Punctuation Hunt Learning Activity for Kids

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Punctuation Hunt

written by Terri of Creative Family Fun

Need a fun, learning punctuation activity for your kids?

Punctuation is a very important part of writing. And for some kids, it can be a bit hard to master. Sure, a period goes at the end of a sentence, but those commas can be tricky.

I wanted my beginning writers to start noticing punctuation marks and see examples of correct usage, so I sent them on a punctuation hunt. This is an activity that you can do with your children and students, too.

Punctuation Hunt

Punctuation Hunt Learning Activity for Kids

I grabbed an old magazine that was headed for the recycle bin and found a couple of stories that had several different examples of punctuation. If you don’t have an old magazine, a newspaper article would work as well.

I then took an index card and listed the punctuation marks I wanted them to find. I varied the punctuation marks by their abilities. My beginning reader/writer looked for periods and question marks. For my older daughter (2nd grade), I added quotation marks and commas.

Once it’s all set up, have your child circle all the punctuation marks the can find in the article.

Punctuation Hunt Learning Activity for Kids

Even if your child is unable to read the entire story, they can work on this project. My kindergartner had fun with it even though she is only at the very beginning stages of reading. But, she does know what a period is and where it is used. You may not want to do this project with a child at the beginning stages of reading and writing. But, if you have one like mine, who wants to do everything her big sister does, then go for it. You could also have them look for letters or basic sight words if the punctuation marks are too difficult.

Punctuation Hunt Learning Activity for Kids

This is such a simple way to review punctuation at home. It took the girls only a few minutes to complete, but those few minutes for very valuable. They saw examples of correct punctuation usage and by searching for examples were able to focus in on punctuation marks they might typically overlook. We even counted up our circles to see who found the most.

Help your kids notice punctuation marks by sending them on a punctuation hunt.

BIO: Terri is the mom of 2 girls and the creator of Creative Family Fun where you’ll find hundreds of ideas to help you spend meaningful time with your kids. Follow along for crafts and learning activities for kids of all ages.

Follow Melissa Taylor’s board Writing Activities for Kids on Pinterest.

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5 Comments

  1. The way punctuation skills are introduced in the above text are remarkable. There are a lot of people who are well skilled in this line of education and they can get an online life experience degree to become a professional in the industry.

  2. Melissa, I think games such as Punctuation Hunt for children is an effective way of teaching them while they have fun at the same time. I have noticed that many students do not enjoy using the dictionary and often come to me first, before trying to find a particular spelling or definition on their own. This is not always convenient since teachers can be extremely busy with another child. I have often thought of making up a Dictionary Game (e.g., what word comes after “dog” in the dictionary? On what page can you find “book” in the dictionary?) Of course, the game can be played according to age levels and it can be made into a friendly competition (e.g., split the class into two teams). With practice, children will learn some dictionary skills (Not as easy as they look) and save time by applying these skills on their own.