Fall is the perfect time to explore all things pumpkin-related, and what better way to do so than with a fun and educational activity for your preschoolers? This Pumpkin Word Families is a free printable literacy activity that will help your little ones develop their early reading skills while having a blast with pumpkins!
Word families are groups of words that have a common pattern or ending sound. Teaching word families is an effective way to help children recognize and read words fluently. And what better time to learn about word families than during the Fall season, when pumpkins are everywhere?
Pumpkin Word Families Activity
To get started with this activity, you’ll need to gather a few supplies. First, print out the Pumpkin Word Families printable (download below). Next, you’ll need a pair of scissors and some glue or tape to secure the word family leaves on the pumpkins.
This activity helps students identify and analyze different rhyming word families.
Once you have the pumpkins cut out and sorted, it’s time to play! Have your child pick one of the word family leaves, such as -at, -it, or -en. Then, encourage your child to find as many pumpkin words as they can think of that belong to that word family. For example, if they chose the -at word family, they could say “cat,” “bat,” “hat,” and “mat.”
Take it to the Next Level
To make this activity even more engaging, you can incorporate real pumpkins into the mix. Carve or draw faces on several small pumpkins and write different word families on each one.
Scatter the pumpkins around the room or outdoor space and have your child go on a pumpkin word family hunt! As they find each pumpkin, challenge them to come up with words that belong to that particular word family.
This activity is not only a great way to practice word families, but it also helps develop phonological awareness, letter-sound recognition, and vocabulary skills. Plus, it’s lots of fun!
Remember, the key to successful learning at this age is to keep things playful and hands-on. Incorporating seasonal themes, such as pumpkins in this case, adds excitement and makes the learning experience even more enjoyable for young children.
So, this Fall, as you embrace the pumpkin craze, take some time to engage your preschooler in the world of word families. With the Pumpkin Word Families printable and a few pumpkins of your own, you’ll be providing a fun and educational activity that will help set the stage for their reading journey.