Sprout English’s theme of the week is all about Reviewing the ABCs. You’ll find hundreds of creative ideas for ABC-themed crafts, games, and activities all over the Internet if you start searching. Here are some of the best ideas we discovered. Be sure to click on the links for full tutorials and instructions from creative teachers and parents. Share your own ideas in the comments!
A is for Art Book
Assign each student a letter (or two) of the alphabet. (Or put some students in pairs if you want to have exactly 26 pieces of art.) Give each student (or grouping) a blank piece of three-ringed paper to create a page of art for the letter (e.g., A is for Auntie). Place all of the art into an Alphabet Art Book binder. Let students take turns taking the book home. Alternatively, do this over the course of the year as a “letter of the week” project. Each child would have his own binder full of art.
B is for Blocks
Get some wooden blocks and have kids create alphabet blocks out of them. The blocks should have two letters (upper and lowercase) and a bunch of pictures that represent the assigned letter. Kids can use paint, markers, glitter, etc. to decorate the blocks. When the blocks are dry, gather them all together and use them at a play center. (Or attach a ribbon with hot glue and send them home as Christmas tree ornaments.)
C is for Cookie
Find out which letter is the trickiest for each student. Make sugar cookie dough and have students bake and decorate a cookie in the shape of the letter they find most difficult. When the cookies are ready, the kids can eat them up!
D is for Delivery
Do you have kids in your class (or home) who love to play cars? Place toy cars, plastic or wooden letters, and a small mailbox in a play corner. Show the students how the cars can deliver letters.
E is for Eat
Show Cookie Monster’s Letter of the Day videos! He usually eats the letter. Can your students correct Cookie Monster’s poor grammar?
F is for Frisbee
Tape or write letters onto tupperware lids. Have kids throw them like frisbees. Who threw the farthest?
G is for Grass
Use glue to make letters on paper. Then decorate the letters with grass, leaves, or plants.
H is for Hammer
Build some fun boards for hammering letters. Or write letters on a construction play set and let kids hammer away. Encourage them to make the letter sounds as they hammer.
I is for I Spy
Put a newspaper page and a magnifying glass at a learning center and tell the kids to be letter detectives. (Maybe have a detective’s jacket available too.) Pick a new letter of the day for I Spy each day. How many uppercase Ms can the kids spot on Monday? On Tuesday have learners look for uppercase Ts.
J is for Jump
Grab some chalk and write a bunch of letters all over an outdoor play area. Shout out different letters that kids have to jump to. Or play Alphabet Hopscotch with foam letters instead of rocks. Write letters instead of numbers on the grid.
K is for Kidney Beans
Write upper and lowercase letters on dry kidney beans (or white beans). Then write the same letters on paper muffin cups in muffin trays. Kids have to put the beans in the correct tray.
L is for Lego my Alphabet
Write alphabet letters on the edges of Lego blocks and have kids build word castles and match upper and lowercase letters.
M is for Memory
Make an easy alphabet memory game with plastic or wooden letters (two of each) and disposable cups.
N is for Name Game
Try Tanya’s Name Game idea.
O is for Own Alphabet
What are your students interested in? Ballet, hockey, art, music? Give them an alphabet sheet (or have them write their own letters) and have them transform it into their own alphabet based on a passion or interest.
P is for Pretend
Bring in a pot, some plastic or wooden letters, and a ladle. Kids love to pretend to cook! After kids choose a few letters with the ladle they have to identify what’s in their alphabet soup. (E.g., if they catch d, a, and s, they might have donuts, apples, and soda in their soup. Yum!)
Q is for Q-Tips
For printing practice, have kids dip Q-tips in water to draw or trace letters on a whiteboard. Then they can use the dry side to trace them again.
R is for Race
Make letter-shaped roads out of tape on the carpet or floor. Kids can drive cars on the tracks. Parents: You can even make alphabet tracks out of pizza boxes to race in the car!
S is for Sweet Tooth
Write letters on the bottom of Hershey Kisses. Allow kids to eat one if they get a match. Then they have to replace the missing letter by writing it on a new candy. This might work best for home practice! Sweet!
T is for Treasure
Send kids outside to collect rocks or shells. Write letters on the collection. Put the items in an alphabet treasure box. Or, send your kids on an alphabet treasure hunt.
U is for Unlock
Ask other teachers to share unused locks and keys and make your own Unlock the Alphabet game. Keep this fun game in a little safe or toy locker to avoid losing parts.
V is for Vase
Fill a vase with colourful magnetic alphabet letters and add some pretty wildflowers (or fake flowers). Deliver alphabet vases to other classroom teachers for Teachers’ Day or a teacher’s birthday. Or, if you’re a parent, make one for a teacher’s gift.
W is for Word Search
Make your own word search for each letter of the alphabet.
X is for X-Ray
Ask students to help you create a spooky X-ray font out of bone-shaped letters (fun for Halloween).
Y is for Yuck!
Hiding letters in shaving cream? Yuck!
Z is for Zoo Magnets
Assign a letter to each student. Have students cut out an animal from a magazine that goes with the letter. Make zoo magnets (e.g., A is for Alligator).
Related
Alphabet Review
The Name Game
Summer Printing Practice Ideas
