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Ideas for Pre-K & Preschool Teachers

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Alphabet Letter Identification Activities

By Karen Cox | Affiliate Disclosure | Filed Under: Alphabet

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Here are 15 fun, active, hands-on alphabet letter identification activities for Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten.

Alphabet Letter Activities for Pre-K

You can find many more Alphabet Activities here.

Letter Basketball

This is one of my prekinders favorite letter identification activities every year. To prepare this game, 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.

letter basketball alphabet letter identification activities

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.

candy letter game alphabet letter identification activities

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.

Alpha-Band: alphabet letter identification activities

Letter Hunt

Children choose any 10 letters from the letter manipulatives (use foam letters, magnetic letters, letter tiles or other 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 basket. We see who is first to clear all of their letters. It’s very similar to a bingo game. In Pre-K, we play until everyone has cleared all of their letters because our goal is learning letters, not competition with the little ones.
*To teach letter sounds: Call out a word and have children identify the first letter of the word.

Letter Hunt: alphabet letter identification activities

ABC Sorting Tray

I found this divided tray in a kitchen store. I labeled each section by writing a letter on a sticker dot and placing the matching foam letters 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. 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 Sorting Tray: alphabet letter identification activities

ABC Sorting Box

Label a craft storage box with letter stickers. Children sort letter manipulatives into the sections of the box. These are magnetic letter tiles in the picture.

Letter Sorting Box: alphabet letter identification activities

Letter Matching Uppercase to Uppercase

For this activity, each child chooses a colored letter box. Children work in pairs to match the letters that are the same. These letters came from a set of foam letters that are sadly no longer available from Lakeshore (bring them back, Lakeshore!) However, you could do the same activity by using handmade cards with the letters written in two different colors. You might also consider using paint chips (paint sample cards) in two different colors and making A-Z sets in the two different colors by writing on the cards with a black marker.

Letter Matching: alphabet letter identification activities

Letter Matching Uppercase to Lowercase

Children work in pairs to match the uppercase and lowercase foam or magnetic letters that are the same. You could also use purchased or handmade letter tiles.

Matching Uppercase to Lowercase: alphabet letter identification activities

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 or 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 (e.g. B for ball).
Letter Stamp Game: alphabet letter identification activities

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 Bingo: alphabet letter identification activities

Alphabet Soup

Children take turns scooping up a letter from a bowl with a spoon or soup ladle. The child identifies the letter, and walks 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.

Alphabet Soup: alphabet letter identification activities

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. (By the way, Sam’s Club has these chocolate covered nuts in the same stacking boxes every year, and they are awesome!)

Letter Clips: alphabet letter identification activities

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, try using 4 or 5 letters. Another options is to place three letters on the tray, cover them, and ask the children to recall all three letters that were on the tray.

Letter Memory: alphabet letter identification activities

Alphabet Path Games

I made these path games using stickers bought in a craft store (scrapbooking section), 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.
Alphabet Path Game with jungle trees and animals
Alphabet Path Game with ocean animals
Alphabet Path Game with wild animals

You’ll also like these resources…

Alphabet Mini Books: print & fold
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32 Comments

About Karen Cox

Karen is the founder of PreKinders.com. She also works as a full-time Pre-K teacher in Georgia. Read more...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna Wolf says

    January 13, 2014 at 10:22 am

    Wow! This is such an extensive website- I am so impressed with all of your wonderful ideas! Kudos to you and your creative lessons! We will definitely use these ideas at Sprout, when we open soon. Thanks, Karen, you’ve done so much!

    Reply
  2. Sharee says

    January 19, 2014 at 8:37 am

    This is a great resource! Thank you, Karen for sharing your creative and engaging ideas. Look forward to using with my students. I’m teaching a new grade level this year and yes, it’s Pre-K. I like how well your site is organized and provides pictures with a short explanation. Easy to maneuver! Much appreciation for your helpful website!

    Reply
    • Karen Cox says

      January 20, 2014 at 2:03 pm

      Thank you for such nice comments, Sharee! I hope you find many things to use in your classroom here.

      Reply
    • Ronda J Carter says

      January 25, 2014 at 8:40 pm

      You said everything exactly the way I would have. She is WONDERFUL

      Reply
  3. debbie shollenberger says

    February 14, 2014 at 6:15 am

    This is Awesome!!!!!! Thanks for sharing you ideas. I love teaching preschool !!!!!! and this makes it even more special. So much information, I teach 3’s but it is never to early to work on letters. Thanks Thanks Thanks

    Reply
  4. emily says

    March 25, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    Wow, amazing Karen. Thank you for sharing, I love teaching children and coaching parent to teach their children

    Reply
  5. Tiffany says

    April 23, 2014 at 9:09 am

    Hi LOVE all of your prek literacy ideas! If there anyway to download and print your alphabet letter I.D. activities/ideas?

    Thank you for creating and sharing such engaging activities!

    Reply
    • Karen Cox says

      April 23, 2014 at 10:11 pm

      Thanks, Tiffany! I have many free downloads on the site — look under the “Printables” tab and then choose Literacy.

      Reply
  6. khraye says

    May 19, 2014 at 4:52 am

    I found this site very informative and helpful for teachers like me. I am a high school teacher but I am working as a part time tutor to pre kinder children and I am really thankful for this. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Gwen Butler says

    June 21, 2014 at 3:24 pm

    I love these activities!!! Sometimes I have a really hard time coming up with language activities. I want to do something different and FUN!! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Karen Cox says

      June 21, 2014 at 5:57 pm

      Thanks, Gwen!

      Reply
  8. VACCI says

    July 16, 2014 at 12:37 am

    Super ideas for an international teacher! Gracias! Merci! XieXie! Khamsa-hamnida! Shukran!

    Reply
  9. Pam hay says

    August 7, 2014 at 1:31 pm

    Love the alphabet letter recognition games!!

    Reply
  10. Viva says

    August 9, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    Love the great ideas!! I will be using many of these in my classroom this year!

    Reply
  11. Geetha says

    September 4, 2014 at 7:19 am

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas.By doing these activities teachers will definitely enjoy a lot.

    Reply
  12. Monica says

    September 10, 2014 at 9:04 am

    Thanks for the creative ideas. My son is in PreK and is struggling. He is old in the class and is far from letter/number recognition. He also has LOW fine motor abilities. I plan on implementing some of your fun ideas ASAP! Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Christer says

    December 7, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing the great activities! I needed some fresh ideas to use!

    Reply
  14. Dylan says

    February 27, 2015 at 6:02 am

    Hey there Karen, great ideas! I teach ESL to preschoolers in China, and these activities have worked so well in my classes. Keep it up~

    Reply
  15. Linda Z. says

    May 11, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    Thank you – this will be perfect for the kids I work with !

    Reply
  16. Mh says

    July 21, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Beautiful idea!! !!!

    Reply
  17. Bernita says

    September 5, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Thank you Karen for the alphabet recognition ideas and for your blog.

    Reply
  18. Donna Benson says

    December 17, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    I am a pre-k teacher in an urban school district. I LOVE your site! thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  19. Janis Taylor says

    November 3, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    I will be using these activities with my moderate-severe classroom. The students are high school, but skill levels are at the pre-school level. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Karen Cox says

      November 3, 2016 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks, Janis! I’m so glad they are useful to you & your students!

      Reply
  20. yael says

    May 4, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    Wow! I’m a teacher but never taught Kinder -2nd grade. This list is absolutely wonderful!
    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  21. Surya says

    June 2, 2017 at 4:56 am

    This is a great list! So many good, active learning activities to choose from! This gives me a lot of ideas to try with my active 2 year old! Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Vini says

    August 11, 2017 at 1:00 am

    Hi Karen,

    I loved your ideas of trying innovative ways to teach your child get into the world of language. And the ideas are good for both alphabets and numbers as well. I am feeling so confident enough to start these with my child at home. And I feel she should have been introduced to these in her Pre-K itself. She has lack of concentration. And I feel these will definitely help her build that. Its never too late for anything. I will try these for sure. Thanks once again.

    Reply
  23. Carmen says

    February 12, 2018 at 11:52 pm

    Thank you so much! This is a website that I frequent regularly because all of the ideas and printables that you share!

    Reply
  24. Malka says

    November 27, 2018 at 9:01 am

    Thanks loads! These ideas are really nice, simple to create, fun to do, and very educational. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  25. Blessing says

    July 26, 2019 at 5:44 am

    Wow thanks a lot am from African. You have really helped me to Teach the African child.

    Reply
  26. T'Ka says

    September 19, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Wonderful ideas. Thanks for sharing. Will be using these with the children i tutor. 💛

    Reply
  27. Laura Edmunds says

    September 27, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    These are awesome. Thank you.

    Reply

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Glad you're here! You'll find hands-on learning activities, themes, and printables for Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten kids. I'm Karen Cox, a Pre-K teacher in Georgia. I have taught 4-5 year olds for 20+ years! Read More…

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Welcome!
Would you like to join my FREE weekly update newsletter? Join 85,000+ subscribers!
We collect, use, and process your data according to our Privacy Policy.
Don't worry - we never sell or share email addresses!