🎈 Balloon Pop
Pop the balloon with the correct spelling. Early years · free.
Games 12 games · Built from their actual word list
Every game on spelling.live uses the words your child is currently practising - not random vocabulary. Two games are free from the very first session; the rest unlock with coins earned from spelling practice, so there is always something new to work towards - and a reason to keep practising.
All the games, at a glance
⚡ Spell Buzz
Neon cards fly past - tap the correct spelling. Fluent · free.
🏃 Spell Sprint
3D endless runner - dash through the correct next letter. Fluent · free.
🔍 Word Search
Find every list word hidden in a letter grid. Unlock with coins.
🧩 Word Builder
Drag list words onto a Scrabble-style board to connect them. Unlock with coins.
🔐 Word Lock
Spin each letter drum until the word clicks into place. Unlock with coins.
🔮 Ring
Spin rotating rings to dial in every letter. Unlock with coins.
🔨 Whac-A-Word
Whack the letters in the right order as moles pop up. Unlock with coins.
📝 Crossword
Solve a crossword built from their own spelling list. Unlock with coins.
🦍 Letter Climb
Climb girders to grab the right letters, dodging barrels. Unlock with coins.
👻 Letter Maze
Steer through a maze collecting letters, dodging ghosts. Unlock with coins.
🔠 Boggle
Trace connected letters to find as many words as you can. Unlock with coins.
🎈 Balloon Pop Early years · Free from the first session
Words float up the screen as colourful balloons. Children pop the balloon with the correct spelling - wrong spellings float harmlessly past. The faster they respond, the higher the streak bonus.
What it practises
Rapid visual recognition - seeing the correct spelling instantly without sounding it out letter by letter.
Why it helps
Repetition through play. Children see their tricky words dozens of times per session without it feeling like drilling.
Words used
Only the words they are currently learning. Words they find hardest appear more often.
Parent tip
Play alongside them. Saying the word out loud as it pops reinforces the audio–visual link.
⚡ Spell Buzz Fluent · Free from the first session
The fluent-band sibling of Balloon Pop: spelling cards fly past in neon colour instead of balloons. Children tap the card with the correct spelling before it flies off screen. Same instant, arcade-paced recognition, restyled for older children.
What it practises
Visual discrimination under time pressure - spotting the one correct spelling among near-misses.
Why it helps
Children learn to spot the difference between near-identical spellings (accommodate / accommmodate) quickly and confidently.
Words used
Their current list and any words flagged as tricky. Wrong cards are generated from common misspelling patterns.
Parent tip
After a session, ask which word tripped them up. One word, discussed briefly, is often enough to fix it.
🏃 Spell Sprint Fluent · Free · 350 coins for other bands (5 plays)
A full 3D endless runner. Your child's own avatar sprints down a three-lane track collecting the target word one letter at a time - move left/right to line up the correct next letter, jumping and sliding past obstacles along the way. Spell a word cleanly and the run keeps going, faster each time.
What it practises
Letter-by-letter recall under momentum - deciding the next correct letter in a split second, rather than recognising a whole word at rest.
Why it helps
The wrong-letter "traps" in each lane are mined from your child's own real misspellings, so the dodge is always steering away from their actual error and toward the correct letter pattern.
Words used
Their current list, streamed continuously for an endless run - the longer they last, the more words appear.
Parent tip
Great for children who freeze up on a whole word - it breaks spelling into one small decision at a time.
🔍 Word Search Unlock · 200 coins for 10 plays
A letter grid filled with their current word list - hidden horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Children find and highlight each word. A calm, focused activity that works well as a wind-down after an active session.
What it practises
Letter-pattern recognition and careful scanning - children must hold the full spelling in mind while searching.
Why it helps
Slower and more deliberate than Balloon Pop or Spell Buzz. Suits children who benefit from a lower-pressure format.
Words used
All words in the active list. Longer words are especially valuable here - the grid makes full letter sequences visible.
Parent tip
Good for evenings when energy is low. Five minutes of Word Search counts as genuine practice.
🧩 Word Builder Unlock · 300 coins early / 450 coins fluent, 5 plays
Every word in their current list appears as a ready-spelled tile strip in a tray. Children drag each one onto a Scrabble-style board - rotating it horizontal or vertical - so it crosses and connects with the words already placed, like building a personal crossword. Landing on a bonus square scores extra points.
What it practises
Spotting where two of their own words share a letter so they interlock correctly - a close look at the exact letters and positions inside each word.
Why it helps
Seeing several spelling words laid out together, letter by letter, reinforces the precise sequence of each one - useful once a word is recognised but not yet automatic to write.
Words used
Every word in the current list gets a tile - a full round places them all onto one connected board.
Parent tip
If they struggle to find where two words connect, spell both out loud together and spot the shared letter.
🔐 Word Lock Unlock · 460 coins for 5 plays
Every letter of the hidden word sits on its own spinning drum. Children dial each drum up or down through a run of decoy letters until it shows the right one, racing a clock - with speed and streak bonuses for fast, consecutive solves.
What it practises
Letter-by-letter recall against the clock, plus reading a clue (a friendly meaning for early years, a crossword-style clue for fluent) to work out the word before dialling.
Why it helps
Combines meaning and spelling in one go - useful for words a child recognises by sound but hasn't fully locked in visually.
Words used
Their current list. Higher practice multiplier than most games, since every letter is actively recalled.
Parent tip
If a particular drum takes several tries, that letter position is worth a quick handwriting check.
🔮 Ring Unlock · 460 coins for 5 plays
Word Lock's sibling, themed as concentric spinning rings instead of drums. Children select a ring and rotate it until the correct letter lines up at the marker, filling in the word before time runs out.
What it practises
Active letter-by-letter recall against the clock, with the same clue-first approach as Word Lock.
Why it helps
A visually different take on the same skill - useful variety for children who tire of one game format.
Words used
Their current list, with the same higher practice multiplier as Word Lock.
Parent tip
Offer Ring as the "next" game once Word Lock feels repetitive - the mechanic transfers instantly.
🔨 Whac-A-Word Unlock · 250 coins for 5 plays
Moles pop up out of their holes holding letters. Children whack them in the correct order to spell the target word - whacking the wrong letter costs a life, and the round ends when lives run out or time expires.
What it practises
Letter-sequence recall under reflex pressure - knowing which letter comes next, fast.
Why it helps
A high-energy, physical alternative for children who find calmer games like Word Search too slow.
Words used
Their current list, with difficulty and mole speed tuned to age band.
Parent tip
Good short-burst game between longer practice sessions - rounds are quick and satisfying.
📝 Crossword Unlock · 300 coins for 5 plays
A crossword grid built entirely from their own spelling list, with an AI-written clue for every word that never gives the spelling away. Children tap a clue, then type the answer on the on-screen keyboard.
What it practises
Spelling from meaning, not from sight of the word - closer to how spelling is tested at school.
Why it helps
Reinforces the meaning of a word alongside its spelling, which is a strong combination for retention.
Words used
Every word in their current list gets a clue - a full round covers the whole list.
Parent tip
If a clue stumps them, that is often a word they can spell but do not yet fully understand.
🦍 Letter Climb Unlock · 350 coins for 3 plays
A Donkey-Kong-style platformer. The word appears with some letters blanked out, and letter tiles - correct ones and decoys - are scattered across girders. Children climb ladders to grab the right letters while dodging thrown barrels.
What it practises
Picking the correct missing letter from distractors while navigating - recognition plus recall together.
Why it helps
The arcade framing (ladders, barrels, three lives) makes repeated attempts at a tricky word feel like a game, not a retest.
Words used
Their current list, with distractor count and speed scaled to age band.
Parent tip
Watch which letter they hesitate over on the girders - that is usually the letter worth practising next.
👻 Letter Maze Unlock · 400 coins for 3 plays
A Pac-Man-style chase. The word appears with blanked letters, and children steer through a maze collecting the letters they need while ghosts give chase - a power pill in the corner briefly lets them turn the tables.
What it practises
Holding a partly-completed spelling in mind while navigating and reacting - working memory under pressure.
Why it helps
A different pressure profile from Letter Climb - chase-and-evade rather than climb-and-dodge, so it suits different children.
Words used
Their current list, with maze complexity and ghost speed scaled to age band.
Parent tip
If they keep getting "caught" on the same word, it is worth a slower look at that word outside the game.
🔠 Boggle Unlock · 350 coins for 10 plays
A classic 4×4 letter grid. Children trace a finger across touching letters - across, down, or diagonally - to spell as many valid words as they can before time runs out. Words from their spelling list score a big bonus.
What it practises
Broader word fluency and letter-pattern spotting, on top of the specific spelling list words worth bonus points.
Why it helps
Open-ended, so confident spellers can push themselves beyond the assigned list while still being rewarded for hitting it.
Words used
Any valid word scores, but their current list words are flagged and worth extra - the most plays of any game per unlock (10).
Parent tip
Good for older siblings or a parent to play alongside - the open word-finding format suits mixed abilities.
🔗 Challenge a friend Available after any game
After completing almost any game, share a challenge link - via WhatsApp, text, or any app. The recipient plays the exact same words (and, for board-based games, the exact same layout) and sees how their score compares. Grandparents, siblings, classmates, and teachers can all join in.
What it practises
The same words, with added motivation. Children tend to focus harder when someone else is going to see their score.
Why it helps
Learning spelling can feel solitary. The challenge link turns it into a shared moment - which is often what keeps the habit going.
Who can play
Anyone with the link. They do not need a spelling.live account to accept a challenge.
Parent tip
Challenge them yourself. Losing to a parent is surprisingly motivating for children who find practice tedious.
How games unlock
Two are free to start
Balloon Pop (early years) and Spell Buzz / Spell Sprint (fluent) are always free - start playing as soon as words are loaded, no coins needed.
Earn coins by practising
Every correct word in practice pays coins. The games themselves don't pay coins, so practice is the only way to earn them - a good five-word session earns roughly enough to unlock a cheaper game.
Buy a batch of plays
Spend coins to unlock a game for a set number of plays - anywhere from 200 to 460 coins depending on the game, for 3 to 10 plays. Word-heavy games like Word Search and Boggle come with more plays; quick arcade games like Letter Climb and Letter Maze come with fewer.
Locks again when plays run out
When a game's plays are used up it locks again, and a little more practice unlocks another batch - keeping the focus on spelling. You can tune each game's coin price and play count any time from your parental controls (Game prices & plays).