Are you a preschool teacher, or a busy mom trying to teach your toddlers how to read? While there are tons of ideas for you to use, number 4 of 10 simple steps to teach children how to read is to play word games at home or in the car. That is exactly what these 60 ABC Activities for Preschoolers is about.
60 different ways to teach preschoolers the alphabet with a play based learning approach. If you want to dive a little deeper, then try the Letters and Sounds Program. It will show you which letters to teach first and how.
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ABC Activities for Preschoolers
1. Letter Imprints Alphabet Art
One of my favorite alphabet activities for kids is letter crafts. Use plastic letters and food coloring to make these colorful letter imprint art projects with your class.
2. Alphabet Flower Garden Activity
You don’t have to teach your kids the ABC’s in alphabetical order. Why not start with the letters in your child’s name, like in this flowerpot ABC activity.
Photo: Buggy and Buddy
3. Alphabet Sensory Bin
ABC activities for kids can be so much fun, especially if it’s through a play based learning approach. Find the letters in this sensory bin and match it to their place in the puzzle. This is a great find and match activity for toddlers and preschoolers.
4. Poke the Alphabet
This is a fun way to play with letters. A letter of the alphabet is hiding in each compartment of the muffin tin. You kids need to poke through the paper to pull the letters out, and match it to the same letter on the grid.
Photo: Days with Grey
5. Alphabet Puzzle Fine Motor Activity
You’d be pleasantly surprised how many ABC activities for preschoolers you can do with a simple alphabet puzzle. In this fun game, all you need to do is to wrap the puzzle pieces in foil. Your students will have to unwrap each piece before finding and placing the letters in the puzzle correctly.
6. Alphabet Playdough
Break out the play dough and make some letters. This is a great way to develop fine motor skills and letter formation.
Photo: Learning 4 Kids
7. Cardboard Roll Letter Match Activity
This is a wonderful toilet roll ABC matching activity for preschoolers. Write the letters on some dot stickers and an old toilet roll. Your class will need to peel the stickers off and place them over the matching letter. You can also do this activity if you want to match uppercase and lowercase letters, or colors and shapes.
8. Rock Letters Alphabet Activity
When teaching young children their letters, it’s important to choose ABC learning activities that are hands-on. Writing the alphabet on some rocks to create a matching game, is a fantastic way to get toddlers and preschoolers engaged with their learning journey.
Photo: Days with Grey
9. 35 Free Alphabet Printables
Don’t forget to check out this list of 35 Free Alphabet Printables. They’re a great way to start your literacy journey with your kids.
10. Pretend Play with Letters
Make learning fun with this post office pretend play setup. Kids will learn about the letters of the alphabet as they write and mail their own letters.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
11. Rainbow Sand Writing Tray
Not all alphabet activities for kids have to be done with pen and paper. This writing tray made from rainbow sand is a great way to practice writing skills in a different way.
12. 26 Alphabet Activity Cards
How many fun abc games can you do with flash cards? Get your copy of these ABC activity cards and see what you can do.
Photo: Days with Grey
13. Free Rainbow Alphabet Puzzles
I love free alphabet activities for preschoolers. It’s so much easier when you don’t have to waste a lot of time and money when doing your lesson plans. These rainbow alphabet puzzles are a free printable for you to download and use.
14. Hammer the Alphabet
Hammering golf tees into cardboard is a fun way to develop fine motor skills. But the best way to turn this activity into a literacy lesson, is to get your kids to hammer the alphabet while they do it.
Photo: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
15. Alphabet Sort
Sort the alphabet into letters with holes and no holes. ABC activities for preschoolers that focus on visual discrimination, really help kids to distinguish between similar looking letters when they learn to read.
Photo: Learning 4 Kids
16. Rainbow Alphabet
Grab this printable to make a fun letter matching game. Hide some letters underneath the cups and once the kids find them, they have to place the letters on the matching letter on the rainbow worksheet.
Photo: Growing Book By Book
17. Earth Day Alphabet Activity for Preschool
Throw away the garbage in this fun alphabet game. This is a great way for kids to learn to distinguish between upper and lowercase letters, while practicing some recycling at the same time.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
18. Threading Beads Alphabet Activity
Threading beads onto pipe cleaners to make letters is fantastic fun. It’s also a great way for kids to practice alphabet recognition through play.
Photo: The Imagination Tree
19. Disappearing Letters
It’s a little harder to find alphabet activities for toddlers. However you can start with some disappearing letters. Write the alphabet onto some coffee filters and let your toddlers add water to them. Then wait and watch as the letters disappear and change patterns.
Photo: No Time For Flashcards
20. Rainbow Rice Alphabet Sensory Bin
This is a fun sensory play idea that toddlers and preschoolers can get involved in. Hide the alphabet in the rainbow rice and make it fun to do a regular alphabet puzzle.
Photo: Little Bins for Little Hands
21. Cat In The Hat Alphabet Game
Break out the alphabet activities for kids in your preschool classroom. This cat in the hat alphabet game is a wonderful accompanying activity to the classic book by Dr Seuss.
Photo: Tot Schooling
22. Alphabet Match
Do you have alphabet stamps at home? If so, why not try some letter activities that don’t involve actual stamping. Here they make a quick and easy ABC matching game that your kids can do again and again.
Photo: Learning 4 Kids
23. Feed the Shark Alphabet Game for Kids
This is one of the best learning the alphabet activities that I’ve come across. Who doesn’t love the idea of feeding the shark some play letters?
Photo: Toddler Approved
24. Lego Letters
Use Lego building blocks to make the letters of the alphabet. The best part is that these are printable mats that you can download and use in your classroom for free.
Photo: Little Bins for Little Hands
25. Basketball Alphabet Game for Preschoolers
Getting your kids to engage in your ABC activities for preschoolers can be a challenge for an early childhood educator. Especially on rainy days when the kids just want to burn off some energy. This is a fun way to do both at the same time. This basketball alphabet game will teach your students their ABC’s while they get moving.
Photo: Schooltime Snippets
26. Stamp In The Blanks
Use an alphabet stamp to fill in the blanks of this easy activity idea. You can use this idea for uppercase letters or lowercase letters, depending on what you want to achieve that day.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
27. Seashell Alphabet Activity
What do you think of this alphabet shells sensory bin? This shows how there are so many different ways to learn the alphabet without the need for worksheets.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
28. Tractor Alphabet Activity
Grab this free tractor alphabet printable to help kids with letter recognition and sequencing. You can use this printable to create abc activities that focus on name recognition, straight vs. curved line sorting and more.
Photo: Growing Book by Book
29. Insect Sensory Bin and Alphabet Activity
This insect alphabet sensory bin is a great addition to your list of alphabet activities. As well as a fun way to teach kids about all the creepy crawly insects there are in this amazing world of ours.
Photo: Teaching Mama
30. Alphabet Worksheets
Here are several awesome alphabet activities all included in one free alphabet worksheet. Grab your dot markers and coloring pencils, because this is a fantastic option for busy moms.
Photo: This Reading Mama
31. Splash The Alphabet
Splash the alphabet has got to be one of the greatest alphabet activities for kids. Who doesn’t love splashing around, especially on a hot day. This is a great way to cool down and learn letters at the same time.
Photo: Days with Grey
32. Swat the Fly
If you’re looking for a way to combine gross motor skills and letter knowledge then try this swatting the fly ABC game. Each fly has a letter on it, all you need to do is swat the right one.
Photo: Gift of Curiosity
33. Alphabet Constellations
Letter constellations are wonderful ABC activities for kids who love outer space. Explore the cosmos with this easy play idea.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
34. Flashlight Alphabet Game
Use a flashlight to find the alphabet letters in the dark and then complete the puzzle. This is a fun game for kids who love to play with torches or lights.
Photo: Happily Ever Mom
35. Dollar Store Salt Tray
Salt trays are one of the classic ABC activities for preschoolers. Write out the letters in the salt and enjoy a bit of sensory play too.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
36. Giant Alphabet Activities
Draw large letters on the side of the fridge with a whiteboard marker. This is a fun way for kids to practice letter formation while you cook dinner in peace.
Photo: Laly Mom
37. Fishing for Letters
Go fishing with some free alphabet games. Find the fish and match the corresponding letters on the worksheets.
Photo: The Kindergarten Connection
38. Crayon Resist ABC Hearts
Get creative with some ABC learning activities. Which letter is hiding on the hearts? Use the crayon resist technique to find out.
Photo: The Measured Mom
39. Felt Leaf Letter Match
This is a great way for teaching letter recognition. Write out the alphabet on some felt leaves and wooden clothespins. Then encourage your preschoolers to clip the matching letters together. This will help fine motor skills as well as upper and lowercase letter matching.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
40. ABC Say and Spray Activity
Practice letter sounds and phonemic awareness with a fun say and spray activity. Write out letters or words on the pavement in chalk, then ask your kids to spray the letters that match what they hear.
Photo: A Dab of Glue Will Do
41. Brush Away the ABC Germs
Have you tried combining dental health with alphabet activities for kids? Write out the alphabet on a white ice tray and encourage the kids to brush them away. These ABC germs will get kids brushing their teeth without the morning fight.
Photo: Growing Book by Book
42. Bear Cave Alphabet Game
Using paper bags for some easy ways to make a bear cave. After creating the caves the bears will need to go on a bear hunt for some letters
Photo: Inspiration Laboratories.
43. Cardboard Tube Alphabet Activity
Use your recycling to make some alphabet activities for preschoolers. Write the alphabet on an old cardboard tube and get your kids to say out loud what they see.
Photo: Gift of Curiosity
44. Shell Letters
Use seashells to make letters in playdough. This is a great activity for the early years when you’re trying to teach kids the letters of their name.
Photo: No Time for Flashcards
45. Alphabet Archaeologist
Get digging into some science along with your ABC activities for preschoolers. Explore how to excavate fossil letters with this fun sensory bin.
Photo: Learning 4 Kids
46. Printable Owl ABC Game
Fly the owls to their place on the tree with this owl alphabet printable. This is a fun way to practice letter names or sounds with your preschoolers.
Photo: The Educators Spin on It
47. Letter Slap
Grab your copy of these alphabet cards and learn how to play the letter slap game. This is a fun way to teach letter recognition skills that your kids will love.
Photo: Gift of Curiosity
48. Farm Animal Alphabet Activity
This fun activity will help kids learn their ABC’s with the help of the farm. Use the full set of this farm animals ABC printable to get started.
Photo: A little Pinch of Perfect
49. Alphabet Leaf Activity
Rake up the alphabet leaves in this fun outdoor game. If you’re looking for alphabet activities for toddlers then this is perfect, because even very small children can get involved.
Photo: A Dab of Glue Will Do
50. Letter Sound Wheel Activity
This letter sound wheel printable is a great way for older kids to practice their starting sounds, and has become one of my favorite alphabet printables. Clip the clothespin onto the pictures that start with the sound of the letter in the middle.
Photo: Playdough to Plato
51. Fishing for Letters
Alphabet activities for kids are particularly great for kids who are having a tough time getting started. Activities as opposed to worksheets help kids who need a hands-on learning method to grasp new concepts.
This fishing for letters printable is a fantastic example of hands-on learning for preschoolers.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
52. Alphabet Train Tracks
Write the alphabet on some train tracks and say the sounds as the train drives around. Learning activities like this are great for 2 year olds and up.
Photo: Teaching Mama
53. Easter Egg Alphabet Game
Hide letters or simple words inside plastic easter eggs, then sort them into different baskets. Learning the alphabet activities can include sorting between vowels and consonants, letters with curved or straight lines and more.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
54. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Alphabet Activity
With a little creativity you can have some alphabet fun with any book your kids love. This Chicka chick boom boom activity is guaranteed to keep your kids engaged.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
55. Giant Alphabet Dot to Dot Maze
Fitting ABC activities for preschoolers into everyday life doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. With this ABC dot to dot maze, all you need to do is write the alphabet on a page, then get your kids to join up all the matching letters. How easy is that?
Photo: Days with Grey
56. Alphabet Puppy Chow Game
Here’s some fun preschool alphabet activities that you can have with magnet letters. Attach a magnet to the end of a toy dog’s nose and let the puppy eat some letters.
Photo: Pre-K Pages
57. ABC Game with Water Balloons
There are so many different great ideas you can try with water balloons. Hide some letters and toys inside the water balloons and let your kids pop them to see what’s inside.
Photo: Teaching Mama
58. Sensory ABC Activity
I like this sensory ABC activity, but I would have loved it even more if it was alphabet soup. If you have foam letters like these at home, add them to a tub of water for some splashing alphabet activities.
Photo: Powerful Mothering
59. Alphabet Pillow Jump
It’s a lot of hard work jumping from one pillow to the next. So if you’re looking for fun alphabet activities that also burn off some energy, then try an ABC pillow jump game. Place some letters on each of the pillows and get your kids to say them as they’re jumping.
Photo: Toddler Approved
60. Gingerbread ABC Playdough
This gingerbread ABC playdough is a fantastic activity for small groups to do together around Christmas time. What merry creations will they come up with together?
Photo: Fantastic Fun and Learning
61. Alphabet Road Mats
Use toy cars to practice letter and number formation with these printable number and car road mats. They’re a great resource for any preschool classroom.
62. Alphabet Playdough Mats
Use playdough, a dry erase marker or other manipulative to teach children their ABC’s. These alphabet playdough mats are a fun, hans-on way to teach children letter formation and phonics.
Are you going to try any of these ABC Activities for Preschoolers?
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