This is Part 2 of Alphabet Ideas.
Letter Identification Activities
With several of these activities, I use the Lakeshore A-Z Classroom Letter Center:
Alphabet Path Game
I made these path games using stickers bought at Michael’s, and I made individual mats with about 10 letters on them. Each child gets a mat, a game piece, and some plastic chips to cover the letters on their mat. They roll the dice and count out the spaces to move their game piece. If their game piece lands on a letter that is on the mat, they cover that letter with a chip. Play continues until they have covered every letter.
Other ways we use the path games:
- Children identify the letter they land on, then find that letter somewhere in the classroom.
- Children find an object in the classroom that begins with that letter’s sound.
ABC Sorting Box
Label a craft storage box with letter stickers. Children sort letter manipulatives into the sections of the box.
ABC Sorting Tray
I found this divided tray in a kitchen outlet store. I labeled each section by writing a letter on a sticker dot and placing a letter in each section of the tray. I placed the letters in a bowl and children sorted and matched the letters into the sections of the tray. We use the Lakeshore A to Z Classroom Letter Center for this activity, so there were 6 of each letter for the children to sort into the tray (you could also use 6 sets of magnetic letters). When I want to change out the letters in the tray, I just remove the sticker dots and add new ones. I usually try to use letters that are similar, so that children are challenged and use visual discrimination skills to find the differences in the letters. For example, I might use Q, O, D, C, and G since those letters are similar in shape, or I, T, J, or W, V, U.
Letter Hunt
Children choose any 10 letters from the letter manipulatives. Go through a stack of shuffled letter cards, calling out each letter to the children. As the letters are called out, children look to see if they have that letter, and if they do, the letter is put back in the letter tub. We see who is first to clear all of their letters (like a bingo game). If the kids are too competitive, we play until everyone has cleared all of their letters.
*To teach letter sounds: Call out a word and have children identify the first letter of the word.
Letter Matching Uppercase to Uppercase
Each child chooses a colored letter box. Children work in pairs to match the letters that are the same.
Letter Matching Uppercase to Lowercase
Each pair of children choose a colored letter box. Children work in pairs to match the letters that are the same.
Letter Tumble
Place letter manipulatives or letter tiles in a bowl. Children toss the letters onto a mat (piece of felt), then match the letters to the letters on an alphabet chart.
*To teach letter sounds: Make individual letter sound charts by putting stickers or clipart on a large index card or card paper. Children match the letter manipulatives to the items on the sound chart.
Read about the Owl Letter Tumble game at the link.
Stamping Game
Write about ten letters on a piece of paper for each child. Put the same ten letters in a bowl or bag, and pass it around the table. Each child has a turn to pull a letter out of the bowl/bag, and announce the letter to the group. Children find the letter on their paper and stamp it out with a rubber stamp.
Other ways we play this game:
- I put every letter of the alphabet in the bowl or bag and children determine if the letter is on their paper or not.
- I place small objects in the bowl and children identify the beginning letter (i.e. B for ball).
Alphabet Bingo
Each child looks for the letter the teacher calls out on their bingo card. If they have it, they cover it. Play until a card is full.
Letter Basketball
This is one of my class’s favorite activities. I cut copy paper or newsprint paper in half, and write letters on several pieces. I make enough papers for each child, plus one or two extra. I make a line with masking tape on the floor and place the trash can about 4 feet away. As each child has a turn, I tell them which letter to find. They pick up the letter, crumble the paper into a ball, and stand on the tape to toss it into the trash can. If they miss, they get as many chances as needed to get the “ball” in the basket and can move closer if needed. We always cheer when they make it in the basket! This game could also be played with alphabet bean bags if you have them.
Candy Letter Match
Write pairs of letters on sticker dots and place them on the bottom of several Hershey’s Kisses. For my Pre-K kids, I usually put out about 5-10 pairs of letters at a time. Children take turns lifting two Kisses at a time. If the letters match, they keep those Kisses. If they do not match, they have to put them back. At the end of the game, all of the Kisses are put in the middle of the table, and children can choose about 3 pieces to eat. We use this game to practice matching uppercase to uppercase letters, lowercase to lowercase, or uppercase to lowercase, depending on what we are working on.
Alpha-Band
Label each rhythm instrument with a letter. An easy way to make instruments is to put rice inside a plastic Easter egg, and hot glue it closed. We sing the traditional Alphabet Song, or another alphabet song, such as Dr. Jean’s “The Alphabet’s in My Mouth” or “Who Let the Letters Out” or Jack Hartmann’s “Animal Alphabet Cheer”. Children shake their letter shakers only when they hear their letter called out in the song.
Alphabet Soup
Children take turns scooping up a letter from a bowl with a spoon or soup ladle. Child identify the letter, and walk around the room searching for the letter somewhere in the classroom.
*To teach letter sounds: Children search for an object in the room that begins with that letter.
Letter Clips
Children squeeze the clothespins and clip them to the sides of the box. I wrote letters on dot stickers and placed the dot stickers around the sides of the boxes. I wrote letters on the clothespins so the children would match the letters on the clothespins to the letters on the boxes. This is similar to activities where children clip clothespins to a paper plate or cardstock circle; however, in my experience, those were flimsy and awkward to use, which is why I like the box better. Any sturdy box could be used (shoe box, postal box). The boxes in this picture were stacking gift boxes that held chocolate covered nuts (a Christmas gift), and they worked out perfectly.
License Plate Game
Each child gets a turn to be the “driver”. A piece of paper with a letter written on it is clipped to the driver’s back. The child drives around the table, and parks in his seat. Children find the letter among their set of letter manipulatives.
Memory Game
Place about three letter manipulatives on a tray, cover them with a cloth, and take one away. When the letters are uncovered, children guess which letter is missing. Children find the letter that is missing among their own set of letter manipulatives. If the children are very interested in writing, they can write the letter that is missing on a dry erase lap board. To increase the difficulty of this game, place three letters on the tray, cover them, and ask the children to recall all three letters that were on the tray.
