Mystery Box - or

Phonics learning doesn’t have to be dull—especially when it involves a game full of surprises, strategy, and spelling success. At Smart Boarding School, we’re excited to offer another free phonics game to support your students: the /or/ Mystery Box game, designed especially for Year 1 and Year 2 learners.

This engaging resource helps children identify, read, and spell words that contain the /or/ sound, one of the essential building blocks for

reading fluency. Through play, students build confidence and consolidate their understanding of four key graphemes:

or (as in fork, storm)
ore (as in shore, more)
aw (as in claw, draw)
au (as in haul, fault)

What Is the /or/ Mystery Box Game?

The Mystery Box is a two-player phonics game that blends spelling, auditory recognition, and fun decision-making. Students practise phoneme-grapheme correspondence while trying to win points and outscore their partner.

With a mix of chance and skill, this game helps students internalise the /or/ sound and the many ways it can be written in English.

What You’ll Need

To set up your game:

Print Page 2: This is the scoreboard. One per player. (Laminating is optional but helpful for reuse.)
Print Pages 3–10: These are the Mystery Box cards. Print double-sided and cut them out.

That’s all the prep you need to get started.

How to Play

Lay all the Mystery Box cards face down so only the box image shows.
Player 1 picks a card (just by pointing to it).
Player 2 flips the card, reads the /or/ word aloud (e.g., shore).
Player 1 writes the word on their score sheet.
Player 2 checks the spelling. If correct, Player 1 earns 1 point.
Player 1 then chooses to keep or discard the card:
- If kept, they add or subtract the points written under the word.
- If discarded, no additional points are gained or lost.
Players swap roles and continue until all cards are used.
The player with the highest total score wins!

Why Teachers and Students Love It

Targets multiple spellings of the /or/ sound in one fun game.
Combines phonics practice with critical thinking and simple arithmetic.
Perfect for literacy groups, pairs work, or even family phonics sessions at home.
Easy to prepare, print-and-play format means no fuss and more focus on learning.

Students love the “mystery” of flipping cards and making choices—while teachers love seeing progress in spelling, phoneme recognition, and motivation.

Download the Free /or/ Mystery Box Game

Ready to make /or/ words stick with your students? From fork to shore, from claw to haul, this free printable game brings phonics to life.

Click the button below to download your copy and get started. It’s free, no sign-up required, and guaranteed to make phonics time more exciting.

At Smart Boarding School, we believe in keeping learning fun, focused, and free. Try this game today and help your students master the /or/ sound—one box at a time!

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