How to Use the Initial Blend Dominoes & Matching Game

Build early reading skills with a fun set of domino-style cards that help students recognize initial consonant blends. Students match each blend to the picture that begins with that sound. This is a great game to revise initial blends. Suitable for those who know their blends, but just need a little extra practice.

Blends Included

bl, br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, squ, st, str, sw, tr

Before You Play

Print the dominoes on cardstock for durability.
Laminate if desired.
Cut apart the dominoes — each one has one blend and one picture.

Game 1: Blend Domino Train

Goal: Match blends to pictures and build a connected train of dominoes.

How to Play

Shuffle and divide the dominoes among players.
Player 1 places any domino face up.
Players take turns adding a domino that matches the blend or picture.
If a player cannot make a match, they skip their turn.
Winner: The first to use all their dominoes, or the player with the fewest remaining.

Game 2: Blend Memory Match

Goal: Match pictures with their correct initial blends.

Setup

Cut each domino in half to create separate blend tiles and picture tiles.
Mark the picture tile backs with a dot or sticker.
For beginners, start with 10 blend tiles + 10 picture tiles. Add more as students progress.

How to Play

Mix tiles and place them face down.
On each turn, a player flips:
- 1 marked picture tile
- 1 unmarked blend tile
Say each out loud (picture name + blend sound).
If they match, the player keeps the pair and takes another turn.
If not, turn them face down and continue.
Winner: The player with the most matches.

Answer Key

bl – blind
br – brush
cl – clown
cr – crutches
dr – dress
fl – flower
fr – frog
gl – glove
gr – globe
pl – plane
pr – pretzel
sc – scarecrow
sk – ski
sl – sleeping bag
sm – smile
sn – snowman
sp – spaghetti
squ – square
st – star
str – strawberry
sw – sweet
tr – tree