Hands-On Letter Games for Preschoolers
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Preschoolers learn best with hands-on activities, and these hands-on letter games are a great way to work on letter recognition and letter sounds.
This great collection of hands-on activities includes scavenger hunts, sensory bins, and much more. Pick one to try today and choose a few more to try over the next few weeks.
It’s important to find a variety of ways to introduce and reinforce early literacy skills as you begin to build the foundation for reading and writing.
Below, you’ll find seasonal letter games to add to your holiday lessons alongside evergreen games that can be used all year long.
If you find one you love and you aren’t ready to use it, be sure to pin it for later so you know where it is when you need it.
What are hands-on activities?
Hands-on activities for preschoolers are those that engage children in learning through direct, physical manipulation of materials and objects.
Examples of hands-on activities for preschoolers may include:
- Art projects, such as painting, drawing, or sculpting with clay
- Sensory play, such as exploring sand, water, or playdough
- STEM activities, such as building with blocks, constructing with Legos, or experimenting with magnets
- Dramatic play, such as pretending to be doctors, chefs, or firefighters
- Nature exploration, such as going on nature walks, planting seeds, or observing insects
- Music and movement, such as dancing, singing, or playing instruments
These activities provide children with opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and discovery, which support their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development.
Why are hands-on activities important?
Hands-on activities play a crucial role in the preschool classroom as they provide children with numerous benefits.
These activities stimulate children’s senses and promote their physical development, as well as their cognitive and emotional growth.
Engaging in hands-on activities allows children to explore, experiment, and discover the world around them, which fosters their creativity and curiosity.
Moreover, these activities encourage children to communicate and collaborate with their peers, which further enhances their social and emotional skills.
By engaging in hands-on activities, young children develop a sense of independence and confidence, which prepares them to become lifelong learners.
Hands-On Letter Games for Preschoolers
Are you looking for fun and engaging ways to teach your preschooler letters? Look no further!
Let's explore hands-on letter games that will help your child learn while having a blast.
Get ready to watch your little one's literacy skills soar!
This shamrock-themed letter matching game is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day literacy fun.
An outdoor alphabet hunt is a great way to focus on beginning sounds.
Search your neighborhood or city for something (or someplace) that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
You can play a game of Simon Says with your preschoolers to reinforce early literacy skills.
Have Simon tell the children to recite the alphabet, search for letters, and practice phonics.
Kids can find magnetic letters on the fridge, letters on books, or even draw letters on a piece of paper.
Here’s a fun Bottle Cap Letters Matching Game that makes learning letters a fun activity.
Preschoolers love to play with play dough. It’s fun, it’s squishy, and it’s an excellent way to learn the alphabet.
Discover three ways to learn the alphabet with play dough!
If your preschoolers have a little extra energy to burn, set up this alphabet hop game.
They’ll burn energy as they hop from one letter to the next.
If your kids love to pay tic-tac-toe, try playing Letter Tic-Tac-Toe to reach or reinforce letter recognition.
Another way to thoroughly engage your preschoolers in your learning time is to add food.
This letter recognition game uses letter cookies or crackers.
This Fill the Letter game is a fun full-body way to practice the alphabet.
When you create a sand or salt tray, there are many ways to teach the alphabet.
One is to trace the letters in the sand. Another is to create a little scavenger hunt.
Use letter puzzles or letter magnets to create a simple ABC matching activity.
This Bottle Cap Letters Matching Game is a quick prep activity you can set up during your fall theme, pumpkin activities or Halloween theme activities.
Your kids will beg to play this “Can You Find the Letter?” flashlight alphabet game.
This large-scale letter matching I Spy wall is a really fun way for tots and preschoolers to learn the alphabet and letter sounds while developing visual discrimination and hand-eye coordination skills.
Here’s another fun way to incorporate your child’s favorite toys into a fun alphabet learning game.
These quick and easy paper tunnels make learning the alphabet a super fun hands-on activity.
You can upcycle an old egg carton and turn it into a fun alphabet sorting game your kids will love.
This Feed the Shark alphabet game is perfect for Shark Week, ocean themes, or animal studies.
With a free printable base, this alphabet soup magnet matching activity is a great way to work on letter recognition and visual discrimination.
This hibernation-themed preschool letter matching activity will be a great addition to your winter and animal-themed lesson plans.
Your child’s fidget spinner can be turned into a paper plate spinner literacy game.
Must Have Resources:
When completing these crafts and activities at home, I find that the following resources are very helpful to have on hand.
Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:
Looking for some seasonal alphabet games? I’ve got three Christmas-themed alphabet games for kindergarten and preschool you don’t want to miss!
Teaching the ABCs should be fun and engaging. It will be when you prepare this Feed the Monster alphabet game for your preschoolers!
Teaching little ones to read begins with the alphabet. These alphabet activities for preschoolers are great for teaching and reinforcing the ABCs.
Teaching your preschooler letters can be a fun and enjoyable experience for both you and your child.
Through these hands-on games, we hope you discovered that learning letters can be a dynamic and interactive process that encourages children’s creativity, curiosity, and imagination.
Whether you’re using sensory play, dramatic play, or STEM activities, the key is to make learning letters a playful and engaging experience.
So, grab your materials, get ready to play, and let the learning begin!
