š£ Eggs-tra Fun with Word Building and Language Games!
Donāt pack away those plastic eggs just yet!
This simple DIY activity turns leftover eggs into hands-on word puzzlesāand silly language games that keep kids learning while they laugh.
As you explore the activities below, notice how many different areas of language are being reinforcedāphonology, morphology, syntax, and vocabularyāall integrated in a fun and meaningful way.
šļø What Youāll Find Below:
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š„ Turn plastic eggs into simple word puzzles
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š Two silly games for acting, storytelling, and wordplay
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š§ Bonus: Tips for building in writing, suffix rules, and vocabulary!
š„ Egg Puzzles
Is your childāor your studentsāready to experience the thrill of cracking the code in two-syllable words?
Hereās how to get started:
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Set Up: Write one syllable or word part on each half of a plastic egg. Continue working on the same egg until you have 5 or 6 words matched up on the eggs. Twist the egg so that the parts don’t match.
For word ideas, scroll down to “What to Write on the Egg Halves.”
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The Challenge: Twist the eggs until the parts match to form a real word.
š” Only use word parts and patterns the children have already been taught. This is a reinforcement activityānot a time to introduce new concepts.
š”After making the word parts match to make real words
Ask thought-provoking questions like, “Could an ant be a giĀ·ant?” and “What would a siĀ·lent roĀ·bot do?”
- Challenge each other to “Find a word on the egg that_____”
-is something that crawls. (spiĀ·der)
š Keep the Fun Going with Sentence and Storytelling Games!
Once the egg puzzles are solved, put all the eggs in a basket.
š„ Crack Me Up: Egg-streme Sentence Challenge
Pick three eggs. (or two for an easier version, four for a harder version – Adjust as necessary. The # depends on the language skills of the players)
Choose one word from each of the three matched eggs.
Make up the silliest sentence you can using all three words. Repeat the sentence.
Player 2 has to repeat your sentence while acting it out.
Take turns and see who can come up with eggs-traordinary sentences and performances.
š„ Crack-Up Story Chain
Take turns drawing a matched egg from the basket.
Choose one of the words on the egg and use it to add a sentence to a silly group story.
The next person draws a new egg and keeps the story going.
How will your egg-venture unfold?
š Puzzle Making: What to Write on the Egg Halves
š¤ Open & Closed Syllables
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Examples: foĀ·cus, siĀ·lent, baĀ·sic, roĀ·bot, ceĀ·ment, uĀ·nit, giĀ·ant, muĀ·sic
š§ Tip: Words like ceĀ·ment and giĀ·ant include soft ācā (/s/) and soft āgā (/j/). Use only if your students are already familiar with these phonics patterns.
š Open & Bossy R Syllables/-er endings
Examples: suĀ·per, feĀ·ver, spiĀ·der, caĀ·per, oĀ·ver, fiĀ·ber, laĀ·ser
š£ļø Bonus: Point out that in laĀ·ser, the āsā makes a /z/ sound.
Ask students to find words on the egg:
Which word has with multiple meanings?
Which word is something that crawls?
š« Twin Consonants + Y Words
Examples:hapĀ·py, silĀ·ly, funĀ·ny, dadĀ·dy, momĀ·my, kitĀ·ty
š§ Affix Fun (Prefixes & Suffixes)
Prefixes:
Examples: reĀ·mix, unĀ·kind, misĀ·spell, reĀ·make, unĀ·do, misĀ·read, unĀ·pack, reĀ·take, misĀ·treat
Suffixes:
Examples: safeĀ·ly, paveĀ·ment, sadĀ·ness
š„ Eggs-tra Challenge:
Use suffix words that apply spelling rulesābut only if your student has been explicitly taught the rule.Examples:
happy + ness ā Match the egg halves and explain it should be spelled happiness (change y to i)
run + erā ” runner (double the consonant)
time + ing ā ” timĀ·ing (drop the e)
š Check Back Often for New Twists!
Weāll keep adding fresh ways to play and learn with egg puzzles. Bookmark this page for updates!