Word Scramble

Equipment list

  • Letter bean bags or tiles

Explanation

This energetic, team-based literacy activity combines movement with word-building skills. Place all letter bean bags in a central pile. Divide students into teams of 4–5, stationed in different corners or spots around the room.

Each team receives the same word to spell using the bean bags. One team member at a time can collect a letter, but pairs may walk together to encourage collaboration. After teams form the correct word, the class spells it aloud together—adding a fun physical action for each letter (e.g., jump while spelling “J-U-M-P”).

Variations

  • Sound It Out: Ask students to find a bean bag with a letter that makes a specific sound (e.g., “Find the letter that says ‘ssss’”).

  • Letter Hunt: Call out letters, then have students collect and form a "mystery word" as a team.

  • Word Change: Begin with a simple word (e.g., “tan”), then ask students to swap one letter to make a new word (e.g., “man”).

  • Story Time: After building words, teams use their words to create short, imaginative stories and share them aloud.

Participant feedback:

Although the activity was introduced as non-competitive, students naturally turned it into a playful race—running to grab letters with enthusiasm. This added unexpected energy and engagement, but teachers may wish to set boundaries based on the space and class dynamics.

ASK ID 2025-03-18-007-E

Grade 1 - 2Gasta DesignEnglish Language Arts