Big V is a tricky letter for little learners. It looks a lot like W, and it is easy to mix up with A, U, Y and X too. Little v is even sneakier: little y and little w look almost the same. The Letter V Game turns all that practice into a bouncy road trip, so spotting V feels like play.
Meet Penny and her old-school camper van! Kids ride along a hilly storybook village road, past cottages, vines and a windmill. At every stop, three balloons float over the road. Only one shows the right V.
Tap the right balloon and a ramp springs up. Hold the big green GO button, and the van zooms up the ramp, does a full backflip and pops the balloon. At the end of each round the van rolls into the village garage and comes out upgraded: a flame van, a rainbow rocket van, and then a shiny golden van!
How to Play the Letter V Game
- Listen to Penny. She reads every direction out loud, so even pre-readers can play.
- Look at the three balloons at the stop. Round 1 shows big letters, Round 2 shows little letters, and Round 3 shows pictures.
- Tap the balloon with the V. A wrong pick just floats away with a boing, and Penny gives a quick shape tip. There are no lives and no timer.
- After a right pick, press and hold the green GO button. The van drives up the ramp, flips and pops the balloon. Keep holding GO to drive on to the next stop.
- Find 4 V’s in each round to fill the balloon row. Grab the turbo star for nitro flames, and look out for the gold balloon and the silly chicken!
- Chase the milestones: 3 in a Row!, 5 in a Row!, 10 in a Row!, High Score! and Perfect Game! The game ends with a star score.
What Kids Learn
The Letter V Game practices letter recognition: knowing the big and little forms of the letter V and linking the letter to words that start with it (Common Core RF.K.1d: recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet).
- Big V is two straight lines that meet in one point at the bottom. It is not W (two points), A (point at the top), U (round at the bottom) or Y (lines meet in the middle, then a tail).
- Little v is the same shape, small, with its point sitting on the line. Little y has a tail that hangs down below the line, and little w has two points.
- Van, violin, vase, vest and volcano all start with the letter V. Sun, ball, cat and fish do not.
- Every answer is named out loud (“Violin! Violin starts with the letter V.”), so kids hear the word and see the letter together.
Try this at home or in class: Make a big V with two fingers, then with two arms over your head. Go on a “V hunt” and find three things that start with V (a vest, a vase, a violin picture, a van on the road). Mini-quiz for kids: Which one has just ONE point at the bottom, V or W?
More Practice with the Letter V
- Letter V Song (animated music video)
- Letter V Tracing Worksheet
- Letter V Handwriting Practice Worksheet
- Letter U Game
- Letter W Game
For Members and Teachers
The Letter V Game is included with every Have Fun Teaching membership and the free trial. Teachers can assign it to the whole class with a Classroom link. Students play on any device, and you see who finished and how they did.
Ready to hit the road? The Letter V Game plays on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer. Buckle up with Penny and see how many V balloons your kids can pop!
