Alphabet foam letters activities support beginning literacy skills for early learners. Letter match-ups and tracing are part of the fun in hands-on play with letters of the alphabet.
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It’s an exciting time for kids when they learn to recognize the letters in their names. They’ll start noticing their letters in many different places.
Kids will pick out the letters in road signs and store fronts. They’ll point out familiar letters in books and on cereal boxes. Toys and props like alphabet blocks and alphabet books will add to their everyday exposure to letters.
You can support kids early learning with everyday activities like this letter matching activity. Kids can use foam letters to spell their names or to make greeting cards or name tags.
Literacy Activities on Pinterest
Activities with foam letters
In this post I provide two projects you can do with foam letters. These activities are a great start for learning to recognize and name the letters of the alphabet.
I also share a few literacy games you can do with your preschoolers.
Materials list
- cardstock
- stencil
- foam letters
- pencil
You can do these activities with wooden or magnetic letters if foam letters are not available. Each material adds a different sensory experience to the activity.
Activity #1 – Spell your name
Make name tags using a stencil and self-adhesive letters.
1. Stencil the letters of your name onto a label.
2. Find the letters in your name on a sheet of self-adhesive foam letters.
- For younger children, you can stencil each name onto the tag beforehand, and provide the corresponding letters.
Label personal belongings, a cubby, or artwork with the name tag.
Activity #2 – Spell the word
Make a set of cards with large letters and colorful pictures.
1. Cut 5-1/2 in. (14 cm.) squares from card stock.
2. Glue a colorful picture to each card.
3. Stencil the letters onto the cards. After stenciling, highlight the letters with a marker or crayon.
4. Laminate the cards with contact paper for durability.
Kids can help make the cards: choose pictures from magazines or catalogs, glue pictures to the cardstock with a glue stick; stencil letters onto the cardstock.
You can prepare the materials ahead of time for younger children.
Whatever the age or skill level, kids especially love recognizing letters in their names, and they enjoy simple matching games.
Activities like these promote letter recognition in ways that are both fun and engaging, and benefit early literacy skills.
Learning Through Play
1. Match the Letters
Place a set of cards on the table that spell the child’s name. Put alphabet letters in a ‘feely’ bag. Draw a letter from the bag and match it to one of the letters in the name.
For small group play, the child may pass the letter on to another child who identifies that letter in his or her name.
2. Letter Sounds
Place alphabet letters on the table. Make the sound of the letter T. Children try to pick out the letter T. Think of other words that begin with the letter T. You can also use visuals such as pictures or objects to match sounds.
3. Song #1: I Want to Eat Apples and Bananas
Provide each of the children with a “vowel” printed on a large card. As you sing each verse, the children can hold up their cards with the letter corresponding to the vowel sound you are emphasizing.
4. Song #2 B-I-N-G-O
Provide cards with the letters face up on the table. Turn a card over to eliminate a letter as you sing. Substitute a clap for a letter until you are only clapping and no letters are being displayed.
