Willy Worm | A fun adjective game for young homeschoolers

This fun adjective game for young homeschoolers is the perfect way to introduce “describing words” to K-3rd graders. Adapted from WriteShop Primary Book C, the Willy Worm Word Wall makes choosing adjectives and learning to describe meaningful for primary-age children.

For older elementary, middle school, and high school students, play A Gathering of Adjectives to teach and practice with adjectives.

“Willy Worm Word Wall” Fun Adjective Game

1. Prepare the Circles

The first time you do this activity, you’ll need about a dozen 3-inch circles to make a Willy Worm Word Wall. But be prepared that each time you play, you’ll need more circles. Try one of these options:

• Use a circle punch to quickly punch out 3″ circles from cardstock or construction paper
• Buy pre-cut circles, such as this package of 50 circles in primary colors.
• Cut circles from construction paper by tracing a 3-inch cardboard pattern or circle template.

Ways to Display Willy Worm: If you have a homeschool room or writing center, mount Willy Worm on a wall by taping the circles together in a line. Is space at a premium? Affix the circles to a large posterboard so the worm meanders back and forth across the sheet. Otherwise, make an even more temporary Willy Worm by laying out the circles on a counter or tabletop and scooping them into a zip-top bag when you’re done.

Draw a smiley face on the first circle to represent the worm’s face. On the first three blank circles, write various describing words (adjectives), one word per circle. Use words such as small, fast, yellow, soft, or bumpy.

2. Collect Some Objects

Gather a variety of small items in a shoe box such as a kitchen timer, toy car, stuffed animal, pencil, and spoon.

3. Play the Game

Play this fun adjective game with your child to practice using words to describe things.

1. Choose one object from the shoe box, but don’t show it to your child. Say 5-10 words or sentences that describe the object. Example: long, has a thin handle, made of metal, cold, has a round end that’s shaped like a little bowl, smooth, shiny, silver.
2. Next, invite your child try to guess what it is. (a spoon)
3. Finally, reveal the mystery object. Ask your child to say one word that describes it. Write this word on the fourth circle of the Willy Worm Word Wall.
4. Let your child pick an object from the box and describe it.
5. Now it’s your turn try to guess what it is. When your student shows you the object, choose one word that describes it to write on the next blank circle of the Willy Worm Word Wall.

Continue to add more describing words to the Willy Worm Word Wall as a handy reference for your child to use. As you play this fun adjective game over several weeks, either add more circles and make it longer, or just write more than one word on each circle.

WriteShop Primary is filled with activities, games, crafts, and tools that help you teach your littlest writers to grow and bloom. You’ll find this fun adjective game—Willy Worm Word Wall—in WriteShop Primary Book C, the perfect homeschool writing program for 2nd and 3rd grade children.