Because I know you’re probably reading this between reheating your coffee and breaking up a sibling argument about who gets the blue scissors—here’s your quick peek at what’s ahead.

We’re turning verbs into play, scissors into learning tools, and grammar into giggles.

It Started With Mrs. Smith

My favorite teacher once told me,

“If you can incorporate scissors, glue, and the potential to get ink on their skin, the kids become a captivated audience.”

Lesson + Scissors = a win, win.

I’ve never forgotten that.

Verb tenses can feel like a mountain for kids (and sometimes for us, too). But what if we made it fun instead?

The Secret to Teaching Grammar Without Worksheets

I’m a firm believer that language should wash over our kids—through read-alouds, conversations, and stories.
That’s how they absorb the rhythm and grammar of English long before we ever utter the words “past perfect tense.”

But sometimes, they need to touch it.
Cut it.
Glue it.
Play with it.

Because hands-on learning doesn’t just teach the concept—it anchors it.

Start Here: A Free Verb Resource

Before you dive in, grab this FREE Action Verb Printable — 144 verbs to explore, color, and play with.
You’ll use it again and again in these activities.

24 Hands-On Verb Activities to Try

Just add scissors, glue, and a few curious kids.

Pocket Full of Verbs

Fold, doodle, and explore past, present, and future tenses.
Then create a pocket to hold all those mini foldables in an interactive notebook.
Grab the free Action Verb Activities Printable to get started.

Action Verb Craft

Using strips of construction paper, have kids write, cut, and paste together colorful sentences as they explore tenses you choose.
It’s messy, creative, and surprisingly calming.

Create a Verb Bank

Write, draw, fold, and paste your way to a “Verb Vault.” Kids will create a reference page to store favorite verbs they’ll use in future writing.
Related: Teaching Kids to Doodle and Draw Their Verbs — a 2-minute-a-day way to make grammar stick.

My Verb Mail Activity

Turn grammar into “snail mail”! Write and decorate verb postcards using action words of your choice.
Make it a daily warm-up and add a classroom mailbox for extra fun.

Verb Books That Make Grammar Come Alive

Sometimes, a great story teaches more than any worksheet.
Try these before you ever hand out a pencil:

• It’s Hard to Be a Verb – Perfect for wiggly kids who are verbs.
• Kites Sail High – Poetry meets grammar in Ruth Heller’s classic.
• First Book of Verbs – Gentle intro to labeling verbs for early learners.
• Slide, Slurp, Scratch, and Burp – Because grammar should be funny.
• The Great Verb Game – Turn conjugation into play.
• Whoosh! Action Verb Game – 2,880 sentences worth of verb fun.

More Ways to Play With Verbs

Verb Charades

Print and go. Act it out, guess, and laugh.
Related: Charades Word Lists for Kids — ready-to-print fun for every age.

Verb Tic Tac Toe

Create a board with pronouns in each square. Draw a verb card.
To claim a space, kids must conjugate correctly.

Verb Ball Toss

Player one acts; player two catches and says, “She was jumping!”
Grammar meets giggles.

Window Work

Tape a worksheet to a window, hand out dry-erase markers, and watch grammar suddenly become art.

Mixed-Up Verbs Story

Place a pile of verbs in a hat.
Each player draws one and adds to the story.
The weirder, the better.

Build It!

Pipe cleaners + verbs = imagination unleashed.
Kids “build” the action they choose.
Need inspiration? Check out Pipe Cleaners Gone Crazy — packed with colorful, bendy ideas.

Verb Bingo

Give kids a newspaper and highlighters.
Call out verbs. The first to find five wins!

Verb Web

Write one verb in the center of the board and let kids brainstorm as many related verbs as they can.

Listen Carefully

Create a verb list, read a story aloud, and have kids highlight each verb as they hear it.

Hop That Verb!

Turn hopscotch into grammar practice. Each square = pronoun; each hop = conjugation.

Kids in Action!

Take the lesson outside.
Create an “I Spy Verbs” challenge and cross them off as you spot them.

Other Grammar Favorites to Explore

• Verb Tenses NO PREP Packet – perfect for independent work.
• Kindergarten Writing Unit – story-based writing for beginners.

The Bigger Picture

When we weave fun into learning—when scissors, stories, and laughter all show up in the same lesson—something powerful happens.
Kids stop memorizing and start absorbing.

They don’t just “know” verbs. They feel them.
They live them.

Your Turn

So go ahead—take another sip of that coffee.
Grab the glue, the crayons, and a few brave little learners.
Pick one of these activities and make grammar the most fun thing you do this week.

Because when learning feels like play, verbs don’t just make sense…
They stick.