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Spot the odd one out

Odd one out games are a great way to develop your child's understanding of language through play.

When you ask your child to identify words that don't fit because of how they sound, you're helping them really think about language rules, patterns, differences and similarities.

Watch the video below to find out how to set up this easy rhyme-based game.

What are the language benefits of playing odd one out games with rhymes?

  • Talking about words that rhyme can help children recognise sounds in words.
  • They help children focus on the word endings and start to recognise similarities and differences in the words.
  • Playing this game with your child can help them find patterns in words.
  • Rhyming is great for developing early reading skills.
  • This game allows children to use their words to work out problems and organise their thinking.
  • Odd one out games help children group objects together.
A father and his daughter sit on a sofa and play an out one out game. He is holding a spoon. There is a box on the table in front of them.
You can play this game when you're out and about too. List three words for your child and see if they can spot the odd one out.

How to play the odd one out game

All you need is a set of objects or pictures. Two or more of them should rhyme, and there should be one odd one out.

Ask your child to identify which object or picture does not belong with the others in the group. Can your child give you the correct answer and explain why?

Your child might come up with different reasons why one object is the odd one out. They might say that one object is bigger than the others, for example.

This is not wrong, and you should praise them for all their answers. Keep your questions open-ended encourage them to try and find more links.

Saying the words out loud or asking which one doesn’t sound like the others might help them to hear the rhyming words more easily.

Odd one out object suggestions

If you're struggling to find objects that rhyme around your house, don't panic.

We've included a list of objects that rhyme below for inspiration.

You can also use pictures from magazines or that you've printed off to play this game.

cathatdoor mat
sockrockclock
carstarjar
ricediceice
pancanfan
chairteddy bearpear
A father and his daughter sit on a sofa and play an out one out game. He is holding a spoon. There is a box on the table in front of them.
You can play this game when you're out and about too. List three words for your child and see if they can spot the odd one out.

More rhyming inspiration and information

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