Early Childhood - educational preschool and kindergarten teaching activities

Alphabet Activities

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alphabet and number ideas!!!

Alphabet Freeze

Place one of each of the twenty six letters of the alphabet on index cards (or you can use pre-made flashcards. Put the cards randomly around the area of the carpet you have space to move around. Play a song and have the children move around the letters. When the music stops, the children must quickly find a letter to stand on. Ask each child what letter they are standing on, words that begin with that letter,
names of friends in class that begin with that letter, etc.

Body Alphabet

This is always fun, but not always easy! Have the children try to make the letters of the alphabet using their bodies.

Alphabet/Word Puzzles

On heavy cardstock, draw a letter of the alphabet (or a word-depending on chidren's skill level). Cut into various pieces to make a puzzle for the children to put together.

If Your Name Starts With
Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"
an action alphabet rhyme

If your name starts with A turn around.
If your name starts with B touch the ground.
If your name starts with C then stand up and touch your knee.
Clap your hands if your name starts with D.
If your name starts with E wink your eye.
If your name starts with F try to fly.
If your name starts with G blow a kiss up here to me.
If your name starts with H say "Hee, Hee".
If your name starts with I tap your toe.
If your name starts with J say "Ho, Ho".
If your name starts with K then stand up and start to sway.
If your name starts with L say "Ole".
If your name starts with M make a smile.
If your name starts with N shake awhile.
If your name starts with O put your elbow on your toe.
If your name starts with P say "I know!"
If your name starts with Q raise your hand.
If your name starts with R your should stand.
If your name starts with S you should pat your head, I guess.
If your name starts with T say "Oh, yes!"
If your name starts with U touch your eye.
If your name starts with V pat your thigh.
If your name starts with W, X, Y or Z
Then stand up, take a bow and say "That's me!"

Thanks to Jeny Searcy!

Alphabet Rhyme #1

A is for Apple, B is for Ball,
C is for Cat, D is for Doll.
E is for Egg, F is for Feet,
G is for Girl, and H is for Heat.
I is for Igloo, and J is for Jump,
K is for Kangaroo, L is for Lump.
M is for Mighty, N is for Nest,
O is for Octopus, P is for Pest.
Q is for Queen, and R is for Rail,
S is for Sitting, and T is for Tail.
U is for Uncle, Umbrella and Use,
V is for Vacation, Valentine and Views,
W is for Window, Whistle and Way,
X is for Xylophone that we like to play.
Y is for Yellow and Yelling and You.
Z is for Zero and Zipper and Zoo.

Alphabet Rhyme #2

A is for apple, armadillo and air.
B is for book, beachball and bear.
C is for cat, crayon and cape.
D is for dog, dragon and drapes.
E is for elephant, eagle and eye.
F is for farm, fire and fly.
G is for goat, golf and guy.
H is for hat, hippo and hi.
I is for instrument, ice and igloo.
J is for juggle, jungle and jumparoo.
K is for kangaroo, kite and kid.
L is for lamb, lion, and lid.
M is for mother, mouse, and might.
N is for noodle, nest and night.
O is for octopus, ostrich and owl.
P is for penguin, pig and pal.
Q is for queen, quilt and quail.
R is for rabbit, rainbow and rail.
S is for seal, swan and sun.
T is for table, tiger and ton.
U is for umbrella, underwear and umpire.
V is for vulture, volcano and vampire.
W is for wizard, water and wishbone.
X is for x-ray, xerox and xylophone.
Y is for yak, yogurt and you.
Z is for zebra, zion and zoo.

Thanks to Jeny Searcy!

Alphagator Story

Once there was an Alpha-Gator
Who absolutely adored the alphabet
He ate the letters and he�d dream sweet
Alphabet dreams all night long.

On Monday, he ate the letters ABCDEF
Then he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
But the pointy part of the A kept
Poking him in his tummy.
And he couldn�t sleep a wink all night long!

On Tuesday, he ate the letters GHIJK.
Then he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
But H and I made a word and said it over and over-
HI, HI, HI
And he couldn�t sleep a wink all night long!

On Wednesday, he ate the letters LMNOP.
Then he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
But the O kept rolling back and forth in his tummy-
And he couldn�t sleep a wink all night long!

On Thursday, he ate the letters QRSTUV.
Then he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
But the S kept saying �SSSS� and playing snake
in his tummy-
And he couldn�t sleep a wink all night long!

On Friday, he ate the letters WXYZ.
Then he closed his eyes to get some sleep.
And he dreamed sweet Z�s
All night long!
See you later Alpha-Gator!

Thanks to Jeny Searcy!

Texture letters and numbers

You can use a variey of materials to make letters and numbers out of for your tactile learners.
Try cutting letters and numbers out of sandpaper, fake fur, cardboard, rubber, and anything
else with a neat texture!

3-D Letters and Numbers

Cut a large letter or number out of cardboard. Have the children paint it using my 3-D soap
paint recipe or puff paint (in my book) :) When it dries, you have a textured letter/number.

Alphabet/Number Books

There are numerous ways to make an alphabet or number book. Anywhere from cutting pictures and letters out of magazines, to doing them on your computer. You can bind them using a binder, staples, or weaving them together with yarn. Use some of the rhymes on this page, along with pictures and you have instant alphabet and number books!

Alphabet/Number Tubs

There are a variety of containers you could use for this activity. You can use margarine tubs, small gift boxes, or any other small container. Just make sure you have 26 for letters and up to as many as you want for numbers. You can decorate the container as you like. Put the letter or numeral in large lock letters on the top of the lid and place the items inside. Put small items with the beginning letter in the corresponding letter box; or the amount of objects corresponding to the numeral box. For instance, put a small plastic apple, a plastic ant and a picture of an alligator in the Aa box. Or put 10 buttons in the 10 box. You can add as many items as the box will hold!

Alphabet blocks

This is an easy and inexpensive idea, that kids love. Get 26 boxes with lids. You can use all the same size, different sizes, big and small. Cover each box with wrapping paper, newsprint, or whatever you like (as long as it is one plain light color-white is the best). Write a letter, capital or lowercase, or both on the the boxes. Kids can use these to build, sequence the alphabet, matching, etc.

Magnetic Board Letters

The kids love this! If you go to a dollar store and get as many cookie sheets as students, each child can have their own magnetic board. Magnetic letters and numbers work great and the children love that they have their own board. You can put their name on a strip of paper with magnets on the back, along with magnetic letters on the cookie sheet and have them spell their name!

Number Activities

The Ants Go Marching

The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants came marching one by one
The little one stopped to suck his thumb.
They all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain.
Boom, Boom, Boom.

The ants came marching two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants came marching two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants came marching two by two
The little one stopped to tie his shoe.
They all go marching down around the town.
Boom, Boom, Boom.

Other Verses:
The ants came marching three by three...
The little one stopped to climb a tree.

The ants came marching four by four....
The little one stopped to shut the door....

The ants came marching five by five...
The little one stopped to jump and jive....

The ants came marching six by six....
The little one stopped to pick up sticks....

The ants came marching seven by seven....
The little one stopped to go to heaven...

The ants came marching eight by eight...
The little one stopped to shut the gate...

The ants came marching nine by nine...
The little one stopped to drink and dine...

The ants came marching ten by ten
The little one stopped to say THE END!

Number Poem

Number 1 is like a stick. A straight line that is very quick.
For number 2, go right around. Then make a line across the ground
Go right around. What will it be? Go round again to make a 3.
Down and over and down some more. That's the way to make a 4.
Go down and around. Then you stop. Finish the 5 with a line on top.
Make a curve. Then make a loop. There are no tricks to make a 6.
Across the sky and down from heaven. That's the way to make a 7.
Make an "S" and then don't wait. Go up again to make an 8.
Make a loop and then a line. That's the way to make a 9.
Make a 1 and then an 0 - 10 are all your fingers you know!

Sorting Ideas

You can use a variety of items for sorting and for counting. Buttons, rocks, pasta, etc. Pasta is neat because
you can color it in a variety of colors and use for color matching and counting both.