Print out this I Spy game from Paper Trail Designs and let your kids hunt for all the different letters on the page. Can you spot all seven Rs? This is a great way to practice counting and letter recognition.
Please remember to use the phonics sounds for the letters, rather than the letter ‘name’. For help pronouncing the phonetic sound of each letter as your child will learn them in school, check out this helpful video and phonics guide from Oxford Owl.
This simple game can be played anywhere and will help your child practice their memory skills.
Each player starts off with the same sentence: ‘I packed my granny’s trunk and in it I put…’ The player completes the sentence with any object they can think of. For example, ‘I packed my granny’s trunk and in it I put a shirt.’
The next player repeats the previous sentence and must add a new object: ‘I packed my granny’s trunk and in it I put a shirt and a monkey.’ In turn, each player has to remember what the past players have said and add their own item.
For older players, you may wish to increase the difficultly of the game by requiring each new item to start with the next letter of the alphabet. For example alligator, banana, cupcake, etc.
This story, Ten Magic Butterflies, is read aloud by the author. The story has a lovely message about appreciating yourself as you are. The words are highlighted as she reads them, to help your child follow along.
Get your kids learning maths, science, art and more with this collection of ideas from TTS’s Home Learning Collection, which are all based on the 5 Little Speckled Frogs nursery rhyme.
Get your kids learning maths, science, phonics, art and more with this collection of ideas from TTS’s Home Learning Collection, which are all based on the Incy Wincy Spider nursery rhyme.
Check out this simple game from Five Minute Mum to help your child get used to recognising letters. It can be done with foam letter mats, pieces of paper, kitchen roll – whatever you’ve got lying about.
Also, consider train alternatives if your child isn’t a fan of trains. Five Minute Mum has some great suggestions, such as a pirate ship or a princess carriage – but use whatever your child likes to inspire the game.
Please remember to use the phonics sounds for the letters, rather than the letter ‘name’. For help pronouncing the phonetic sound of each letter as your child will learn them in school, check out this helpful video and phonics guide from Oxford Owl.
Do you have some of those colourful plastic ball pit balls lying around your house? Use a permanent marker to write letters on the balls, and then try this fun phonics game from Five Minute Mum. If it’s a warm day, this would be a fun activity for the paddling pool. If not, it works just as well indoors with a laundry basket, box, or hidden all around the room!
For help pronouncing the phonetic sound of each letter as your child will learn them in school, watch this helpful video from Oxford Owl.
Help your child renew their enthusiasm for their book collection with this literary scavenger hunt from Primary Playground.
Help your child practice their phonics with this great Alphabet Water Balloon Toss game from Primary Playground. Use some chalk to draw some letters (you may want to choose the letters of your child’s name, or whichever ones they are currently learning to recognise) onto your driveway, patio or the pavement outside your house. Draw a circle around each letter (tip: make the circles large and spaced well apart to help your child aim). Then give your child water balloons or a sponge and water bucket, call out a letter sound, and have them toss the balloon/sponge to see if they can hit the right letter!
If the weather doesn’t suit getting a bit wet outside, you can also try an indoor version of this activity with the letters written on paper and soft toys to toss.
For help pronouncing the phonetic sound of each letter as your child will learn them in school, watch this video featuring Mr. Tumble from CBeebies.
Help your child recognise letter sounds with the Mystery Letter Bag game from PBS. All you need is a bag and 3 objects that all start with the same letter. Click on the link for full instructions and ideas on how to support your child in this activity.
