Fun and Engaging Activities for Dyslexic Children Ages 6 to 12

When Learning Is a Struggle, Play Can Be the Answer

Imagine dinner is on the stove, emails are piling up, and your 8-year-old is slumped over the table, tears dripping onto a spelling worksheet. You know your child is trying. You’re trying too. But sometimes, traditional learning just doesn’t click. For kids with dyslexia, reading and writing can feel more like battling a dragon than doing schoolwork.

The good news? Playing can be purposeful. Done right, playful activities can unlock understanding, rebuild confidence, and even bring smiles back to the homework table. In this article, we’ll explore how structured, fun-based learning can support your dyslexic child—and create moments of connection for both of you.

Rewiring Through Joy: Why Play Matters More for Dyslexic Kids

Children with dyslexia don’t lack intelligence or motivation. What they need is a different way into the material—something that feels like discovery rather than drudgery. According to research, multisensory learning (engaging sight, sound, touch, and movement) is especially powerful for dyslexic learners because it strengthens neural pathways related to language processing.

Games activate these pathways in a way worksheets simply can’t. They allow your child to repeat challenging tasks without the stress that often accompanies academic work. And repetition with low stress equals learning that sticks.

Real-World Ideas: Playful Learning That Actually Works

Let’s look at some examples you can try right at home—even if you only have a few minutes between all the busyness.

1. Word Hunt Adventures

Turn your living room into a phonics playground. Give your child a flashlight and say, “We're hunting for the magic ‘sh’ sound!” Hide cards around the room with words like ship, shiny, shout. Each time they find one, celebrate with a silly dance or funny voice. You’re reinforcing sound-letter connections—one of the core struggles in dyslexia—while tapping into their imagination.

This kind of playful activity encourages decoding without the resistance that often arises during quiet reading time. For younger children around six, simplify by focusing on beginning sounds like /b/ or /m/ using picture cards.

2. Storytelling With a Twist

Storytelling can feel intimidating to kids who struggle with spelling, but it doesn’t have to start with writing. Begin with spoken storytelling. Ask: “What if you were the hero who woke up on Mars and found a secret code?” Let them build the story using toy figures or pictures. Then, together, write down just one or two sentences of the tale.

Over time, these small written pieces build confidence and provide a safe window into written expression.

Apps like Skuli can gently build on this approach—turning your child’s lesson into a personalized audio adventure where your child is the hero, using their own name and voice. Imagine learning grammar concepts not from a textbook, but during a jungle mission to save a lost explorer. Suddenly, learning becomes a journey—not a task.

3. Label the World

If your child is constantly mixing up spelling rules, use bright sticky notes to label objects throughout your home. Label “fridge,” “mirror,” “door,” and so on—but let your child write the notes with your help. Each time they walk past, they’ll see, read, and absorb the words passively.

For older kids, turn this into a game—can they create silly sentences using five labeled words? For example, “The lamp ate the toaster because it was scared of the sofa.” The goal isn’t perfection—it’s growing familiarity through engagement.

4. Movement and Memory

For many children with dyslexia, movement aids memory. Try jumping vowel sounds: lay out five pillows labeled A, E, I, O, U. Call out a word, and your child has to jump onto the pillow that contains the vowel sound. This builds phoneme awareness—an essential foundation of reading.

Or, during spelling practice, have your child clap each syllable, use their finger to write the word in shaving cream, or trace it in sand. Let the senses work together, instead of insisting on silent pencil-and-paper repetition.

When You’re Not Sure It’s Just "Struggling"

Not every child who struggles with reading has dyslexia, but the signs often show themselves around first or second grade. If your child is 6 or 7 and still can’t recognize basic sight words or avoids reading at all costs, it might be worth learning more about the early signs of dyslexia.

It’s also common for parents to wonder: “Is this just a delay, or is it really dyslexia?” If you're feeling stuck between options, this article might help clarify the difference between dyslexia and a simple reading delay.

Tapping Into Strengths—Not Just Fixing Challenges

Many dyslexic kids shine in areas like creativity, reasoning, and storytelling. Let their strengths lead the learning. If your child loves animals, read books about wildlife—even if you’re doing the reading aloud and they’re simply following along. If they build elaborate LEGO structures, build a word wall beside their creations and introduce “construction words” like arch, strong, base, support.

Learning doesn’t need to happen at a desk. In fact, it often happens best when it doesn’t.

Need more guidance on turning home life into a gentle learning environment? This guide on supporting a dyslexic child with homework at home might offer useful strategies.

Let Go of Perfection—and Let In Progress

Here’s something exhausted parents need to hear more often: You don’t have to fix everything all at once. A five-minute word game or a silly storytelling session may not look like "school"—but it’s growing connection, confidence, and cognition at the same time.

When possible, make use of tools that fit easily into your daily rhythm. For example, some families make use of strategies like turning lessons into audio-based content that kids can listen to during car rides or quiet time. Hearing lessons read aloud—often in adventurous formats—can reinforce material in a relaxed way.

Whatever you try, keep this in mind: A child who is learning through joy is a child who is learning deeply.

From Frustration to Curiosity: It Begins With a Game

You’re not just helping your child keep up in school; you’re showing them that their brain is capable, creative, and uniquely wired. By introducing playful learning into your home, you’re helping your dyslexic child fall in love with discovery, on their terms.

Yes, there will still be hard days. But there will also be laughter, lightbulb moments, and the pride on your child’s face when they finally “get it”—thanks to a scavenger hunt, a pillow jump, or a bedtime audio adventure that made learning feel like play.