The letter W is a big mouthful for young kids. Its name, “double-u,” does not sound anything like the /w/ sound it makes, so children often have a hard time connecting the letter to words like worm and wagon. W also has more points and lines than most letters, and it looks a lot like M turned upside down, or like two V’s side by side.
That is why we made the Letter W Game. Kids join Funzy on Sunny Farm, where the animals are thirsty and there is work to do. They pull water from the well with the big W, load wood into the wagon with the little w, and then look out the farmhouse window for pictures that start with W.
Every right answer helps the farm: the water trough fills up, a horse and a goat trot over for a drink, and the wagon fills with logs. It is letter practice that feels like a busy day on the farm.
How to Play the Letter W Game
- Listen to Funzy. He reads every direction out loud, so even pre-readers can play.
- Round 1 at the wells: tap the well with the big W. The crank turns and a bucket full of water comes up and pours into the trough. A wrong well brings up an empty bucket, and Funzy gives a gentle hint.
- Fill the trough all the way and watch the horse and the goat walk over and drink!
- Round 2 at the wagons: tap the wagon with the little w, and the wood drops right into it. Watch out for look-alikes like v, u and m.
- Round 3 at the farmhouse window: look outside and tap the picture that starts with W, like worm, watermelon, web and watch. Funzy names each picture after you find it.
- Keep a streak going to see 3 in a Row!, 5 in a Row! and 10 in a Row!, try for a High Score! or a Perfect Game!, and finish with stars.
What Kids Learn
The Letter W Game helps kids recognize and name the uppercase W and the lowercase w (Common Core RF.K.1d), and hear the /w/ sound at the start of real words. Hearing Funzy say each answer, like “Worm! Worm starts with W,” links the letter shape to its sound again and again.
- Big W: four straight lines that zig down, up, down and up, tall from top to bottom. It looks like two V’s holding hands.
- Little w: the same shape, only half as tall.
- Tricky look-alikes: big N, X and Y at the wells, and little v, u and m at the wagons, so kids learn to look closely.
- W words: worm, watermelon, web and watch all start with W.
- Try this at home or in class: go on a W hunt. Find things that start with W, like a window, water or a wagon, and trace a big W in the air with your finger for each one.
More Practice with the Letter W
- Letter W Song (animated music video)
- Letter W Tracing Worksheet
- Letter W Handwriting Practice Worksheet
- Letter V Game and Letter X Game
- Letter U Game
Teachers: members can assign the Letter W Game to a whole class with a Classroom link. Students play on any device, and you see who finished and how they did.
Ready to help Funzy on the farm? The Letter W Game plays on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
