Compound Word Smash Game

Index cards or cut paper (20 pieces)

Marker or pen for writing words

Write 20 words on cards that form compound word pairs: sun/flower, rain/bow, cup/cake, snow/ball, etc.

Spread all cards face-up.

Explain: "Smash two words together to make one new word. SUN + FLOWER = SUNFLOWER!"

Physically push cards together — the motion is the fun part.

Challenge: "Find two words that smash together!"

Smash and say each compound word together.

Count total pairs found. Aim for all 10.

Bonus: think of compound words not in the set.

Compound words teach a powerful reading concept: words are made of smaller parts. This morphological awareness helps children decode unfamiliar long words by breaking them into recognizable chunks.

The physical "smash" isn't just fun — it creates a kinesthetic memory of how two words combine. When your child encounters "butterfly" in a book, they'll mentally see those two cards smashing together.

Start with transparent compounds where both words relate to the meaning (sunflower, rainbow, cupcake). Later, introduce less obvious ones (butterfly, deadline, nightmare).

Once kids understand the concept, they'll start spotting compound words everywhere: in books, on signs, in conversation. That word awareness is valuable.

Make it competitive: spread all cards face-down and play memory-style — flip two cards and see if they make a compound word.