Fun Ways to Teach the Alphabet

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Are you teaching your child to recognize or write their letters?  This post will outline several fun and engaging activities you can do with your students in a classroom or home setting!

Letter Tic-Tac-Toe
I came across this idea in a home school forum I am a member of and it was such a great idea, I decided to use it first on my list of fun alphabet Activities.  Each player gets a letter to use (Choose any 2 letters!) and play the game the traditional way!


Where's the Penguin
Where's the Penguin is a fun game where you hide a penguin and the student must figure out where the penguin is hiding!  You say a cute poem and see if the penguin is hiding behind your chosen letter!  (See this video for an example of how to play!) -- Alternate versions:  Where's the Present  .


Alphabet Art
There are so many different types of art projects you can do to help reinforce alphabet learning.  I use these capital letter outlines and these lowercase letter outlines as templates for art projects.  For example, I use a lowercase letter a for students to create an apple.  I use a capital letter C for students to place cotton balls to make a cloud.  For a more detailed list of activities to use for each individual letter, please see THIS POST.


Letter Sorting
Cut letters out of magazines to sort by letter or to sort by capital and lowercase letters.  I love to use these alphabet outlines for students to glue examples of each letter form on the correct capital or lowercase letter.


Letter Matching 
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Simply write the letters on index cards or paper and have students match the letters that are the same.  Match capital letters to a matching capital letter or match the capital and lowercase letters!


Letter Clip Cards
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Clip cards are great for letter recognition as well as fine motor practice!  Simply use a cloths pin to clip on the correct match for the card you have!


Letter Puzzles (Type 1)
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Create puzzles for students to put together to form the letter they are learning. I use these capital letter outlines and these lowercase letter outlines as templates for making my puzzles.  I simply print off the letter, cut it out, then cut it into 5-6 pieces so my daughter can place it back together!


Letter Puzzles (Type 2)
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I create two piece puzzles for matching capital and lowercase letters for my daughter to use when practicing letter recognition.  These make a great center or morning tub activity as well as an independent activity for home schooled students.


Letters with Everyday Objects
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You can use objects found all around you to practice letter recognition.  You can use smooth rocks and write the letters on them with sharpie marker to create a matching center.  You an do the same with plastic bottle or milk jug caps.  Use the pieces from a letter puzzle or magnet set to match letters as well!


Letter Hunts
There are several kind of letter hunts you can do.  One is you can hide the chosen letter around your room or home for the students to find.  You can also search your room or home for objects that begin with the letter you are working on (pictured above with letter B objects).


Letter Hop Scotch
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Create a hop scotch board with letters instead of numbers!  Have students say the letters as they hop on them!


Letter Building
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Use blocks or other manipulatives to create letters!


The Missing Letter Game
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Write a series of letters on a white board or on paper in order but leave one letter out.  Have students try to guess which letter is missing.


Letter Organizing
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Give students letters (flash cards, tiles, or any of the DIY letters with everyday objects) and have them put the letters in order from A-Z!


Tracing and Painting with Chalk
Move letter learning outside and have your child trace the letters with chalk and then paint over the letters with water!


Letter Matching with Chalk
You can also save some paper and have your child do an alphabet matching activity with chalk!   Simply write capital letters on one side and lowercase letters on the other and have the child draw a lone to match the capital letter to its lowercase letter.


 Alphabet Jump!
Write the letters on the ground and have the student jump from letter to letter, saying each one as they land!


Have more ways to learn the alphabet?!  Share them in the comments!




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