The letter X is one of the trickiest letters for young kids. Very few words start with X, so children rarely see it at the beginning of a word. Instead, X usually hides at the end, in words like fox, box and ox. Big X and little x also look almost the same, which makes them easy to mix up.
That is why we made the Letter X Game. Kids join Doodles on a pirate treasure hunt where X marks the spot. They dig for treasure on Treasure Beach, unlock treasure chests on a pirate ship, and then win the treasure back from silly Bomzy on Treasure Hill.
Every right answer moves the treasure hunt forward, and every child finishes with stars. It is letter practice that feels like an adventure.
How to Play the Letter X Game
- Listen to Doodles. He reads every direction out loud, so even pre-readers can play.
- Explore first! Tap the fox, the box turtle, the ox and the other toys around the island to hear them.
- Round 1 on Treasure Beach: find the big X to dig up each treasure spot.
- Round 2 on the pirate ship: find the little x to pop open each treasure chest.
- Round 3 on Treasure Hill: Bomzy grabbed the treasure! Find big X, little x and pictures with the letter X, like fox, box, ox and xylophone. Each X picture you find lands on the island, and you can tap it to hear it again.
- Collect rewards for your backpack, like a treasure map, captain’s boots and a spyglass.
- Go for 3 in a Row!, 5 in a Row! and 10 in a Row!, beat your High Score, and try for a Perfect Game. Every child finishes with stars.
What Kids Learn
The Letter X Game helps kids recognize and name the uppercase X and the lowercase x (Common Core RF.K.1d), and hear the letter X in real words. Because so few words start with X, the game also shows kids that a letter can be anywhere in a word: at the start, in the middle or at the end.
- Big X: two straight lines that cross, tall from top to bottom.
- Little x: the same crossing lines, but only half as tall.
- X at the end: fox, box and ox all end with the letter X.
- X at the start: xylophone starts with the letter X.
- Teacher words: Doodles names every answer, like “Fox! Fox ends with the letter X.”
Try this at home or in class: cross your arms to make a big X, then cross two fingers to make a little x. Then hide a toy and draw a simple treasure map where X marks the spot!
More Practice with the Letter X
- Letter X Song (animated music video)
- Letter X Tracing Worksheet
- Letter X Handwriting Practice Worksheet
- Letter W Game and Letter Y Game
- Letter V Game
Teachers: members can assign the Letter X 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 hunt for treasure? The Letter X Game plays on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
