5 phonics games for car rides and queues

1. I spy with sounds

“I spy something that starts with mmm.” Sounds, not letter names — that's the whole trick.

2. Robot talk

Say a word like a robot — “c…a…t” — and let your child blend it back into a word. Swap roles; children love being the robot.

3. Rhyme tennis

You say bat, they say mat, back and forth until someone runs out. Nonsense words absolutely count.

4. Sound counting

How many sounds in ship? (Three — sh-i-p.) Fingers up for each one.

5. Last sound, first sound

Chain words where the next must start with the last sound of the previous: bus → sun → net.