Splash the Alphabet

Do you ever dream about sitting outside and drinking a cold beverage as your preschoolers work on something to help them review the alphabet? I am all for being able to do both. Kids and water is the same combination as moms and sipping. Both are #winning.  If you are looking for outdoor activity, stop the search. Splash the alphabet for preschoolers may be the greatest letter activity ever.

Enjoy learning about the alphabet with your child? Here are 17 easy and simple ways to play with the ABCs.

Table of Contents:

1. When is a good time to teach my child the alphabet?
2. Fine and gross motor practice
3. Supplies
4. Setting up Splash the Alphabet is easy
5. Alphabet activity conversation starters
6. FAQ

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When is a good time to teach my child the alphabet?

Talk about the alphabet when your preschooler is willing. Learning letters should be FUN! Read all about letter recognition to introduce learning through play at home.

Learning the ABCs is more than memorizing the letter names. Having conversations about letters at home will also build phonemic awareness (promise, this term sounds scarier than it is), letter shapes, and reading readiness.

You can begin introducing letters to toddlers and continue practicing with your older children. We are looking for exposure, not mastery. And guess what? If your preschooler is uninterested, you can put it away.

Fine and gross motor practice

Squeezing the squirt bottle in the early years will improve fine motor muscles in the hands, fingers, and wrists. First time learning about fine motor skills? Pencil grip practice begins long before forming letters on paper.

Splashing the alphabet is also wonderful because it is set on a vertical surface. Vertical surfaces require strength from different muscles that must be strong for future skills and development. This is one of many ways to strengthen gross motor muscles.

Supplies

Like most of our preschool and toddler activities, I ensure supplies for kid activities have many uses. You will notice on Days with Grey that the same supplies repeat to get the most out of what we have!

Use these watercolor alphabet cards from Young Learning to splash the alphabet and review the letter names, sounds, and picture associations.

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Setting up Splash the Alphabet is easy

1. Put about three drops of paint into each squirt bottle.
2. Fill the rest of the squirt bottle with water.
3. Layout a large piece of paper and write the alphabet. You can add the alphabet in order or randomly throughout the paper.
4. Gather alphabet letters. You may write them on construction paper as I did here or use letter tiles or magnets you already own.
5. Pass one letter at a time to your child.
6. When your preschooler gets the letter card, they squirt the letter on the alphabet chart.
7. Once the letter is recognized, your preschoolers will return it and exchange it for a new one.

Now you can take a seat and sip on that icy beverage. Yep, cheers to you for this outdoor activity and all the other easy ideas to bring joy to the spring and summer days ahead.

Alphabet activity conversation starters

• I notice the Bb has a straight line and a curve. Show me where it curves.
• This is an uppercase E, and this is the lowercase e. Let’s look at how they have a different look. Can you find the same letter on your paper?
• You’re right! That is the letter H. (make the sound). H is the same sound you hear for Hayes. – Do the same with your child’s name.

Using the squirt bottle made learning and reviewing the alphabet fun for both of my boys. Keep this idea close for the next time the sun is out and you need an afternoon pick-me-up.

There are plenty of ways to learn through play right now. These 50+ activities for kids at home are packed with easy ideas.

FAQ