Lose the Pencil and Learn to Write: 10 Fun ways to learn the ABCs
Learning and writing the ABCs is one of the most important skills for all children!
Gaining alphabet knowledge and building foundational literacy skills should be fun and doesn’t have to become a torture-filled task. Not many teachers will admit it, but pencils can be very dull and boring for children. You can’t play with pencils. They don’t pack a powerful multi-sensory experience and writing with a pencil over and over can lead to overall disengagement. Are there any other fun options that can help my kid to learn their ABCs? Yes, yes yes! Here are some fail-proof ways to make learning the ABCs an exciting adventure on the road to learning!
Alphabet Bingo: make cards with letters then use a dot marker to mark each letter as called. The first to get 5 in a row wins!
Clothespin Match: write the letters on clothespins then have your child look for and clip them onto the matching letter written on index cards. If you need this task to be easier, start with only letters of their name. If you need this task to be more challenging, have them match uppercase letter on the clothespin with lowercase letter on the index card
Backyard Letter Hunt: write letters on small pieces of paper then hide around whatever space you are in which can be done both indoors and out. Add a gross motor/sensory-motor component by having child animal walk, skip, jump, hop to each letter they find
Sidewalk Chalk: write letters in chalk then have your child run to each letter you call out
Dot to Dots/Mazes: make an ABC dot to dot or maze using markers, crayons, or dry erase markers. Have child navigate finding letters as they go
Bean Bag Toss: label buckets or containers with letters, then call out or show a letter and have your child toss a bean bag into that lettered container
Trash It: write letters on small pieces of paper then have your child find the letter, crumple it up into a ball and toss it basketball-style into the trash or an empty container
Band-Aid Bear: Write letters on band-aids and have the child find the correct letter and place it on their stuffed bear’s “boo-boo
Egg Hunt: write letters then place in plastic eggs as your child looks for them
Get Messy: use shaving cream, sand tray, finger paint to make letters for a fun tactile experience
The ideas are endless, but here are a handful to get you started. Choose one each day for novel, fun ways for your child to learn their ABC’s in a dynamic way!
