By Laila Weir
Little kids love crafts, and they love dressing up. That’s probably why making beaded jewelry is so popular with the preschool and kindergarten sets. It also builds important fine motor skills, but guess what–with a simple adaptation, you can also use this fun activity to teach early reading and spelling.
The seeds to literacy are planted long before kids start school, so it’s crucial for parents to introduce key knowledge to kids early on. And the best way to do it is to weave learning into everyday activities and fun with your kids. In that spirit, this simple game leverages the fun of beading to teach children early reading and spelling, helping turn practice into play.
Materials:
- Alphabet beads (plus other beads if desired)
- String
- Scissors
Cost: Under $10
Step 1: Write out a list of words you want to practice spelling and reading with your child. Then identify which letters you’ll need to form those words. Ideally, you’ll want to think of several words that can be spelled with the same letters.
For a simple start, plan on CVC words — consonant, vowel, consonant — which are easy to sound out. For example, you could make the words top, mop, cat, hat, mat, pat, pot, sat, and sap using the letters T, P, M, C, H, S, O, and A. As your child advances in skill, you can use these same letters to make words with consonant blends, like stop, past, shop, post, etc.
Step 2: Cut the same number of pieces of string as the number of letters you’ll be using. For the example above, cut eight pieces. Make the pieces long enough to fit around your child’s finger, leaving plenty of excess to tie them securely. (Note: If you want to spell words that need to repeat letters, you should make two of the letters that repeat.)
Step 3: Help your child put one of your target letters on each piece of string. You and your child can add other beads in any pattern you like to beautify your creations. Then tie the pieces together to make rings.
Step 4: Help your child sound out one of your target words and line up the letter rings they need to spell it. Then slide those rings onto their finger and help them read their word! Repeat with as many words as they can find with the letters you’ve used.
When your child runs out of steam, don’t push them to keep spelling. Kids tire (and get frustrated) quickly, and forcing the matter takes the fun out of it fast. Instead, stash your letter rings to pull out again for brief sessions in the future. They’ll make a great addition to an arsenal of practice-through-play teaching materials. They’re also small enough to keep in your bag for some quick entertainment on the go.
Tip: Start a drawer or shelf with a variety of fun crafts and games that reinforce key skills. Do some of our other literacy crafts with your little one and add them to your stash, as well. Here are some to get you started: a personalized ABC board game, DIY storytelling cards, rhyming Go Fish, literacy Game of War, a conversation hearts spelling game, and a creative sound slider reading tool.
Kids often think of heroes as big, powerful people doing monumental deeds. True heroes, however, come in all shapes and sizes, and not all heroic acts are monumental.
These 10 picture books about animal heroes feature a diverse group of creatures, including dogs, a mule, bees, and even a brave little koala bear. Heroic traits such as kindness, cleverness, and acceptance are highlighted, along with more conventional heroic traits such as bravery and loyalty.
Learning about other animals helps to strengthen children’s sense of wonder, develop empathy for other beings, and cultivate respect for the creatures around them. These 10 picture books about animal heroes also demonstrate a plethora of heroic traits—traits that kids can use to be heroes every day, such as kindness, understanding, and tenacity.
The time is fast approaching: The sound of new zippers rings out and the smell of sharpened pencils fills the air. It’s back to school! Whether it’s your child’s first year in school, it’s their first year back post-pandemic, or they’re an old pro, a new school year can be daunting. But don’t worry! There’s something that can help ease their worries and spark some enthusiasm for their upcoming year—books.
These picture books are special because they cover a wide range of first-day-of-school experiences. In their pages, we meet children just starting out, moving from a new country, expressing their creativity, and celebrating their names (not to mention an adorable cat and one very stressed-out pigeon). Whatever the situation, these picture books about starting school are sure to help guide your child into a less-stressed and happier beginning to the school year.
By Sydney Moninger, COTA/L
Kids love to make a mess. So much so that even the most painstakingly arranged craft can quickly turn into demolition time! Sometimes, the best way to hold their attention is to use the mess productively. This simple and free tactile letter activity lets kids make a controlled mess while learning essential reading and writing skills. The key is using a multisensory approach.
A multisensory activity uses a combination of the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Activating multiple senses gets kids more involved in learning and jump-starts the learning process. A classic example of a multisensory learning activity is simply following along on the page while someone reads aloud. Engaging the eyes as they read and the ears when they hear the sound of the spoken word combines these two sensory systems to make them more powerful. It works so well that we use this kind of learning without even realizing it! Multisensory activities are especially fun for kids, and they’re also extra effective: Research shows that using this kind of approach better engages young learners.
As an occupational therapy practitioner, I try to incorporate multisensory learning every chance I get. I’ve found that such projects improve kids’ motivation, attention, and memory of what they learn. This easy tactile letters activity gets kids to use their senses of hearing, touch, and sight all at once. That way, the lessons they learn will really stick.
(Related: For another tactile letter-learning activity, try these Sand Paper Letters!)
Materials:
- Baking sheet
- Salt
- Shaving cream
- Shampoo
- Food coloring (optional)
Cost: Free if you have these common household items. (Or replace them with other materials you have on hand, from flour to rice to paint to whatever!)
Pour one of your materials onto your baking sheet (this keeps the mess under control). Add food coloring, if desired. Demonstrate writing the letter of your choice on one side of the tray, using your index finger. Say the name of the letter while writing it, then practice the sound that letter makes. Have your child imitate you on the other side of the baking sheet.
Tip: Have them write the letter several times and encourage them to make the sound while they write.
Next, empty the baking sheet and repeat the process with the other materials. (You can also have multiple baking sheets going at once.) The greater variety between the textures, the better! Feel free to add more materials that you find around the house: Finger paint, dried rice, hair gel, flour or cornstarch, and dish soap can all provide unique sensations to write in.
Note: All kids have different preferences for sensory experiences. If your child is very uncomfortable with one particular texture, don’t force it. Instead, let them wipe off their hands whenever they need to. If they are especially nervous, let them use a pencil or paintbrush to write in the medium, so they can ease into the sensation.
For older kids: Move on from writing simple letters to writing whole words. Then take turns practicing spelling or reading.
For an extra boost: Include movement in the activity! For example, have your child sit on a yoga ball or dance while writing. The more senses that you activate, the better—and more fun!
Kids love getting messy in this activity, and we love the opportunity to teach them letter skills.
By Courtney Runn
You have likely spotted one on a neighborhood walk: a small, wooden house perched at the edge of someone’s yard filled with books and a little sign reading, “Take a Book, Leave a Book.”
Since the founding of the nonprofit Little Free Library organization in 2009, these mini book havens have sprung up in more than 100 countries and can now be found on all seven continents.
While simple in concept, these free libraries have long-term impacts on local communities, decreasing book deserts and strengthening neighborhood relationships. Whether you’re looking for fun ways to keep your kids reading over the summer or want to invest in literacy year-round, here are three ways you can use Little Free Libraries to spread the book love in your family and community:
Build your own Little Free Library.
To build your own library, check out the many video tutorials and building tips on the nonprofit’s website. Involve older children by making it a family or neighborhood project, and invite younger children to help pick out books when it comes time to stock your new library.
Reach out to your local school or social organizations like Girl Scout troops to make it a true community effort—and save a few dollars. Once you build yours, register it online to receive an official charter sign and make sure readers can find your library.
If your neighborhood is already home to a Little Free Library or several, consider partnering with an organization to build one in an underserved community or book desert.
Tip: For an environment-friendly (and budget-friendly) library, upcycle items in your home. If you browse the online Little Free Library map, you’ll find countless creative alternatives to display books: repurposed microwaves, cabinets, mini-fridges, wagons, bookcases, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Take your kids on a Little Free Library scavenger hunt.
Whether you’re looking for a local adventure or a kid-friendly activity on vacation, explore the online database of Little Free Libraries to discover new spots near you. Many library owners share the inspiration behind their library and the genre of books available.
Get to know your own town better by making a bucket list of the libraries your family wants to visit. This is a great way to find new books without breaking the bank, make reading fun for kids of all ages, and build a literature-rich household.
When you go visit new libraries, bring a few books along for your kids to leave at each stop. And don’t forget to keep the books you borrow circulating when you’re done with them!
Tip: Make your library quest extra-fun for little ones by creating a map of the libraries you want to visit together. Then go on a walking or driving expedition to find them.
Support the Read in Color Initiative.
Read in Color is one of the Little Free Library nonprofit’s latest initiatives to support representation in children’s books. According to data released by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only 30 percent of children’s books in 2020 centered non-white characters—a significant underrepresentation compared to the actual U.S. population, which is estimated at closer to 40 percent non-white.
In 2020, Little Free Libraries launched the program in the Twin Cities by building 20 new libraries in underserved neighborhoods, stocked with books featuring characters from underrepresented groups. To support this effort, you can sign the pledge online and receive stickers and bookmarks for your own library.
If you have a Little Free Library, stock it with books from a wide variety of authors to ensure everyone who stops by your library can see themselves in the stories. You can also drop off books to little libraries in your area to increase representation, as well as looking for libraries dedicated to diversity on the online library map.
Tip: When stocking your own library or donating to others, shop for children’s books at Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can also find great reads at garage sales or discounted bookstores.
By Chrysta Naron
“Plain paper is boring. I don’t know what to draw!” Hayes whined. My little friend wanted a coloring book—a Paw Patrol coloring book, to be exact. I understood his point of view; coloring books can be a lot of fun. But here’s the thing about standard coloring books. They don’t allow children to create their own ideas. And children naturally are wonderfully and wildly creative, even when they doubt themselves. So I devised a plan.
“Let’s make a surprise book!” I said to Hayes. He was intrigued. Here’s how we did it: Working together, Hayes and I created an entire coloring book of our own, plus a story to go with it. Through this process, Hayes practiced his pencil grip, writing, print knowledge, and storytelling, without even noticing it. Plus, best of all, his imagination was unleashed!
If this sounds like a winning way to spend a day with your child, let me show you how to create your own coloring book, below.
Materials:
- Journal with blank pages
- Crayons, markers, or pencils
Cost: $5
Step 1: On the first page of the book, draw a simple shape, such as a line, a curve, or a square.
Step 2: Pass the book to your child and ask them to contribute some lines or shapes to the page. Don’t color them in just yet!
Step 3: After your child contributes their portion, pass the book back and forth until you both feel your picture is done!
Step 4: Ask your child to title the picture or explain what’s going on in it. Write down the description on the page for younger children or less confident writers. For kids who are ready, let them attempt to write it themselves.
Step 5: Turn to a fresh blank page and start again! This time, let them go first. Soon, you’ll have a book filled with coloring pages.
When you’re all done, you can take the book and review what you’ve made and written together. This helps to reinforce print knowledge, like learning that sentences go from left to right and that punctuation is found at the end of sentences. It also allows children to weave together a narrative, an important part of storytelling. It’s fun for them to recognize that they were able to create their own story, even when they at first had no idea where it was going to begin or how it was going to end!
After you’ve finished enjoying your great collaborative masterpiece, hand the book over and let your child color in the pages. While they color, you can revisit the story again. Do the pictures mean the same thing to them as they did the first time? Has the story changed? Do they want to add more to any pictures as they color them in? There are so many fantastic places this can go. And in the end, your child will learn more, express themselves more, and have a stronger memory with you from this homemade coloring book than from any coloring book you could ever buy.
By giving your child a slight nudge, with no desired outcome, you’ll open a door for them to explore their imagination and all that it has to offer their learning experience. What ideas will unfurl as you sit with one another and a blank piece of paper? The possibilities are endless.
Did you and your child create your own coloring book? We’d love to see it! Share pictures on social media and tag Maya Smart.
As adults, many of us understand that gratitude is an important element of our mental and emotional well-being. Practicing gratitude and appreciation in our lives makes us happier as people. It reminds us to keep our eyes open to the wonders of the world and it helps us to be more resilient individuals. Expressing words of gratitude can improve our relationships with friends, family members, peers, and ourselves.
And the benefits of gratitude can be seen just as clearly in the lives of children. A 2019 entry in the Journal of Happiness Studies found a positive correlation between gratitude and happiness in kids as young as five years old. Many studies in the last few decades have also shown that continuing to cultivate and experience gratitude through the school years improves both kids’ and teens’ ability to empathize with others, as well as their overall sense of satisfaction.
People aren’t really born with a sense of gratitude, however. It’s something that is taught, through actions, through attention, and through words. There are several things that adults can do to encourage a thankful outlook in children. Just by expressing our own appreciation, for nature, for our friends and family, and even for our children themselves, we are strengthening our children’s ability to feel and show gratitude.
Doing these fun and simple crafts to create adorable paper-chain animals with your child is another way to help them develop this important attitude (and some literacy skills while we’re at it!)
Materials:
- Construction Paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Marker
Cost: $3-7 for construction paper and glue
Set the Scene (optional)
Kick off your crafting session by curling up with your child and a great book on the subject. Books like If Animals Gave Thanks by Ann Whitford Paul, Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, and We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell will help your child better understand the concept of gratitude and thankfulness by presenting diverse lenses on the subject.
Then, while sitting and connecting the rings in these projects, you can further foster gratitude by discussing what you’re thankful for, as well as things that your child has done that made others appreciative. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even help your child write down things they’re grateful for on the back of the strips of construction paper before rolling them into rings.
Gratitude Animal Project 1: Thanks Snake
This cute little guy is slithering over to show his appreciation. Once created, the Thanks Snake can either serve as a fun toy or decoration, or it can be used as a unique gift in place of a traditional thank-you card.
Step 1: Use two sheets of construction paper of a color (or colors) you choose. Cut each piece of construction paper into eight strips lengthwise, then cut the strips in half. This will create 16 strips of one-inch by five-inch paper for each sheet of paper. Cut out one oval shape for the head and a small red strip for a tongue.
Step 2: Take six of the construction paper strips. Write one letter of the word thanks on each. Center the letters T, H, A, N, and K, but position the letter S slightly to the side.
Step 3: Set the strip with the letter S to the side. (You’ll add it in the next step.)
Glue or tape one end of a blank strip over the other to create a ring. Slide another blank strip of paper through the first ring, then glue or tape it together to form a second ring. Use the strip with the letter T on it for the third ring.
Next, alternate one blank strip and one lettered until you have 12 rings of paper strung together, spelling “THANK.”
Step 4: Slide the S strip through the last ring. Glue the ends of the paper together to create a raindrop shape for the tail, as shown in the picture below. Make sure the S is on the top. Draw two eyes on the oval for eyes and glue the tongue on, then glue the head to the top of the first ring.
Gratitude Animal Project 2: Grateful Octopus
The Grateful Octopus makes a great wall decoration in your little one’s room or playroom. Use your favorite wall-safe adhesive or mounting putty both to hold it to the wall and to position the arms.
Step 1: You’ll need five pieces of paper for this animal. Use blue as shown, or your child’s favorite color! Again, cut each piece of construction paper into eight strips lengthwise, then cut the strips in half, creating 16 strips from each sheet. You will need 64 strips total. Cut a large dome shape for the head of the octopus, two white ovals for the eyes, and two smaller circles for pupils.
Step 2: Take eight of the construction paper strips and in the center of each one vertically write one letter of the word grateful. I chose to alternate colors, but that’s up to you.
Step 3: Glue or tape one end of the first lettered strip over the other to create a ring. Slide a blank strip of paper through the first ring, then glue or tape it together to form a second ring. Continue until there are eight rings. Repeat this procedure for each letter.
Step 4: Glue each paper chain to the bottom of the dome shape to spell out grateful. Glue on the white eyes, then the colored pupils.
Gratitude Animal Project 3: Thanksgiving Turkey
Paper rings can also be used to make an ordinary Thanksgiving craft extraordinary.
Step 1: Create your favorite construction paper turkey, such as the one below.
Step 2: Let each participant write something they are grateful for on one strip of construction paper.
Step 3: Glue the strips of paper into rings, then glue the paper rings to the feathers of the turkey with the words facing outwards. Younger children can draw a picture of something they’re grateful for.
Gratitude promotes optimism, improves resilience, and makes children happier starting as young as five years old. Teens who frequently experience gratitude are more hopeful about their lives, more satisfied with their lives, and less likely to develop depression. Like reading, teaching children about thankfulness and appreciation are lessons that benefit kids for a lifetime.
By Amy Williams
You can’t get started too early preparing children for school. But if you think that means strapping them into high chairs and busting out the blackboard, forget it! Getting kids ready for kindergarten—at least academically speaking—mostly means engaging with them and making sure you expose them to lots of letters and words, books and ideas. (Numbers too, but in this post we’ll be focusing on pre-reading skills.)
There are simple things you can do at home to make sure your child has a solid foundation to build on once they get to kindergarten. And the really good news is that there are loads of fun, easy, and free ways to get them kindergarten-ready using just their imagination and stuff you already have around the house. Below we share four simple and free strategies to get kids ready for school. But first, a note for those of you whose children are on the brink of kindergarten already …
Is it too late?
If your child is about to start kindergarten and you realize you haven’t intentionally prepared them for school, don’t panic! Many of the practical and social skills they will need for school, such as opening snacks on their own and playing well with other kids, they’ve likely picked up through daily life. Those they haven’t, they’ll get an opportunity to learn fast in the group setting.
It’s also important to know that every child is unique; just because they don’t have every single skill on a checklist down pat doesn’t mean they’re not ready for school. Meanwhile, start working on the strategies below. Finding fun ways to support your child’s reading and writing skills at home will be invaluable for years to come!
Kindergarten-Readiness Tip #1: Have Fun with Letters
Mastering the alphabet is likely among the first skills you’ve helped your child with, and it’s one of the most important! In addition to memorizing the ABCs, they’ll need to learn to recognize and write both uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as to begin knowing the sounds they make.
The Wisconsin early literacy standards, for example, specify that kids should initially learn to recognize the difference between letters and other symbols, and then move towards connecting letters with the sounds they make. Recognizing letters and their sounds in familiar words, especially in a child’s own name, is a key intermediate step and a good place to start.
“Alphabet letters in isolation do not have meaning to the child. When the child is shown that letters grouped together represent his/her name or objects they know, the alphabet takes on new meaning,” the standards note. The advice? “Start with familiar words, talking about the letter names and sounds.”
Alphabet tracing workbooks abound in shops and online, but there are also lots of fun ways to teach letters to your child using what you already have at home. For example, think of an animal or object together that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Then, have your child write the letter out and draw a picture of each animal or object. Or conduct an ABC scavenger hunt, where your child has to find objects that start with the letter in question.
Other ideas include making an easy alphabet card game (all you need is index cards or bits of paper!), crafting sand letters, and printing out our free alphabet bingo card. Kids also love active play, so try alphabet hopscotch and ABC soccer to practice while getting moving. And don’t forget the books: We’ve put together a list of nine great alphabet books to read with your little one.
Kindergarten-Readiness Tip #2: Work Reading Skills into Everyday Activities
One of the best ways to help your child learn literacy skills can be to simply engage them in everyday activities with you. If you’re reading a recipe before dinner, read the instructions aloud to your child and have them point out any words or letters they recognize. If you’re writing a grocery list, let them help think of what you need and write the items down.
This applies when you’re out and about as well. My preschooler loves to help me read the menu when we go to a restaurant, and even insists on holding a menu of her own and trying to read it herself! When you go to a birthday party, have them write the card; when you’re at a park or in the car, point out the letters and words on signs. Letters are everywhere, and so are learning opportunities.
“Surround the child with print so the whole alphabet is presented in the child’s environment,” advise the Wisconsin standards, which recommend that parents say and point to letters in books, on puzzles or toys, on the child’s clothing, on signs in the community, and so on.
As alphabetic knowledge progresses to understanding letter sounds in combination, parents can use these same strategies to help kids begin to understand written words. The standards suggest that parents point out words they encounter with their kids and ask, for example, “What do you think this word says on the sign? What sound does it start with?”
Then, the standards recommend that caretakers celebrate with the child when he or she reads a new letter or word. Literacy is a big deal! Give kids plenty of positive feedback for all their wins.
Kindergarten-Readiness Tip #3: Play Pretend!
Pretend play is a simple way to help your child get ready for kindergarten. Not only does it spark imagination and creativity, but pretend play usually involves storytelling and vocabulary exploration. Encourage your child to describe what they’re doing as they play. If they’re pretending to be the Queen of Fairyland, ask them to describe their dress to you, or to describe what the other fairies look like.
Let your child tell you a story as they play pretend, too. You can even use puppets to engage your child in storytelling. Oral language is an essential part of building literacy skills, so the more they can practice, the more ready they will be for kindergarten.
The more variety of conversational exchanges a child is involved in, the richer their oral language skills become, directly underpinning their eventual written language skills. As the Wisconsin standards note, “Children who hear more words will learn more words.”
Kindergarten-Readiness Tip #4: Read Aloud—the Smart Way
You may already spend time sharing books with your kids, but reading aloud regularly has such a significant impact on kids, even from a very early age, that it’s worth repeating. And whether you have hours to spend reading to your littles or just a few minutes together, did you know that a few tricks can help you get the most out of that time? Read our post on how to maximize the benefits of reading aloud for tips on how to really make your story times count.
If you have multiple children, make it a family activity. Have your older kids read to your younger ones. You can even make it exciting by getting into the story and using different voices and expressions. There are many ways to get creative while reading aloud to your kids! And don’t forget to check out our book lists and book reviews for recommendations of awesome picture books to share with young children.
We hope these fun and easy activities will help your child (and you!) feel confident and ready when it comes time for them to start school.
What are some ways you have been preparing your child for kindergarten? Let us know in the comments below.
By Chrysta Naron
As grownups, we often think of playtime and learning time as two separate parts of the day, when really they overlap! Play is a great way to engage young children and spur brain growth and development. Kids can gain cognitive skills, social-emotional knowledge, new vocabulary, and literacy abilities—all without boring drills or rote repetition. So when it’s time to help your child learn academic subjects, infuse play into the activity and you’ll see your child grow quickly and truly.
One of the ways we love to infuse learning with play is by creating games, especially those that children can play independently and where they feel in charge of their learning. This alphabet fishing game has become a favorite with my students, and me too! Your child will have fun pretending to be on a fishing trip while learning their letters. And maybe the best part is that it only takes five minutes to set up.
(For more alphabet games, check out these posts on how to make a DIY ABC board game, an easy alphabet card game, letter bingo with a free printable, and ABC hopscotch!)
Materials:
- Alphabet magnets
- String or yarn
- Chopstick (or similar)
- Plain magnet
- Tape
- Container
- Flash cards (optional)
Cost: Free if you already have alphabet magnets and these other simple materials. If you don’t have letter magnets yet, they’re well worth adding to your teaching arsenal. You can pick up some basic ones for just a few dollars.
Step 1: Place the magnet letters into the container. Make sure the letters are facing up so kids can read them. This is your fishing pond.
Step 2: Tie a string around one end of the chopstick. This will be your child’s fishing pole! Tip: If you don’t have a chopstick, you can also use a ruler or even a sturdy reusable straw.
Step 3: Take the other end of the string and tie it around your plain magnet. I like to add a little tape to make sure it’s nice and secure.
Step 4: It’s time to go fishing! Place a stack of ABC flashcards next to your “pond” and have your child draw a card, then fish for that letter. When they snag it, they can flip the card and go after the next letter in the stack. If you don’t have flashcards, you can write your own on a set of index cards or simply call out letters to your child.
Variations: You can also vary the game to teach other early literacy skills. You can use flashcards featuring lowercase letters and have your child fish for its uppercase buddy. You can also skip the flashcards and make the sound of a letter. Then your child fishes for the letter that makes that sound. You can have them fish for the letters to spell their name, or any word they want to learn. The list of possible variations goes on and on.
The important thing to remember is this—if your child is having fun, they’re learning!
How are you infusing play into your child’s learning?
One of the best ways to engage children in reading is to share books about topics they’re interested in. When kids are excited to cheer on their favorite players or love to play sports themselves, books by and about athletes are ideal to capture their attention.
Like all sports, baseball offers countless life lessons about teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and having fun. Plus, its history will spark important conversations with your kids about racism and equity in sports. There’s no need to wait for Opening Day to read up on baseball’s heroes and legendary moments. We’ve curated 20 picture books that are sure to score a home run for the little baseball fans in your life all year long.
Read more: If your kids are inspired by reading about athletes, try our list of books by and about Olympians for more fun reads.
What are your favorite sports reads for kids?
