Pushing snow and man together makes snowman, the fun figure kids build in winter. The name tells you exactly what it is: a man shape made out of snow.

A lighthouse is a tall building with a bright light inside that guides ships at night. Joining light and house names it perfectly: a house that shines a light.

A playground is ground where children play on swings and slides. Saying play and then ground gives you exactly the compound word.

Combine the words lady and bug and you get ladybug, the tiny red and black beetle with spots. Both small words stay whole inside the new compound word.

The word peanut starts with the smaller word pea, followed by nut. A peanut actually grows inside a shell that looks a lot like a pea pod, which matches its name.

Homework is the schoolwork you do at home, so the word ends with work after starting with home. The second half of the compound word is the work part.

A dragonfly is a long-bodied insect with shiny wings that zips through the air. Joining dragon and fly gives its name, since it looks a bit like a tiny dragon that flies.

A cowboy is a boy or man who takes care of cows on a ranch. The compound word cowboy simply lines up cow and boy to describe that job.

Putting blue and berry together makes blueberry, a small round fruit that is blue in color. The smaller words describe both the color and what kind of fruit it is.

Each starter word has one partner that builds a real compound word: snow pairs with man for snowman, light pairs with house for lighthouse, lady pairs with bug for ladybug, and play pairs with ground for playground.