Simple Play With Letters.

Toddlers learn best through play; therefore, I want to intentionally create play-based learning experiences to expose them to simply play with letters. Activities for toddlers are vital that early learning experiences are fun and positive. By ‘playing together’ both parent and child are relaxed. I will share with you five simple play with letters activities for you to try.

Alphabet Soup!

Materials: Container, water, and foam letters. Add kitchen items such as saucepans, whisk, strainer and plates.

Step-by-step:

1. Half fill a container with water. Always supervise children around the water.
2. Add foam letters and gather various kitchen items for your child to use.
3. Your child can stir all the letters and various other chosen items.
4. They can scoop out various letters or choose items to place into a saucepan to ‘cook’.
5. They may even want to plate up various creations.

 

Simple Play With Letters.

 Materials: Box, marker, 26 popsicle sticks, and a sharp knife (adult use only).

 Step-by-step:

1. The adult cuts 26 slits in rows equally spaced apart into one side of a cardboard box.
2. Write the letters of the alphabet below each slit (I used upper and lowercase).
3. Write the letters of the alphabet on popsicle sticks (I used upper and lowercase).
4. Your child matches the letters on the poopsicle sticks to those on the box.

For other activity ideas using popsicle sticks see my simple play with numbers post.

 

Fishing for letters and name practice.

Materials: water beads, container, fishing rod/magnetic wand, and magnetic letters.

Step-by-step:

1. Prepare water beads according to packet instructions. Always supervise your child with water beads.
2. Place magnetic letters in the tray with the water beads. It´s best to start with letters in your child´s name.
3. Use the magnetic fishing rod/magnetic wand to fish for one letter at a time.

Another way to play: Match each letter that is fished out of the container to its corresponding letter. It could be matching uppercase letters to lowercase letters or lowercase to lowercase letters.

Letter splat!

Materials: paint, cotton circles, child´s hammer, paper, and a marker.

Step-by-step:

1. Write upper and lowercase letters on cotton circles. You may focus on a couple of letters that your child is practicing.
2. Place red and blue paint splodges on paper.
3. Match the uppercase letters on the cotton circles to the red paint splodges.
4. Match the lowercase letters on the cotton circles to the blue paint splodges.
5. Use the child´s hammer to splat the colors.
6. Swap the cotton circles to the opposite colour and use the hammer to splat the colour again.
7. Observe the blue and red paints mixing to create purple.

 

Name scavenger hunt.

Materials: paper, marker, cloth bag, paintbrush, water, and letters in your child´s name. Gather items that begin with the letters in your child´s name. I used H for hippo, O for ostrich, etc.

Note: You can also use magnetic letters and place them on a magnetic surface like a fridge if you don´t have foam letters. However, it´s a great idea to have your child work on a vertical surface and make them busy by involving them in toddler activities that are fun learning.

 

Step-by-step:

1. Gather items that begin with the letters in your child´s name.
2. Write the letters of your child´s name on paper and draw the item your child will find. Eg: H for hippo.
3. Hide the foam letters and the corresponding item (I used animal figurines) around the house.
4. Give your child a cloth bag to collect the various items and a marker to check off each item they find.
5. Once all items are collected, use a paintbrush and water to stick the foam letters of their name in order on a glass windowpane.
6. Line up the animal figurines (your chosen items) in their name incorrect order.

Another way to play: For older children, they could also practice writing the letters, or they could practice writing their name with a capital beginning letter and lowercase letters for the rest of their name. Such toddler activities at home are important for your little ones to learn new things.

In conclusion, you can always visit my Instagram account or Facebook for further play ideas and find new toddler activities.

alphabet, letters, Play