Things You'll Need:
- A can Shaving Foam
- 26 Colored Paper Plates
- A Large Table or Open Floor
- Wooden Ruler
- Prize
- Canvas Bag
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Step 1
Spray each plate with a small amount of shaving cream. The toddler or preschooler can help you do this. Use the ruler to flatten out the shaving cream by scraping off the excess. Shake off the excess into the next plate, so the shaving cream foam is not wasted.
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Step 2
Make a path of the plates in a straight line, with a couple of curves. The path can look like a real walking path. The plates can be set up outdoors, weather permitting.
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Step 3
Ask the preschooler to recite the alphabet, stopping between each letter. When the preschooler recites the correct letter, draw it in the shaving cream plate. Older preschoolers who are learning how to write can practice drawing their own letters in each plate.
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Step 4
Continue through the alphabet, and down the path of shaving cream plates. Help the preschooler with any alphabet letters that are hard for them. Also help them draw the letters in the shaving cream if they are struggling. The game should be educational, but it should also be fun. Give a prize at the end.
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Step 5
Advance the game by having the child arrange the alphabet letters into simple words. Or, mix up the plates and have the child put them back in alphabetical order.
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Step 1
Take a walk with a child on a sunny day. This can also be done indoors on a rainy day. Encourage the child to find an object beginning with the letter "a." If the object is something you can touch, ask the child to pick it up. Store tangible items temporarily in a canvas sack.
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Step 2
Continue looking for objects, moving to "b," "c" and the rest of the alphabet. Some letters including "c," "k," or "s" may be confusing for young children learning the alphabet.
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Step 3
Collect objects as you play the game. Place only natural, non-living objects in the canvas sack. When the bag gets heavy, you can stop collecting objects.
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Step 4
Find a clear patch of sand and a long stick. Empty out the sack on the ground. Go through the pile of objects and ask the child to name each one. For each one, write the first letter in the sand. Older children can practice writing their letters related to the objects they collected.
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Step 5
Discard most of the objects, if outside. Keep one or two objects like a leaf, a small rock, or an acorn as a happy reminder of the alphabet game. If you played this alphabet game inside, make a game of putting all the objects back in their proper places.
