment at all.

8. BOUNCER (SHOOTING)

This predominantly boyish team ball game is aimed at "knocking out" opponents.

How to play

Four people can participate. At least two - bouncers - stand on opposite sides of the field. Their task is to throw the ball, while knocking down opponents standing between them. It is also important that the ball thrown by one of the bouncers is caught by the other, and does not fall to the ground or fly somewhere outside the playing area.

In turn, those who are kicked out must not allow themselves to be kicked out. They should dodge the ball or catch it. The latter can also give the player a "bonus", make him practically "indestructible".

When the dodgeballs have eliminated the rest of the participants, the teams change places.

Correspondents of "VM" appreciated the children's recreation together with the specialists of GAUK "Mosgortour" / Photo: Alexander Kazakov, "Vechernyaya Moskva"

9. Hide and Seek

invent an unusual place where it will not be easy to find you. Another plus is that, depending on the play area, it is suitable for children of all ages. Surely, many adults now have not refused to hide from problems in some quiet nook ...

How to play:

The driver, chosen by lot or counting, turns to the wall / closes his eyes and counts up to a certain number (the number and pace of counting, as well as the area where you can hide are agreed in advance). At this time, the rest of the participants are looking for a place more secluded.

The driver's phrase: "One, two, three, four, five" is a kind of signal that he is about to go in search. The one who is caught first becomes the leader, but often the players do not come out of hiding until the “water” has found every one.

The most important thing is to quietly pass the "ring" / Shot from the movie "Welcome, or No Trespassing"

10. TRADING

Another simple game, familiar to everyone, needs no special introduction.

How to play:

First, a driver is chosen, using a rhyme, lot or any other method, then they determine within what boundaries the game will take place.

The driver tries to catch all the players, to touch them. The one who is touched is considered "tagged" and begins to catch other participants himself. There are no winners and losers here, as such, there is no logical end to the game either.

11. LAPTA

This game, which has a long history, is now experiencing a rebirth.

How to play:

Two lines are drawn on a flat field, the distance between which is approximately 15-20 meters. One line is called the city, the second - the house.

It will be possible to find out the results of the checks already next week / Photo: Alexandra Kazakova, Vechernyaya Moskva

After that, they determine the hitter who stands outside the city, the rest stand behind the "house". The batter throws the ball up and hits it with the bat.

Players behind home wait for the ball to be over the line in order to catch it before it hits the ground. With luck, the one who caught the ball changes places with the batter. If it was not possible to catch the ball, the kick is repeated.

In the game "square" the winner is the participant with the least number of points / Photo: Irina Khlebnikova, "Vechernyaya Moskva" .

How to play:

There are several variants of this game, each of which begins with a well-known counting rhyme:

The sea worries once,
The sea worries two,
The sea worries three,
The marine figure freezes in place!

After the facilitator pronounces these words, the players freeze in the pose of some figure.

In the first version of the game, the driver must guess which figure the player has drawn. In the second - the winner is the one who lasted the longest in a given position, in the third - the winner is the participant who depicted the figure that the driver liked the most.

Of course, it is not necessary to be limited to the "marine" theme. It all depends on the imagination of the driver.

13. EDIBLE-INEDIBLE

How to play

Participants line up. The driver throws a ball to one of the players, naming some object. The rules are extremely simple: if the object is "edible", the ball must be caught, if it is "inedible" - beaten. The most relish of the game is in speed. The faster the leader lists the names of objects and the more unexpected the order, the more interesting. In case of an error, the player becomes the leader.

14. RING-RING

The saying "ring-ring, go out on the porch" probably many people remember, but not everyone understands where it came from. Any small object can serve as a "ring" in the game, the main thing is that it fits easily into the hand.

How to play:

Players sit in a row and fold their palms like a boat. In the meantime, the driver approaches each participant in turn, saying “I wear, I wear a ring and I will give it to someone”, and pretends to be going to hand over the ring. The task of the driver is to give the item so that other participants do not understand who exactly became its owner.

In turn, the player who received the ring must pretend that nothing happened.

When the driver approached each of the players, he steps back a few steps with the words6 "Ring-ring, go out on the porch. "

At this moment, the player who received the ring must run very quickly to the driver, and the rest must hold him. If the mission of the man with the ring is completed, he becomes the leader.

Perhaps the roots of the classic game come from ancient Roman entertainment / Photo: Irina Khlebnikova, Vechernyaya Moskva

15. ZhMURKI

Variation of tags, the difference of which, as the name implies, is in the driver's closed eyes.

How to play:

Participants choose the driver by lot and blindfold him with any thick cloth. Then they spin the player on the spot and scatter.

The driver must not only catch, but also find out by touch what kind of player is in front of him. If the blind man guessed correctly, the caught participant becomes the driver.

16. FEANTY

The game, which no birthday could do before, is remembered even now, board game manufacturers release bright and unusually designed series.

Previously, players only needed a lot of cut pieces of paper, a pen and a good mood.

How to play

Each player gives the leader one personal item (hairpin, toy, stone), then all participants write any task on a piece of paper.

After that, all the notes are mixed and put, for example, in a hat, and the presenter, without looking, draws out someone's object and task. Accordingly, the task is performed by the person who owns the thing.

The tasks invented by the players can be very difficult, but do not forget that you yourself can pull out your note, and then you will not be able to get out.

17. SQUARE

How to play: The playing field is outlined by a square, divided, in turn, into four equal squares of a smaller area. A circle is drawn in the center of the field where the ball is served.

Each square contains a player.

First, one of the players throws the ball to the center. The one towards whose square the projectile rolled should start the game.

After the ball touches the player's quarter of the square, he must hit it (keep in mind that you can't hit with your hands). In this game, the more points, the worse. Points are counted when: 1). The server did not hit the opponent's field 2). The opponent failed to hit the ball in time to someone else's field.

If at least one player scored five points, the players changed "squares". If one of the players scores 20 points, the game ends. The winner is the participant who completed the game with the lowest score.

Dasha Kharlamova, a member of the Kosiki team, plays bast shoes / Photo: Pavel Volkov, Vechernyaya Moskva

18. STANDER-STOP (HALI-HOLO)

How to play:

Three people participate in the game. The driver, chosen by the counter, becomes the center of the circle formed by other players. The rest of the participants stand about 1-2 steps from the leader.

The driver throws the ball up, calling the name of any player, he must catch the ball. If he succeeded, he becomes the new driver, if not, all players must scatter in different directions. When the host shouts "Shtander!" or "Stop!" the rest of the players must freeze in one position, and the driver, returning to the center of the circle, must hit the ball into another player. If he succeeded, the one hit by the ball becomes the new leader.

There is also a variant of the game in which the leader, after all the players have frozen, chooses one participant and guesses how many steps this player is from him, and then, having taken these steps, tries to reach this player.

19. PIONEERBALL

A simplified variant of volleyball played in the courtyard, which was played both on the sports ground near the house and at physical education lessons.

How to play:

Two teams of three to eight people each participate. A net or even a rope is stretched in the center of the field.

The task of the team is to score the ball on the opponent's field so that it touches the floor/ground.

The difference from volleyball is that the ball does not have to be hit, it can also be caught. True, with the ball in his hands, the player can take only three steps, and then he must give the projectile to a teammate.

Usually the game continues until a certain score, say 25. After that, the teams change fields.

The prefecture will listen to the wishes of the resident and will build a playground where boys can play football in the summer and ice skaters in the winter / Photo: Anton Gerdo, Vechernyaya Moskva

20. "SECRETS"

Not exactly a game, but quite a "girl" entertainment, when you feel like a pirate or a sorceress. How to play? A secret place is chosen where the "secret" will be buried. The more interesting, the better. "Treasures" are placed under glass (basically, of course, these are fragments of glass bottles lying everywhere and everywhere) and covered with earth. Those who were especially responsible could even draw a map so that the “treasure” would definitely not be lost. Although most often, of course, the places of "burials" were safely forgotten or dug up by boys, whose entertainment, in turn, was to find and destroy these "secrets". In general, it is interesting how many multi-colored candy wrappers still lie in the whole land of the post-Soviet and not only space.

21. "KING OF THE MOUNTAIN"

And in this game you can demonstrate the dexterity, assertiveness, and, of course, the ambitions of a novice monarch.

How to play

One of the players climbs a small mountain of snow or sand and shouts to the other participants: “I am the king of the hill!” Then everyone else tries to deprive the "king" of his title by capturing the hill. The players are trying to push each other off the dais and get an impromptu throne.

It is better to play it with no more than ten people and under the supervision of adults, if the participants are very small and can play to such an extent that a fun duel becomes a very traumatic fun.

22. FISHER AND FISHES

This game is suitable even for the little ones. It also does not require special equipment, just any rubber band / rope that can pass for a fishing rod.

How to play:

Players stand in a circle, and the leader, “fisherman”, is in the center of the circle. The task of the "fisherman" is to spin the "fishing rod" in order to secure a catch, the goal of the "fish" is to jump over the rope. The one who is caught must leave the circle.

Children will be able to take part in sports / Photo: Natalia Nechaeva "Evening Moscow"

23. JUMBO

How to play:

The leader throws the ball in order to the participants sitting in a row, while saying any word. If the word is "Jumbo", the player must catch the ball and take the lead himself. With any other word, the players continue to catch the ball, moving to the end of the bench.

24. HOT POTATO

Another easy ball game for kids that even the little ones can play.

How to play

Participants stand in a circle and start throwing the ball to each other very quickly. The one who did not catch sits in the center of the circle on all fours.

Other players can save the "punished" by throwing the ball into the center of the circle and hitting the player they want.

It is also possible to “rescue yourself” on your own. If the person sitting in the circle, without getting up, caught the ball flying above him, all the “punished” can enter the game again, and the one who previously threw the ball sits in the circle.

In order to make the game more dynamic, the ball is often not caught, but beaten.

25. "CINDERELLA"

The name of this game with dressing up, or rather, changing shoes, of course, did not arise by chance. Indeed, with a sufficient amount of imagination, one could feel like that same Cinderella from a fairy tale, dream about a prince and believe that a fictional carriage would not become a pumpkin.

How to play:

Participants, most often girls, sat on a bench and took off one shoe at a time. All shoes were folded into one common place.

The driver turns away, pulls out a shoe and calls the name of the player who must change shoes until the shoes run out. The more participants, the more diverse the styles of shoes and the size of the legs, the more interesting. Needless to say, when boys also come into play ...

READ ALSO

Good old toys are relevant at all times

Find out what is best for children

frolic while the teacher is not looking!

Even the most diligent students are looking forward to the call from the lesson and the teacher's phrase: “The lesson is over. Write down your homework" . The second most popular phrase among schoolchildren, which is like a balm for the soul: “I'll go out for a couple of minutes. Sit quietly, mind your own business. The door is open - I can hear everything" .

 Earlier, at such moments, classmates acted according to a plan worked out to automatism:

  1. One or two sheets of paper were carefully torn out of the notebook.
  2. With lightning speed they uncovered pencil cases with pencils and pens.
  3. We began to diligently draw the playing field. And even several at once.

 Children of the 21st century have radically different interests and completely different tactics for taking an unplanned break. As soon as the teacher leaves the classroom and there are 10-15 free minutes, smartphones are immediately in the hands.

 The phone is always on alert, and it is used for games, communication via instant messengers, checking your pages on social networks, watching cool videos and pictures, getting to know new tracks by Max Korzh, Scryptonite and Tima Belorussky.

Is this correct? More likely no than yes. Scientists have long proven that the constant presence in front of the screen for children is fraught with such negative moments:

  • radiation affects up to 60-80% of brain structures;
  • the reaction to various sound and light signals slows down;
  • attention and semantic memory deteriorate by approximately 50%;
  • myopia and other vision problems occur;
  • increases fatigue, which sometimes reaches a critical point.

And yet, although not always, but often, this is a noticeable mental disorder, mood swings, biorhythm failures, insomnia. Not every parent and teacher understands that this should not be the case.

 Children's health is no joke. Leisure activities and even ten-minute breaks in study should be beneficial, not harmful. That is why the Igromag team decided to remember the old days and try to renew the children's interest in paper games.

  More than one generation grew up on them. Some games may seem ordinary and simple, but they do not become less interesting and useful.

 So, in front of you is the top ten games on the cards + bonus from Igromag : Recommendations for board games that are similar in style, gameplay, and game mechanics. Go!

Use letters and numbers


 Balda is considered a classic among the many word games for 2-4 players. What is its essence and how to play? Everything is simple here. You draw a square field on a piece of paper in a box (the more, the better), write any word in the central line, and each player in turn adds one letter, forming new words.

 The longer the word is invented, the more points fall into the piggy bank. After all, each letter in the word = 1 point. The rules say that words can be located on a horizontal or vertical straight line, and also have a zigzag shape, but only at a right angle (this is a prerequisite). Another requirement is not to repeat words, but to invent new ones.

 Even if you didn't manage to win, it doesn't matter. In any case, you won, because you further developed skills such as memory and observation, expanded your vocabulary, and showed erudition.


“Executioner” or “Gallows” is a game for two or more participants in which you need to guess the word made by one of the players. Most often, words are nouns in the singular. Squares or lines are drawn on paper for each letter, the first and last letters can be indicated. The rest must be guessed.

 According to the rules, a gallows is drawn on the sheet, where for each mistake the player adds a part of the human body (head, torso, two arms and two legs). If the word is guessed before the whole little man is in the loop, this is a victory. If the last leg is drawn, but the word remains a mystery, then defeat.

 Now you know how to play Hangman, and you have a great opportunity to spend your free time to good use. At a minimum, learn new vocabulary words that are rarely used in daily communication.


Tired of letters? We turn to the numbers and proceed to the game "Palms" on paper. The preparation will take a few minutes. Step one: each of the two players must draw a palm on a piece of paper in a box. You can improvise, but it's better to circle your own. Step two: enter numbers in the drawing area - from 1 to . .. (here, as you agree). The more chaotic the arrangement of numbers, the more difficult it is for the opponent.

 Next, you exchange prepared sheets and the game begins. One player calls a specific number, and the second quickly looks for it on his sheet. While the search process is in progress, the participant who guessed the number puts crosses in the cells around the palm. Stops only after the digit is found. After that, the turn passes to another player. The winner is the one who first fills all the free cells with crosses.

 Time flies by very quickly while playing. At the same time, it perfectly trains attention and concentration. And if the child is just starting to learn the basics of arithmetic, this is also an effective additional lesson in a playful way.

Recommendations of the Igromag team


 Continuing the theme of numbers, we recommend the deductive board game Break the Code . It is designed for 2-4 players and takes about 15 minutes. It's easy to win: it's enough to "crack" the opponent's code by asking him special questions from the cards. But answering questions does not guarantee victory. Here you need to connect intuition, and use the method of elimination, and do not forget about attentiveness.

 For a large company (from 3 to 8 people), the game "Imagination Geometry" is ideal, the purpose of which is to develop fantasy to the maximum limit. How to play? You need to make pictures from signs, patterns and diagrams, thus explaining the words. There are no words and phrases here: famous personalities, works of art, concepts from different sciences, names of musical compositions and much more.

 Another interesting card game "7 vs 9" with very simple and clear rules. From 2 to 4 participants can play it, and the process itself lasts no more than 10-15 minutes. The main task of each player is to get rid of their cards. Everything is tied to numbers, and your best assistants are: lightning-fast reaction, the ability to add and subtract as accurately as possible, and, of course, a sincere desire to win.

Time to use tactical thinking


 It is difficult to find a student (regardless of age) who has not played Tic-Tac-Toe at least once in his life. You don’t even need paper for this game: you can draw a 3x3 field with your finger on a foggy window, with chalk on a blackboard, with a branch on the sand of a sports ground. There are really many options, but the rules are one.

 Before you play Tic-Tac-Toe, you decide who puts tic-tac-toe and who puts tic-tac-toe. Then, one by one, fill in the empty cells. If you managed to make a line of three crosses or zeroes, then you won. This line can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

 To always win, you need to develop certain tactics and move correctly. The participant who makes the first move and immediately occupies the center of the field has more opportunities. You can play endlessly until you get bored.


 Tic-tac-toe for three is hardly possible, but no one forbids improving the playing field. For advanced players, there is a cross-shaped field, which is drawn on a notebook sheet in a box.

 The rules of the game are as follows: you alternately draw vertical and horizontal lines on the side faces of the cells, and as soon as a circled cell is formed as a result of your move, you put a cross or a zero in it. As a small bonus, you get the opportunity to walk again. To win, you need to capture as much space as possible.

 Such a game is not just sitting down and drawing lines. This is a manifestation of tactical skills and the ability not to make banal mistakes.


 If you are attentive, know how to quickly turn on logical thinking and easily anticipate the thoughts of other people, then the game "Dots" will definitely suit you. You just need to take a leaf in a box and draw a field of 20x20 or more on paper. Pens or felt-tip pens should be of different colors.

 Your task is to capture as many opponent's points located in the corners of the cells as possible. The points are surrounded by lines, the length of which does not exceed one cell. The lines are drawn vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

 To play as efficiently as possible, it is important to follow the basic rules: capture only other people's points; it is impossible to conduct active actions inside the environment; whoever captured the dots walks again. The final is when there is no free space left on the field. Whoever captures the most points wins.

Recommendations from the Igromaga team


  Do you like simple and quick puzzles? We recommend the game "Yotta" , the rules of which are somewhat reminiscent of the classic dominoes. There are 66 cards in the deck with different images that differ in number, shape, color. The cards are connected to each other according to the same parameters. The end of the game comes as soon as the stack of cards is not on the table and one of the participants puts the last card on the field. Number of players: two to four.

 The card game Throw, Throw Burrito can be played by two, or better by six. It lasts about 15 minutes. The point is to exchange cards and collect the same images. But the real fun begins when the Burrito card is played. The battle is accompanied by excitement and enthusiasm, so you don’t have to look for another option for a party with friends.

Fight, fight, win


 As they say, war is the biggest mistake of mankind. But "Naval battle" on paper, this does not apply. Here you need to win, sparing no effort and using the professional skills of the admiral. All military operations take place on a 10x10 square sheet. Each side has certain coordinates that help to make aimed shots.

 Before you play Sea Battle, you need to arrange the ships in a smart way. By the way, there are four types of them: 1 four-deck, 2 three-deck, 3 two-deck, 4 single-deck. Everyone knows how many ships to deliver, but not many people use really working schemes.

  Players are still arguing about the only correct strategy: how many people - so many opinions. Although there are still some classic secrets. For example, large ships are best placed in one half of the field, and single-deck ships in the other. You can also draw the ships so that they are not hit by diagonal shots. The third way is the location near the coast, that is, the central part of the field remains free. If you have your own scheme, feel free to implement it.


 Tired of sea battles? Move on to ground battles - play Tanks on paper. Take a blank A4 sheet for this and fold it in half. The left half is one playing field, the right part is the second player's field. On each part of the sheet there should be 7-10 tanks, arranged in random order.

 The game involves hitting the enemy one by one. This is done with a ballpoint pen. The correct way is to make a fat dot on your field, bend the sheet and rub it with a pen or other object so that the dot is imprinted on the field of the opposing side's armed forces. A partial hit is a wound, an exact hit is a 100% elimination of the tank. The one who first shot down the opponent's army always wins.

 Now you know how to play Tanks. It remains to develop a strategy and fight. If you want to develop tactical thinking in yourself, this is the best option.

Recommendations of the Igromaga team


Among the mass of fun party games, pay attention to the board "Lord of Tokyo" - with surprisingly simple rules. Each player is given a cardboard figure and a personal tablet. All actions occur as a result of rolling and re-rolling dice. The illustrations are made in the style of comics - bright, colorful, memorable. The table can be from 2 to 6 players, the game lasts 20-40 minutes.

 And for strategy lovers there is a cool board game "Small World" , where events take place among hills, forests, rivers and plains. Small World has simple rules: you control one of the fantasy races and capture new territories. The one with the most coins wins. From 2 to 5 participants can fight for wealth, races and territories. The average game time is 1-1.5 hours.

Exercise


 At one time, the legendary British footballer Phil Woosnam said an interesting phrase: “The rules of football are extremely simple: if the ball moves, kick it; if it doesn't move, kick it to move." But what if you love this sport, but there is no ball at hand or the opportunity to drop everything and run onto the field? You can play football on paper.

What is it and how to play it, you ask? We answer. You need to take a leaf in a box and draw a football field measuring 16 by 12 cells, placing a goal on 6 cells on each opposite side. The game starts in the center of the field. Each player takes turns "hitting the ball": draws a line on 3 sides of the cell along a straight line or along a curve (horizontally, vertically, diagonally).

 The second player starts his line where the first player's line ends. Lines cannot be crossed. If you have nowhere to go, get ready for a free kick: this is a straight line of 6 cells, for which there are no barriers. The aim of the game is obvious - to score a goal.


 Another game that develops both quick thinking and competitive spirit is Snake on paper. Make a square playing field measuring 7 by 7 cells. Draw two adjacent sides in one color, and the other two sides in a different color. To do this, you can use colored ballpoint pens, pencils or felt-tip pens.

 Game process consists of several stages. First, you need to put one point of your color in random places. Secondly, start drawing one-cell lines in turn. Thirdly, the line should turn out to be solid, broken, but not crossing the opponent's line. You can't move diagonally.

 The player who has nowhere else to go loses, and he ends up in a dead end. It is advisable to think over the snake's route in advance in order to capture more free space and harm the opponent.

Recommendations of the Igromag team


Have you decided to organize a real sports competition in a large company (up to 10 people)? Just put the game "UNO" on the table and several hours of fun and exciting leisure are guaranteed. Usually, there are no difficulties with the rules of the UNO game. At the start, each player receives 7 cards in his hand and tries to get rid of them as quickly as possible. You need to throw out cards by face value or by color. If there are no similarities, the deck will help you. Also in the game you will find surprises. How many cards are in the classic version? 108. What are the varieties of the game? "Kids", "Zoo", "h3O", "Junior", "Deluxe" and others.

There is another similar card game for the whole family - "Phase 10" . It suits lovers of abstract desktops perfectly. If in UNO you need to quickly discard all the cards, then here your goal is to get rid of unnecessary cards and collect the ones you need. You will have to go through 10 phases, collecting the correct combinations and earning a minimum of penalty points. The rules of the game "Phase 10" say that you can collect cards by numbers, color, face value. There are bonuses in the deck, and you will find out which ones at the gaming table.

 This concludes our story about exciting paper games and no less interesting board games.

Learn more