I've relied on the trusty alphabet magnets to teach Baby D the alphabet the traditional way. Point to the letter and recite "A is for Apple, B is for Ball" and although it is a great conventional way to use alphabet magnets, I love to find new ways to repurpose the magnets. Here are five learning acitivties you can do with your kids to keep them engaged and having fun with letters:
1. Alphabet Soup
You will need:
- 1 Pot
- 1 Soup Spoon
- 2 Bowls
- Alphabet Magnets
Grab a pot, soup spoon, a couple bowls and the alphabet magnets. Drop the alphabet magnets in the pot and give your toddler the spoon to stir up the "alphabet soup". Tell your toddler you'd like some "A Soup" and she would then have to find the letter "A" in the pot, pick it up with the spoon, and pour it into your bowl. This is a fun way to encourage letter recognition as well as practice gross motor skills, as she has to use the spoon in her hand to get the letter. Also a creative way for them to play chef!
2. Reading and Alphabet Exercise
You will need:
- Your Favorite Book
- Alphabet Magnets
Spread the alphabet magnets on the floor next to your child and his favorite book on the other side. Read the book and as you turn each page, find the first word on the page and ask him what the first letter is. If the first word on the page is "Elephant", have him recite "E" and have him find the "E" magnet to put on the page. This activity works really great with animals books. Your child is learning how to read, and also learning about the animals or other subjects in the book that you are reading.
3. Scavenger Hunt
You will need:
- 1 Bucket/Pail
- Alphabet Magnets
Pick a safe kid-friendly spot to hide the alphabet magnets and have your toddler search for them. When he finds a letter, have him recite the letter he has found and put it in the bucket. I like to start with a few letters at a time, so I usually hide 7 letters and once he's found them all, I hide the next 7. This promotes problem solving skills, letter recognition and gets them up and moving physically.
4. Color Sorting
You will need:
- Just the Alphabet Magnets
Have your child do free play with the alphabet magnets on the refrigerator and have her group the letters by color. This is something that Baby D came up with on his own. I was cooking one day and could hear Baby D saying "A, B, C.." so I turned around to see him playing with the alphabet magnets on the refrigerator, but I also noticed he was grouping them by color. It's amazing what your child can learn on their own with the tools you give them!
5. Learn to Spell
You will need:
- Large Paper Pad
- Marker
- Alphabet Magnets
Mom or dad will need to prep the spelling sheets, so that the child can fill it in. Start with drawing something your child already recognizes. I drew a cat (don't you love my artistic skills?), next draw three blank lines. Help your child fill in the blank by finding the "C, A and T" magnets to put on the paper. Recite the spelling of the word and use it in a sentence. You can prepare 5-10 sheets of different animals or objects your child knows. This helps develop spelling skills and letter recognition.