Need a little ABC fun? Check out these awesome alphabet activities for kids of all ages.
Are your wondering how to teach your child the ABCs? Curious how to do it and what the best approach is? You’ve come to the right post: my alphabet activities list is the perfect for helping your child with learning the alphabet the hands-on way.
RELATED: Wondering what learning looks like at my house? Check out Playing Preschool: my at-home activities program.
All children learn the alphabet and to read at different paces.
It’s childhood, not a race to the top. There is no expectation that a toddler or preschooler should know any of their letters – in fact, 30 years ago children WENT to kindergarten to learn the ABCs.
You can read more about why you should stop worrying about your child and the ABCs in this blog post.
Instead of drilling the ABCs into them, expose kids to letters, make letters a part of everyday life, and allow it come by your child naturally.
This ABC post is full of hands on ways to introduce the alphabet to your child and let them naturally become familiar with these symbols in the same way they play with dinosaurs and construction vehicles (even before they know all the names of those objects).
Let’s make the alphabet something familiar and fun rather than something to worry about and dread.
RELATED: Looking for other hands-on fun activity ideas? Check out my favorite activities list!
I’ve compiled a list of 50+ fantastic hands on alphabet activities!
These activities are perfect and tailor made for kids – hands-on, dynamic, engaging learning activities.
To help you find what you are looking for, I’ve separated the list into 3 categories: sensory-based alphabet activities, easy indoor ABC ideas, and outdoor letter play.
Get ready to click through to some amazing blogs…
20+ Sensory-Based Alphabet Activities
- Floating Letters – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Construction Zone – Play, Teach, Repeat
- Letter Hunt – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Discovery Bottle – The OT Toolbox
- Alphabet Post-It Match – Busy Toddler
- Sensory ABC Activity – Powerful Mothering
- ABC Jell-O – Busy Toddler
- Rainbow Rice Alphabet Puzzle Activity and Sensory Play for Kids – Little Bins for Little Hands
- Alphabet Soup – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Sensory Bin – Stay at Home Educator
- Alphabet Sensory Ice Play – Something 2 Offer
- Magnetic Alphabet Sensory Bin – Busy Toddler
- DIY Learning Alphabet Sensory Bottle – The Jenny Revolution
- Letter Sounds Activity and Sensory Play – Little Bins for Little Hands
- Buried Letters Match-Up – Busy Toddler
- Letter Hunt Alphabet Sensory Bag – My Mundane and Miraculous Life
- ABC Play Dough Puzzle – Busy Toddler
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Alphabet Play – Natural Beach Living
- Water Bead Sensory Bin – Play dough to Popsicles
- Alphabet Sift – Busy Toddler
20+ Easy Indoor Alphabet Activities
- Alphabet Post-It Wall – Busy Toddler
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Small World – Buggy and Buddy
- Alphabet Cookie Match Game – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Connect Activity – Munchkins and Moms
- Alphabet Cave – Preschool Learning Cave – Cutting Tiny Bites
- Letter Board Alphabet Activity – Busy Toddler
- ABC Sort – Busy Toddler
- Geoboard Alphabet Matching – Munchkins and Moms
- ABC Match – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Letters: Alphabet Act – The Natural Homeschool
- Secret Letters – Busy Toddler
- DIY Tactile Alphabet Cards – Playground Parkbench
- Magnetic Letters Connect the Dots – School Time Snippets
- Easy Alphabet Match-Up – Busy Toddler
- Under the Sea Bubble ABC Matching Sticker Activity – Play Dough & Popsicles
- Alphabet Basketball – School Time Snippets
- Easy Alphabet Painting – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Car Wash – Learning 2 Walk
- Alphabet Flower Garden Activity – Buggy and Buddy
- Alphabet Fish Matching Game – Stir the Wonder
- Bear Counters Name Recognition – Munchkins and Moms
- Name Practice Activity Using Toy Cars – Buggy and Buddy
- Magnetic Letter Matching – Simple Fun for Kids
15 Outdoor Alphabet Activities
- Parachute Man Alphabet Activity – Munchkins and Moms
- Splash the Alphabet – Days with Grey
- ABC Sidewalk Chalk Game – Buggy and Buddy
- Garden ABC Letter Hunt – Fantastic Fun and Learning
- Fun Alphabet Ice Game – Days with Grey
- Alphabet Activities: Grab and Pull a Letter Load – Growing Book by Book
- Homemade Alphabet Stones – Something 2 Offer
- Letter Matching Roads – The Educators’ Spin On It
- Outdoor Alphabet Hunt – No Time for Flashcards
- Alphabet Scooping Game – Busy Toddler
- Alphabet Scavenger Hunt – And Next Comes L
- Water Spray Alphabet Hunt – Mom Inspired Life
- Stamping with Alphabet Sponges – And Next Comes L
- Alphabet Learning with Chalk & Rocks – And Next Comes L
- Summer Alphabet Relay Obstacle Course for Preschoolers – Mom Inspired Life
What’s your favorite way to play with the alphabet?
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Adrian says
I loved your comment “It’s childhood, not a race to the top. There is no expectation that a toddler or preschooler should know any of their letters.” I feel the same way; unfortunately, my son will be entering kindergarten next year and his preschool teacher informed me that he needs to work more on upper and lowercase letters as well as letter sounds. He does know the majority of his uppercase letters but gets hung up on a couple. But I find myself asking when did preschool become the new kindergarten?? And how did I miss the memo? Thanful for all your fun activities. We’ll be incorporating them on the daily to help him master these skills.
Julie says
Hello Susie, yes, you are absolutely right; it’s a good thing that children will busy with toys and learn from it. It is a best example of “learn by fun”. Thanks for sharing!