Big and small ABCs
From a super-size “S” to a teeny-tiny “T,” these one-of-a-kind, hands-on ABCs make learning the alphabet creative and fun for the whole family.
Giant ABCs
Draw and cut out large block alphabet letters on 12-inch-by-12-inch pieces of poster board, one for each letter. If you wish, you may start with just a few letters, such as the letters of your child’s name.
“Take the first letter you have cut out and tell your child that you are going to look for things that begin with the sound of that letter.
“Decorate the top of each letter by clipping pictures from magazines or collecting small items and gluing them to the corresponding letter.
“For example, glue leaves you collect on a fall walk to an “L,” buttons to a “B” and a real zipper on a “Z.”
“Apply a coat of lipstick to your child’s lips and let her smother the letter “K” with kisses. For the letter “J,” cut the letter into several pieces.
Reattach the pieces with brass paper fasteners to make flexible joints. We covered our “J” with junk from the kitchen junk drawer!
Save your collection of these creative letters and practice the sounds again and again.
Mini ABC Refrigerator Magnets
“Cut poster board in 2 1/2 -inch-by-2 1/2 -inch squares. Write an alphabet letter freehand on each square with a marker. Or, go to your word-processing program on your computer, find your favorite font and print out letters the size of the squares. Look for creative fonts on programs specifically designed for scrapbooking or making stationery and greeting cards. Cut out and glue the printed letters to the squares.
“Decorate the handwritten or printed letters with craft supplies, small beads, buttons, ribbon, glitter, paints in squeeze bottles, or simply color them with crayons and markers.
“Attach a piece of self-sticking magnetic strip (available at hardware and craft stores) on the back of each letter. Make duplicates of common letters so that you’ll have plenty on hand for displaying a word or even a complete sentence on your refrigerator door. Store extras in a small box.