Crafts & activities

Make an Enormous Crocodile word game

Make learning words fun for your little one with this preschool craft based on Roald Dahl's Words.

Puffin team
A photo of the DIY Enormous Crocodile word game alongside the book Roald Dahl: Words
Image: Inspire My Play

The Enormous Crocodile wants to gobble up his favourite words in this fun word game. Choose the word to practice, then little learners have to sound it out before the crocodile eats it. Be careful of his snappy jaws!

TIP! If your child isn’t ready for word reading just yet, write letter sounds onto pieces of card to turn it into a phonics game. Or you could use pictures instead to help expand their vocabulary.

This game is perfect for children who are just beginning to recognise words and letters, and it's super easy to make together. 

You will need:

·  Cardboard

·  White card

·  Green and red paint or paint sticks

·  Scissors

·  Glue

·  Pen or pencil

Download the activity sheet and follow the instructions below:

How to make the word game:

1. Use the template from the download to draw around or draw an oblong onto a piece of card.

A photo of a pair of hands drawing a crocodile head shape onto a piece of cardboard
Image: Inspire My Play

2. Cut your oblong out with scissors and then score across the middle so that it folds in half.

A photo of a pair of hands cutting out a crocodile head shape out of a piece of cardboard
Image: Inspire My Play

3. Next, use your paint sticks or paints to colour the crocodile green, or whichever colour your little one wishes their crocodile to be!

A photo of a pair of hands colouring in a crocodile-shaped piece of cardboard in green
Image: Inspire My Play

4. Cut out and colour in some eyes and a tongue from the rest of the cardboard. Then add teeth and eyeballs using the white card.

A photo of the DIY Enormous Crocodile word game. You can see a child's hands holding the cardboard crocodile
Image: Inspire My Play

5. Lastly, write their favourite words from Roald Dahl’s Words (or their favourite words in general!) onto pieces of cardboard to sound out and feed to the enormous crocodile!

A photo of the DIY Enormous Crocodile word game. You can see a child's hands holding the cardboard crocodile and in the background is the book Roald Dahl: Words
Image: Inspire My Play

Craft activity and images created by Inspire My Play, visit @inspiremyplay for more great crafts for kids.

Sign up to the Puffin newsletter

Stories, ideas and giveaways to help you spark young imaginations