Letter Cube Fun: Freebie Language Arts Game

I love to use foam blocks for all sorts of language arts fun. Most recently, I created a game that my students adore. I call it letter cubes. Here are the steps, so you can create it too. Colorful letter cubes spelling words in a hands-on language arts game, showcasing Letter Cube Fun freebie for building spelling, phonics, and word skills

Colorful letter cubes spelling words in a hands-on language arts game, showcasing Letter Cube Fun freebie for building spelling, phonics, and word skills

Colorful letter cubes scattered on a table, used for a hands-on phonics and spelling activity that builds word formation and language arts skills

You can purchase colorful foam cubes on Amazon for a very reasonable price. I included a link at the bottom of the post.
Select 12 cubes. I line the cubes up in a row and write all the vowels in capital letters (including "y") on each cube two times, making sure not to place the same vowel on a single cube more than once. Then I add the consonants as suggested below.
I assign the point value on the bottom right-hand corner. This will also help the players to orient the letters. For example, the letter P will look like the letter d when it is upside-down, but as long as the number indicating the point value is in the bottom right-hand corner, players can recognize that they need to rotate the letter to the proper orientation. Also, using capital letters helps with letter confusion.
Other items needed to play: a timer and a set of 12 colored cubes with the letters and point values for each player.
To Play:

Letter frequency and point value chart showing how often each letter appears and its scoring value, used for educational word games and language arts activities

Each player rolls their set of 12 colored cubes onto their playing area (they can not change the orientation of the cubes, but must use the letters rolled.
Set and begin the timer for 2-5 minutes. You can decide the amount of time you like.
Words must crisscross like a Scrabble game, and players must try to use as many cubes as they can.
When the timer goes off, the play ends, and players add up their points.
Bonuses as granted as follows:
- 4 points for a 6-letter word
- 5 points for a 7-letter word
- 6 points for an 8-letter word

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.