Kids love to play with words. And that’s a good thing—because rhyming helps them become better readers.
Rhyming activities for kindergarten help children recognize patterns in language, setting the base for reading and spelling skills they’ll use throughout life. This builds a strong base for reading and writing, which is why rhyming activities for kindergarten are such a big part of early learning.
In this blog, you’ll find simple rhyming activities for kindergarten that you can easily incorporate into daily routines. These fun, simple games and songs make learning feel like play.
These activities will help your little learners build essential skills while having a blast.
Why Rhyming Activities are Good for Kindergarten Students
Rhyming activities help kindergarten students learn important reading skills in fun ways. When children play with rhyming words, they start to hear the smaller sounds that make up words. This helps them when they begin to read.
Rhyming teaches kids about letter sounds (phonics), which is the building block of reading. Children learn that changing just one sound can create a new word, like “cat” to “hat” or “dog” to “log.” These activities also help children learn new words they might not know. A child who knows “star” might learn “jar” and “far”.
Rhyming is easy for kids to remember because it has a rhythm that sticks in their minds. This helps them remember new words and concepts better. When children do rhyming activities together, they also practice working with others and taking turns. This builds their social skills while they learn.
The skills children gain from rhyming—hearing sounds, learning new words, and thinking about language, all help them become better readers as they grow.
Rhyming Activities for Kindergarten
Here are some fun and simple rhyming activities for kindergarten that help kids build early reading skills while having a great time. These easy ideas help young children hear, match, and enjoy word sounds—building the early reading skills they need.
Interactive Rhyming Games
1. Rhyming Bingo
Create bingo cards with pictures instead of words. The teacher calls out a word, and students place markers on pictures that rhyme with that word. For example, if the teacher says “cat,” students might mark photos of a hat, bat, or rat on their cards.
Create 5×5 bingo cards with different pictures. Use simple objects with single-syllable names that have many rhyming possibilities. Provide each student with a card and markers. The first student to get five in a row calls “Bingo!” and reads back their rhyming words to verify their win.
This activity can be adapted for different skill levels by using easier or more challenging word families.
2. Echo Rhyming Game
In this activity, the teacher says a word, and students respond with a rhyming word. Start with simple words like “cat” or “ball” and have children take turns offering rhymes. This activity works well as a quick transition between other classroom activities.
To extend this game, you can create movements to go with it. For example, the teacher tosses an imaginary ball to a student while saying a word. The student “catches” the ball and tosses it back with a rhyming word. This adds a kinesthetic element that helps engage more active learners.
This challenges students to listen carefully and think creatively when common rhymes have already been used.
3. Rhyming Word Cards
Create sets of cards with pictures representing rhyming words. Students sort through the cards to find matching rhyme pairs or groups. These cards can be used independently at a learning center or as a small group activity.
To make this more engaging, you can create themed sets, such as animals, food items, or things found at school.
For assessment purposes, have children explain why they grouped certain cards, encouraging them to share the sounds they recognize.
4. Rhyme Ring
Thread laminated picture cards onto a metal ring. Children flip through the cards and find the ones that rhyme with a target word.
Make multiple rings with different difficulty levels. Beginning rings might focus on just one word family (like -at words), while more advanced rings could include multiple rhyming patterns.
To extend the learning, have students use the rhyming words they find to create simple sentences or short stories, helping them connect rhyming practice to broader language use.
5. Find the Rhyme
Hide pictures around the classroom representing words that rhyme with a target word. Children search for and collect all the rhyming pictures. For example, if the target word is “bee,” children might find pictures of a tree, knee, and key.
Make this more challenging by including some “distractor” pictures that don’t rhyme with the target word. Students must be discerning about which pictures to collect.
After the hunt, gather as a group to verify the rhyming words and discuss any challenging examples. This reinforces the concept and allows for immediate feedback on students’ understanding.
6. Fruit Salad Rhyming Words Game
Based on the classic “Fruit Salad” game, children sit in a circle and are each assigned a rhyming word. When their rhyme family is called, they must switch seats. When “Fruit Salad” is called, everyone switches.
Prepare word cards from 3-4 different rhyme families (such as—op, -ing,—ake, and—un words). Distribute them to students and have them practice saying their words. The teacher calls out a rhyme pattern (“I’m looking for words that sound like hop!”), and all children with—op words must find a new seat.
This game combines physical movement with phonological awareness, making it perfect for kinesthetic learners. It also builds listening skills as children must pay attention to recognize when their rhyme family is called.
7. Rhyming Word Ladders
Draw a ladder on the board or use a physical ladder. Start with a word at the bottom and have children take turns adding rhyming words as they “climb” the ladder. This visual representation helps children track how many rhyming words they can generate.
Create a large display ladder on bulletin board paper and add construction paper “rungs” with each new rhyming word.
Set class challenges: “Can we reach 10 rhyming words for ‘day’?” or “Can we fill our ladder with -ug words by Friday?” This creates a collaborative goal that motivates continued practice.
8. Sticky Note Rhyming
Write a different word on each sticky note. Place them around the room and give children a word. They must find and collect all the sticky notes with words that rhyme with their target word. This scavenger hunt style activity combines movement with rhyme identification.
For pre-readers, use picture sticky notes instead of written words. For emerging readers, include both the picture and the word to provide visual cues for students who need additional support.
After collecting their rhyming words, have students create a “rhyme cluster” by arranging their sticky notes around their target word on a piece of construction paper. These can be displayed to showcase the various rhyme families explored.
9. Rhyming Word Match-Up
Create a set of matching cards where students need to pair pictures of rhyming words. For example, a picture of a cat would match with a hat.
To make the game self-checking, put matching symbols or patterns on the backs of rhyming pairs. For younger or beginning students, start with just a few pairs, and gradually increase the number of cards as they become more proficient.
For collaborative play, have students work in pairs to find matches, encouraging them to discuss why words rhyme as they play. This promotes verbal articulation of the phonological patterns they’re recognizing.
10. Rhyming Dust Bunnies
Inspired by the book “Rhyming Dust Bunnies” by Jan Thomas, create dust bunny puppets or characters. Each dust bunny says a word, and the last one must say a word that rhymes. Children can take turns being the dust bunnies.
After reading the book, make simple dust bunny puppets from pom-poms, googly eyes, and craft sticks. Assign four children to be dust bunnies while the rest of the class evaluates whether their rhymes are correct.
This activity works well as a daily warm-up or closing routine.
11. Rhyming Pairs Flip Book
Create simple flip books in which changing the first letter creates a new rhyming word.
For example, the left page might show different consonants (c, h, b, m) while the right page shows “-at.” Children flip the pages to create and read cat, hat, bat, and mat.
Create class sets focused on common word families, or have students create their own personalized flip books with rhymes they’ve mastered. Encourage children to draw each rhyming word to reinforce meaning alongside the phonological practice.
12. Rhyming Crown Game
Children take turns being “crowned” with a simple paper crown. The crowned child chooses a word, and classmates must think of rhyming words. Each correct rhyme earns a jewel (sticker) for the crown.
Create a special “Rhyming Royalty” crown from construction paper decorated with rhinestones or glitter.
The crowned student sits in a special chair while classmates offer rhyming words. Set a timer for one minute to see how many rhymes the class can generate.
Keep track of the number of rhymes found for each target word on a class chart.
Movement-Based Rhyming Activities
13. Exercise, Rhyme & Freeze
Children dance while music plays, then freeze when it stops. The teacher calls out a word like “hop,” and students must provide a rhyming word like “top” to unfreeze themselves.
This activity combines physical movement with thinking skills as children quickly generate rhymes under pressure.
For added fun, let children who provide unique rhymes choose the next movement or target word. Keep a list of used rhymes visible to encourage students to think of new options rather than repeating what classmates have already said.
14. Rhyming Dance Party
Create a playlist of songs with obvious rhyming lyrics. Periodically pause the music and ask children to identify the rhyming words they just heard.
Students can use dance moves to represent rhyming pairs—perhaps touching their nose for “rose” and wiggling their toes for “toes.”
This multisensory approach connects rhythm, movement, and rhyming patterns. After listening to several songs, create a chart of all the rhyming pairs discovered, giving children a visual reference for the patterns they’re learning.
15. What Word Doesn’t Belong?
Present groups of three or four words where all but one rhyme, such as “cat, hat, dog, bat.” Children identify the non-rhyming word and explain their reasoning. Use actual objects or pictures for visual learners.
Increase difficulty by including words with similar but not identical ending sounds.
This activity develops critical thinking alongside phonological awareness as children must listen carefully to each word and compare sound patterns to identify the outlier.
16. Rhyme Relay Race
Divide the class into teams. The first child selects a picture card (e.g., “cat”), runs back to their team, and the next child must find a rhyming picture (e.g., “hat”) from a bucket across the room.
Teams earn points for each correct rhyming match. Color-code cards from different rhyme families to simplify verification.
To include writing practice, have teams record their rhyming words on a shared list after each successful match, connecting spoken rhymes to written words.
17. Pass the Rhyme
Children sit in a circle, passing a ball or stuffed animal. The first child says a word, and the next must say a rhyming word before passing the object. If someone can’t think of a rhyme, the group helps, and a new word is chosen.
Use a 15-second timer to keep the game moving quickly.
For visual support, display picture cards of common objects as inspiration when children get stuck, helping to bridge the gap for students still developing rhyming fluency.
18. Musical Rhymes
Arrange chairs in a circle with picture cards placed on each seat. Children walk around while music plays. When the music stops, they sit down, name their picture, and must provide a rhyming word.
Unlike traditional musical chairs, ensure there’s a chair for every child—the challenge comes from generating rhymes, not from being left out.
After several rounds, sort all the pictures into rhyme families on a class chart, visually organizing the patterns children practiced through play.
19. Jump and Rhyme
Place hula hoops on the floor, each containing a picture card. Children jump from hoop to hoop, naming each picture and providing a rhyming word before moving to the next hoop.
Create themed pathways for different word families—one path might focus on -ug words (bug, rug, mug), while another features -ake words (cake, rake, lake).
Take this activity outdoors using sidewalk chalk circles for a refreshing change of environment with larger movement opportunities.
20. Rhyming Obstacle Course
Set up stations where children encounter different rhyming challenges throughout an obstacle course. For example: crawl under a table and name words rhyming with “light,” hop through hoops while generating rhymes for “jump.”
Each station includes a visual cue of the target word and a physical action. Create a recording sheet where children check off completed stations.
This multisensory experience combines gross motor development with phonological awareness practice, perfect for active kindergartners who learn best through movement.
Printable and Visual Rhyming Resources
21. Rhyming Word Cards (Printable)
Create a set of colorful printable cards featuring pictures of objects that rhyme. Each card includes the word printed clearly below the image for early reading practice.
Organize these into different rhyme families with color-coded borders for easy sorting. Teachers can use these versatile cards for numerous activities, such as matching games, flashcard practice, or scavenger hunts.
These cards become a valuable classroom resource that can be used throughout the year for independent practice, small group work, or whole-class games.
22. Rhyming Match-Up Mats
Design printable mats with a central picture and empty boxes around it for matching rhymes. For example, a mat with a “cat” in the center would have spaces for children to place pictures of a hat, bat, rat, etc.
Include self-checking features like matching patterns on the backs of cards that belong together. These mats work well at literacy centers where children can work independently or in pairs.
To differentiate instruction, create mats of varying difficulty levels, some featuring common rhyme patterns and others including more challenging word families.
23. Rhyming Word Posters
Develop a series of illustrated posters featuring common rhyme families. Each poster showcases a central word (like “cake”) surrounded by pictures of rhyming words (bake, lake, rake, snake).
Display these posters at child-eye level for easy reference during writing and reading activities. Use consistent visual cues—perhaps all -ake words have a blue border, while all -an words have a green border.
These posters serve as visual anchors for phonological patterns and support emergent writers who are beginning to notice spelling patterns in rhyming words.
24. Rhyme Time Memory Game
Create a printable memory game with pairs of rhyming pictures. Place cards face-down, and children take turns flipping two cards to find rhyming matches.
This classic game format reinforces rhyming skills while developing memory and concentration. To keep the game challenging, include a variety of rhyming patterns.
For beginning rhymers, start with just a few pairs from the same word family. As children’s skills develop, add more pairs and diverse rhyme patterns. This game works equally well for home practice or classroom use.
25. Sticky Note Rhyming
Prepare printable templates where children attach sticky notes with rhyming words. The template might show a picture of a “cat” with empty sticky note outlines around it.
Children write or draw rhyming words on sticky notes and place them in the outlines. For pre-writers, provide picture stickers of rhyming objects instead.
This interactive activity combines fine motor practice with phonological awareness. Create templates for different word families, allowing children to build an extensive collection of rhyming sets that can be displayed on a “Rhyme Time” wall.
26. Rhyming Picture Sorting
Develop printable sorting mats with columns headed by key pictures representing different rhyme families. Children sort picture cards into columns based on their rhyming patterns.
For example, cards might be sorted under headers showing a cat (-at words), dog (-og words), and ring (-ing words). Include a recording sheet where children can draw or write the words they sorted, reinforcing the connection between oral and written language.
This activity helps children recognize patterns across multiple words and builds categorization skills alongside phonological awareness.
27. Rhyming Coloring Sheets
Design coloring pages where children identify and color rhyming pairs using a color key. For instance, “Color all pictures that rhyme with ‘bear’ brown and all pictures that rhyme with ‘bike’ green.”
These sheets combine art with rhyming practice in a calm, focused activity. To differentiate instruction, they include a mix of obvious and challenging rhymes.
On the back of each sheet, provide space for children to write or dictate sentences using the rhyming words they identified, extending the learning beyond simple identification to contextual language use.
28. Printable Rhyming Charts
Create reference charts showing common word families with corresponding pictures. Each chart focuses on a specific word ending pattern (like -ack or -ell) with clear images representing words that share that pattern.
These charts serve as valuable resources during writing workshop when children are sounding out words. Make mini versions for children’s writing folders or word walls.
Include blank spaces where children can add new rhyming words they discover in their reading, encouraging them to notice and collect rhyming patterns throughout their experiences actively.
Story-Based Rhyming Activities
29. Rhyming Read-Alouds
Transform storytime with books that feature strong rhyming patterns like “Hop on Pop” or “Room on the Broom.” Before turning each page, pause and let children predict the upcoming rhyming word based on the pattern and context.
Use different voices for different rhyming words to highlight sound patterns. After reading, create a list of rhyming pairs discovered in the story. Extend the learning by having children draw their favorite rhyming pair from the book and label their drawings.
This activity connects reading comprehension with phonological awareness while building a love for language through engaging stories.
30. Nursery Rhyme Play
Add movement and props to breathe new life into traditional nursery rhymes. As children recite “Jack and Jill,” they can pretend to climb and tumble down.
Create simple headbands with character names for role-playing as children recite rhymes. After several readings, challenge children to identify all the rhyming pairs in the nursery rhyme.
Create a class book in which each page features a different nursery rhyme with highlighted rhyming words and student illustrations. This will create a treasured classroom resource that reinforces cultural literacy and phonological awareness.
31. Rhyme-Based Puppet Show
Create simple stick puppets representing characters from rhyming stories or poems. Children use these puppets to retell familiar rhyming tales or create their own rhyming adventures. The physical manipulation of puppets helps children focus on the language patterns as they speak.
Work as a class to write a simple rhyming script starring their favorite characters.
For added engagement, record these puppet shows and create a class “Rhyming Theater” collection that children can watch during center time, reinforcing rhyming patterns through repeated, enjoyable exposure.
32. Humpty Dumpty Literacy Activities
Use this classic nursery rhyme as a springboard for multiple rhyming activities. After reciting the rhyme, brainstorm words that rhyme with “wall” and “fall.” Create paper Humpty Dumpty crafts where children write rhyming words on each piece of his broken shell.
Extend the learning by challenging children to create new versions of the rhyme by substituting rhyming words: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a chair, Humpty Dumpty fell in the air.”
This playful adaptation of a familiar text reinforces how rhyming patterns work within the structure of verse.
33. Rhyming Stories Craft
After reading a rhyming story, children create simple paper crafts representing rhyming pairs from the text. For “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” they might make bear and chair puppets with popsicle sticks. Label each craft with the written word to reinforce print awareness.
Display these crafts on a “Rhyming Wall” grouped by rhyme families. Use these student-created props for retelling activities or for inspiring new rhyming pairs.
This hands-on approach connects literature, art, and phonological awareness while creating concrete representations of abstract sound patterns.
34. Rhyming Riddle Time
Create simple riddles that end with a rhyming clue: “I’m thinking of something that rhymes with ‘tree’ and you can find it swimming in the sea.” (fish) Children solve the riddles by identifying the rhyming relationship and using context clues.
Start with easier riddles where the answer rhymes with a key word, then progress to more complex forms. Encourage children to create their own rhyming riddles to share with classmates.
This activity develops critical thinking alongside phonological awareness as children must process multiple linguistic clues simultaneously.
35. “Down By The Bay” Song Activity
Teach this classic song with its repeating rhyme structure: “Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow, back to my home, I dare not go.
For if I do, my mother will say: ‘Did you ever see a bear combing his hair down by the bay?'” After learning the traditional verses, create new class versions with children suggesting silly rhyming scenarios.
Illustrate these new verses on chart paper. Record the class singing their custom version and make it available during listening center time.
This musical approach takes advantage of the powerful connection between rhythm, melody, and phonological awareness.
Rhyming Challenges and Puzzles
36. Rhyming Word Search
Create simplified word searches specifically designed for kindergarten students using picture clues instead of written word lists.
Each row or column contains a set of rhyming words hidden among random letters. For example, children might search for “cat,” “hat,” and “bat” with small pictures of these items in the margin as reference.
To make the activity accessible for young learners, use larger fonts and fewer words than traditional searches. When children find a word, they can circle it with a colored pencil and draw a line connecting it to its picture clue, reinforcing the connection between the written word and its meaning.
37. Rhyming Crossword Puzzle
Develop kindergarten-friendly crossword puzzles where all answers rhyme with a central focus word. Instead of written clues, use simple pictures that represent each rhyming word.
For instance, if the central word is “cat,” pictures might include a hat, bat, and rat. Keep the grid small (perhaps 5×5) with large squares for emerging writers. Include letter hints in some squares to provide scaffolding.
After completing the puzzle, children can color the pictures and practice reading the rhyming words they’ve written, creating a multisensory learning experience that connects visual clues with phonological patterns.
38. Rhyming Word Scramble
Present children with sets of scrambled letters that can be rearranged to form rhyming words. Include picture clues to guide students toward the correct solutions.
For example, show pictures of a cat, hat, and bat alongside the scrambled letters “tac,” “tah,” and “atb.” Use magnetic letters, letter tiles, or printable letter cards that children can physically manipulate. Once students unscramble each word, they sort them into rhyming families on a simple chart.
This activity builds letter recognition and spelling pattern awareness while reinforcing the concept that rhyming words often share spelling patterns.
39. Rhyming Bingo Board Challenge
Take the classic Rhyming Bingo activity to the next level by having children create their own bingo boards. Provide a master list of pictures representing words from different rhyme families.
Children select and arrange these pictures on their personal bingo grid. This creation process requires children to think carefully about rhyming relationships before playing begins.
During gameplay, the teacher calls out words, and children mark pictures that rhyme with each called word. This personalized approach increases engagement and gives children ownership of their learning while providing teachers insight into each student’s understanding of rhyme patterns.
40. Rhyming Mystery Box
Fill a decorated box with pairs of small objects or toys that rhyme, such as a block and sock, key and bee, or car and star.
During circle time, one child reaches into the box without looking and selects an object. They then reach in again to find the rhyming match. If successful, they explain how the words rhyme; if not, they return both items and try again.
Keep a chart tracking which rhyming pairs have been discovered. This tactile guessing game adds an element of suspense and encourages children to mentally review potential rhyming matches before selecting items, developing their ability to generate rhymes independently.
41. Rhyming Riddle Cards
Create a set of illustrated riddle cards where the answer is a rhyming word. Each card features a simple riddle like, “I rhyme with ‘cake’ and I’m a body of water” (lake). On the reverse side, include the answer with a picture.
These cards work well as a transition activity or quick brain break between lessons. Store them in a special “Riddle Box” that children can access during free choice time. Encourage students to create their own rhyming riddles to add to the collection.
This activity develops critical thinking skills alongside phonological awareness as children learn to generate and recognize rhyming patterns in an engaging, puzzle-based format.
Sensory and Hands-On Rhyming Activities
42. Rhyming Sand Tray Writing
Transform phonological awareness into a tactile experience with sand tray writing for rhyming words. Fill shallow trays with colored sand, salt, or sugar. After identifying rhyming pairs (like “cat” and “hat”), children trace each word in the sand with their fingers.
This multisensory approach connects the auditory pattern of rhymes with physical movement and visual representation. Add picture cards for each rhyming word as a reference. Children can smooth the sand to “erase” and write new rhyming words.
This activity is especially effective for kinesthetic learners who benefit from physical engagement with language concepts and provides a calming sensory experience while reinforcing phonological awareness.
43. Playdough Rhyming Fun
Use playdough to create objects that rhyme, bringing abstract sound patterns into the physical world. Start by showing children a model object like a small playdough “cat” and challenge them to create something that rhymes, like a “hat” or “bat.”
Provide picture cards for inspiration if needed. Once children have created several objects, arrange them in rhyming pairs on a mat. Label each creation with word cards.
This hands-on activity engages fine motor skills while reinforcing phonological awareness concepts. For added challenge, have children create items from specific rhyme families, sorting their creations into -at, -an, or op groups.
44. Water Sensory Rhyme Matching
Create a water table activity where children fish for rhyming pairs. Laminate picture cards of rhyming words and attach them to floating objects or waterproof containers. Children use nets or tongs to collect items, identifying rhyming pairs as they fish.
Add waterproof markers so children can write the rhyming words on a recording sheet after finding matches.
This refreshing sensory activity combines fine motor practice with phonological awareness in an engaging format that feels like play. For added educational value, color-code items from the same rhyme family to provide visual reinforcement of sound patterns.
45. Interactive Rhyming Tray with Objects
Prepare a themed sensory tray filled with small objects that form rhyming pairs. For example, a farm-themed tray might contain a toy hen and pen, a pig and a twig, a goat and a boat. Children sort through the items to discover and match rhyming pairs.
Provide a sectioned container where completed pairs can be placed together. Have children verbalize the rhyming relationship: “Hen and pen rhyme because they both end with the /en/ sound.”
This concrete, object-based approach makes rhyming tangible for young learners. Create different themed trays throughout the year to maintain interest while reinforcing the same phonological patterns.
Conclusion
Rhyming activities for kindergarten help turn early reading skills into a fun, playful experience.
When kids play with rhymes, they’re actually practicing important skills like listening, recognizing patterns, and understanding how words work.
With so many easy and hands-on options, it’s simple to fit rhyming into everyday routines at home or in the classroom. These activities make learning exciting.
Try a few of these activities and see how much your child enjoys them!
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