12 Fun Ways To Learn The Alphabet

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Learning the alphabet should be as easy as ABC, right? Not so much. Especially when you’re trying to teach letters to young kids. Learning the alphabet is a step towards literacy in kids and a common preschool milestone that parents hope their kids will master. These fun ways to learn the alphabet are a great start to building those skills. 

12 Fun Ways To Learn The Alphabet

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When introducing early literacy concepts everyone has different ideas about what’s best. Commonly, though, it starts with the introduction of simple concepts. Teach kids to sing the ABC song and read them alphabet books when they’re little. Then expand on those skills as they show interest and readiness. 

Learning the alphabet can mean a lot of different things, too. You might be trying to help young kids with letter recognition. Or maybe you’re more focused on the sounds each letter makes. Either way, these activities, games, and ideas are fun ways to learn the alphabet. 

Teach kids their name

Tying a learning outcome to something in a child’s life makes it easier to teach. If you’re just introducing letters to your toddler or preschooler, teaching them the letters in their name might be more fun than starting with A. It’s also an important first step to helping them recognize their name when they see it. 

Singing ABC songs are fun ways to learn the alphabet 

There’s a lot more out there than the standard ABC song to sing with kids. Look on YouTube or your favorite streaming service for educational music. Play it while doing other activities or learn the words together. (They Might Be Giants’ or ‘Here Come the ABCs’ are fun choices.) 

Pick a letter of the week

This is one of the most fun ways to learn the alphabet. Choose a letter of the day and make your whole week about that letter. For example, if you’re learning ‘A’ eat Apples, learn about Anteaters, and make paper Airplanes. Practice writing the letter and don’t forget to go around the house and see how many ‘A’ objects you can find!

Make it tactile

There are books that have touch and feel letters but you can also DIY some hands on activities. One of the best ways to practice forming letters is by filling a tray with sand and having kids write letters with their fingers or a paintbrush. Other fun ways to learn the alphabet with hands on activities include making letters out of play dough, making sand prints in kinetic sand, and shaping letters out of small objects.

Read alphabet books

Since learning their ABCs is such an important preschool subject there’s tonnes of alphabet themed books out there for you and your child to read together. Some fun choices are Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, G is for Goat, Bad Kitty, Alpha Oops, and Q is for Duck. Alphabet books are a great way to introduce literacy to very young kids even before you’re ready to formally teach letters. 

Games are fun ways to learn the alphabet 

Kids learn through all types of play so it makes sense to combine playtime with learning sometimes. To help kids learn the alphabet, find some ABC themed games that will engage your child. Alphabet bingo is a great idea that you can even make yourself at home. Or look for a preschool-aged board game like ‘Alphabet Island’ to play together. 

Get moving

Some kids learn better while doing physical activity. You can work on letter recognition and phonics by incorporating learning activities into active play. A fun idea is drawing some letters onto the sidewalk with chalk. Then call the letters out and have your child jump to the correct one. Another activity to try is using a large alphabet floor mat to play your own version of Twister! 

Create alphabet art

While some kids like to move, others do best while getting creative. Get a set of ABC stamps and have your kids match letters or stamp out their name. You can also do letter themed crafts or make animals out of each letter shape. (For example, make an alligator out of an A.)

Go on an alphabet scavenger hunt 

There’s so many variations you can do on this activity to keep it fresh again and again. Here’s some ideas: 

● Take the kids on a nature walk and try to find things that start with each letter. 

● Go through a favorite picture book and look for words that start with every letter of the alphabet. 

● Look around the house and identify the starting letters of everyday objects.

● Find a whole alphabet of food in your home or at a local supermarket. 

Alphabet puzzles make fun ways to learn the alphabet

Puzzles are fun ways to learn the alphabet for preschoolers and toddlers. Start by introducing young kids to alphabet themed peg puzzles. As their skills improve, find more advanced puzzles that incorporate alphabet or literacy themes. Another way to use puzzles to teach the alphabet is by buying (or making) self correcting 2 piece puzzles for matching upper and lowercase letters. 

Surround kids with their ABCs 

Exposure is a big deal when it comes to early learning. Kids are sponges and will pick up on things through play as long as they have access to those tools in their environment. Make sure your children have plenty of alphabet themed toys like letter blocks, alphabet mats, and magnetic letters. 

Let them play on devices… Sometimes

It’s no substitute for engaged learning or play, but electronic devices are full of fun ways to learn the alphabet. They can play with something simple like an electronic alphabet learning toy, or you might want to allow more advanced games on a phone or tablet. There’s countless learning apps for Android and Apple devices to choose from if you have one at home. Or consider buying a LeapFrog learning tablet that’s full of educational games. 

These are supposed to be fun ways to learn the alphabet (so don’t push too hard)

When teaching the alphabet to younger kids it’s important to not push it too much. Early literacy skills are great to have and encourage, but it’s not necessary for preschool aged kids to know every letter of the alphabet. These fun ways to learn the alphabet are just that – fun. A preschooler’s biggest focus should be on play based activities, not formal learning.