The simplest way of encouraging children to think about spelling and the different sounds that letters and letter groups can make is to play with letter toys. Fridge magnets in the shape of letters, foam letters for bath time play, and building blocks with letters all make good starting points for learning spelling through play. Parents can begin by encouraging children to spell their own names before moving on to simple phonetic words such as "cat."
Most people are familiar with the word-based board-game Scrabble. There is a children's version for 2 to 4 players age 5 and over, called Scrabble Junior. The premise of the game is largely the same as the adult version, but fun illustrations and scoring chips give it more child-appeal.
Another board game that can help consolidate and develop children's learning of spellings is Spelling Beez. The game involves bees moving around the board collecting different letters from which to make words. The game can be played by 1 to 4 players and is suitable for ages 4 to 8.
"Pass the Word" spelling game allows children to practice spelling a variety of commonly used words with the added fun of racing against the clock. Children are presented with an image of the word they must spell, such as "dog," and they must then find the appropriate letters for that word. The game is intended for 2 to 4 players ages 5 to 9.