Magic E Words Game (Silent E Phonics Activity)

This free phonics game is a fun way to review Magic E words (also known as Silent E words) with young readers. In Magic E words, the final silent e changes the vowel from a short sound to a long sound. For example: cap → cape (short a → long a). In this activity, students will see outline drawings of 10 Magic E words and must guess the word before the timer runs out.

Magic E Words Game – How to Play

To play, simply show the video in class or at home. Students will see outline drawings of familiar objects and try to guess the word before the timer runs out. All the answers are Magic E (Silent E) words with the long vowel sounds a, i, o, and u. Vocabulary words include cake, cane, bone, cone, kite, dice, mule, and cube.

Before Playing

For best results, pre-teach the vocabulary so students recognize the words during the game. You can review them using these free Magic E PowerPoints.

During the Game

There are several ways you can have students guess the word. If you’re playing as a whole-class warm-up, students can simply shout out the answer or raise their hands to guess. You can also make it more interactive by giving students flashcards to hold up to show their answer. Even better, if you have the space, place the flashcards around the classroom and have students move to the correct card once they know the word.

After the Game

Now that students have practiced some basic Magic E words, it’s a great time to build on their reading skills. Try having them read additional CVCe words (consonant–vowel–consonant–silent e). Here’s a list of CVCe words you can use for practice.