Literacy, the foundation upon which reading and writing skills are built, begins not with the rigorous study of letters and sounds, but with playful exploration and meaningful interaction with language.
Our curated collection of literacy activities is designed for the curious and creative minds of preschool and kindergarten kids. This roundup is a treasure trove of engaging, innovative, and joyful ways to introduce young learners to the alphabet, phonemic awareness, and storytelling.
These literacy activities go beyond traditional learning, embracing the playful and dynamic nature of preschoolers. They encourage exploration, imagination, and expression, all while laying the foundational stones for reading and writing.
1. Muffin Tin Reading Games
Introduce your little ones to the delightful world of numbers with the engaging and educational Muffin Tin Reading Games! This preschool math activity transforms a simple muffin tin into a vibrant learning tool that captivates young minds.
Learn more: Growing Book by Book
2. Build a Word Using LEGO
Building a word using LEGO involves creating letters out of LEGO bricks to form a specific word. This activity encourages creativity and a multisensory approach to language learning, making it suitable for various age groups and learning styles.
Learn more: The Printable Princess
3. Toss the Balloon Sight Word Game
Toss the Balloon Sight Word Game is an interactive and educational activity where students engage in a playful way to reinforce sight word recognition. Sight words are written on balloons, and students toss them to one another.
Learn more: Gift of Curiosity
4. Magic Letters Activity
The Magic Letters Activity is an engaging and educational exercise where students participate in various letter-related tasks or challenges to enhance letter recognition and literacy skills.
Learn more: Ma’s and Pa’s
5. Matching Alphabet Beans Literacy Game
The Matching Alphabet Beans Literacy Game is an interactive and educational activity where students engage in a matching game to reinforce alphabet recognition. Letters are written or printed on small beans or bean-shaped objects, and students match the beans with the corresponding letters on a game board or surface.
Learn more: The Imagination Tree
6. Free Printable Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
This printable resource is designed to make learning the alphabet an exciting and interactive experience. Equipped with a list of letters or objects corresponding to each letter, children can venture into their surroundings to hunt for hidden treasures.
Learn more: Play Party Plan
7. Letter Tile Names – A Name Recognition Activity
Start by providing each child with a set of letter tiles and guide them in assembling the letters to form their names. Encourage them to say each letter aloud as they place it, reinforcing both visual and auditory learning. This hands-on approach adds an element of fun to the process, turning name recognition into a captivating activity.
Learn more: Stay at Home Educator
8. CVC Word Family Flowers Craft for Spring
Celebrate the beauty of spring and cultivate literacy skills with the “CVC Word Family Flowers Craft” – a delightful and educational activity for young learners! This creative craft combines the joy of blossoming flowers with the exploration of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word families.
Learn more: Little Zizzer
9. Tissue Roll Paper Activities
Turn ordinary cardboard rolls into extraordinary learning opportunities! From arts and crafts to educational games, these versatile rolls offer a wide range of engaging activities suitable for various ages.
Learn more: Teach me I’m Yours
10. Play Dough Writing Tray
The Play Dough Writing Tray is an interactive and educational activity where students use playdough in a tray to practice writing letters, numbers, or words. The tray provides a tactile surface for children to shape and mold the playdough into various characters or forms.
Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning
11. Paper Plate & Spinner Literacy Games
Paper Plate & Spinner Literacy Games offer a dynamic and interactive way for students to boost their literacy skills while having a blast. These games leverage the versatility of paper plates and spinners to transform learning into a captivating experience.
Learn more: Teach me Mommy
12. Train Track Word Building
Train Track Word Building is an interactive and educational activity where students use train tracks and cars to construct and spell out words. Each train car represents a letter, and students connect the cars to form words along the tracks.
Learning more: Paper and Glue
13. Sorting Baskets Phonics Activity
The Sorting Baskets Phonics Activity is an interactive educational exercise where students engage in sorting objects or cards based on specific phonetic criteria. Each basket represents a phonetic category, and students place items or cards containing words with corresponding phonetic elements into the correct baskets.
Learn more: The Imagination Tree
14. Read Aloud
Read Aloud refers to the practice of reading a text aloud to an audience, typically done by a teacher, parent, or storyteller. This activity is crucial in early childhood education as it supports language development, listening skills, and comprehension.
15. Rainbow Salt Tray Sensory Writing Activity
The Rainbow Salt Tray Sensory Writing Activity involves creating a colorful and tactile surface with salt in a tray for children to practice writing letters, numbers, or words. Different colored layers of salt are often used to create a rainbow effect.
Learn more: Natural Beach Living
16. Hidden Sight Word
Children become word detectives as they search for and uncover these hidden words, combining the excitement of a treasure hunt with essential reading skills.
Learn more: Designing Tomorrow
17. Handprint Reading Card
A Handprint Reading Card involves creating a personalized card where a child’s handprint is incorporated into a message or artwork. This activity combines art and literacy by allowing children to create a unique card that features their handprint as part of the design.
Learn more: Early Learning Ideas
18. Sight Word Popsicle Stick Game
The Sight Word Popsicle Stick Game is an interactive and educational activity where students engage in a game that involves reading and matching sight words on popsicle sticks.
Learn more: Teach me Mommy
19. Transportation CVC Sliders for Learning to Read Fun
Transportation CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) Sliders for Learning to Read Fun is an engaging educational activity where students use sliders to create and read CVC words related to transportation.
Learn more: Royal Baloo
20. Reading Hopscotch
This innovative activity not only encourages physical movement but also transforms the hopscotch grid into a learning path. Each square is adorned with a letter or a simple word, turning the game into an interactive spelling adventure.
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
21. Fishing for Spelling Words
Fishing for Spelling Words is a creative way to hook young learners into the world of spelling, transforming what might be a mundane task into a lively and interactive experience that encourages both fun and learning.
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
22. Make Spelling Practice Fun with Kinetic Sandcastles
Transform spelling practice into a sensory adventure with Kinetic Sandcastles, a dynamic and enjoyable way for young learners to master their spelling words. In this engaging activity, children shape letters and words using kinetic sand to build mini sandcastles.
Learn more: There’s Just One Mommy
23. Homemade Word Dominoes Game for CVC Words
As children match and connect the tiles, they not only practice essential reading skills but also reinforce their understanding of simple word structures.
Learn more: Nurture Store
24. Spelling Word Practice with Water Beads
As children explore the beads, they not only visually encounter the spelling of words but also experience the tactile sensation of the water beads. Retrieving letters and arranging them to form words adds an extra layer of engagement, promoting memory retention and reinforcing spelling skills.
Learn more: There’s Just One Mommy
25. Word Search
This timeless word puzzle provides an engaging way for individuals of all ages to enhance vocabulary and reinforce cognitive skills. With a grid filled with letters and a list of hidden words to discover, participants embark on a visual hunt, sharpening their attention to detail and pattern recognition.
Learn more: Tree Valley Academy
26. Rhyming Dominoes
Rhyming Dominoes is an educational game where students match pairs of dominoes based on rhyming words. Each domino has a word, and players need to connect words with matching rhyming sounds.
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
27. Stamp and Spell
Stamp and Spell is an educational activity where students use stamps to create words. Each stamp typically represents a letter or a combination of letters, and students arrange them to form words.
Learn more: Parenting Chaos
28. Chocolate Sight Word Game
The Chocolate Sight Word Game is an interactive and educational activity where students engage in a game that involves reading and matching sight words related to chocolates.
Learn more: Natural Beach Living