I have a soft spot for preschool alphabet bingo. A soft spot for alphabet bingo? That sounds a little silly. But it is true. Last year during our year together at home, alphabet bingo was on repeat for my three boys and me. It was helpful for my preschoolers to practice letter sounds and recognize letter symbols in a fun, playful way. (you know, the way preschool learning activities should be)
RELATED: How can you teach the ABCs? Start with these letters listed in this post about 10 letter recognition activities for kids.
What’s different about this alphabet bingo game?
Typically, bingo is played with more than one player. Here, we can use the game as a simple Breakfast Invitation to begin the day with connection and intention. What is a Breakfast Invitation? It is a hands-on learning activity that helps start the day with play.
As your child pulls letters from the box, you can sip your coffee and chime in when it feels right. It is a low-prep alphabet activity to help start the day.
What this preschool activity looks like
I let my preschooler take the lead, and the conversation builds on their discovery. My goal with this activity is exposure to the alphabet. Kid activities invite play into our daily life, which has been life-changing for my children and me.
Alphabet activities bring on a conversation about:
- How a letter looks
- How letters have different lines and curves
- Letter sounds
- Letter shapes
- Who has a name that begins with the same letter?
Start Alphabet Bingo and see where it takes your child!
RELATED: How do you teach letter sounds? This parent’s guide to phonemic awareness is easy to read and shares five actionable tips for reading readiness.
Help your preschooler feel successful.
Over time I have found that making simple activities tiny or giant gives them life.
Creating the game board on our white paper roll was a no-brainer to add a little more excitement.
I want my four-year-old to feel successful. This success helps him take more risks when learning new things. Here, I have many letters he can automatically recognize and a few others to introduce.
Think about what your child is learning at home or in school. Be sure to incorporate those letters to reinforce them at home.
PRO TIP: I am picking letters my preschooler knows and a few new ones.
Let’s get Alphabet Bingo set up!
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Magnetic Alphabet Letters and Numbers
Does your refrigerator need some letters? I thought maybe. (wink, wink) This colorful set can be used for games like alphabet sorting and poking the alphabet.
Washable Markers
Share these markers with your kids, or keep them for yourself. I am not one to judge; I like my own pack too.
White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
Setting up alphabet bingo
- Make a five-by-five grid on your white paper roll.
- Add a star in the middle for a free space.
- Pick letters you know your child can recognize.
- Pick letters in your child’s name.
- Add a few new letters to the mix.
- Write the letters you picked on the paper.
- Add the magnetic letters you picked into an empty tissue box.
- Invite your child to reach into the tissue box to pick the letter and match it on the bingo card.
PRO TIP: 20+ letters at once is a lot of letters. You may want to scale this way back for children just beginning to learn the alphabet.
There is no race to learn all 26 letters! Meet your child where they are at, and you will see growth.
How to win alphabet bingo
Just like traditional bingo, five in a row wins. You may notice your child coming in and out of the game throughout the day or doing it all in one sitting. Whichever falls into place, be flexible, knowing you had short meaningful conversations about the letters practiced.
Have older and younger children at home?
- 40 Low Prep Toddler Activities
- 30 Kindergarten Activities for Hands-On Learning
- 25 Sight Word Activities
Who has time to search for ideas?
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FAQ
Preschool should be a time to create and explore new ideas. We want our early learners to transport objects, discover color combinations, sort, classify, design, connect, and investigate new ideas. We can do this with hands-on preschool activities – NOT worksheets. Use these preschool activity cards with your child.
No. However, we want our children to be exposed to the letters of the alphabet they are familiar with when entering Kindergarten. A helpful way to tell young children is to point out letters in their day and discuss them. For example, when you see a stop sign say, “Stop begins with the letter s. See how the s curves around like a snake. S stop sssssss.” This helps a child recognize the shape of the s along with hearing the letter’s sound. Keeping alphabet toys in the home will also help with letter recognition.
It is common for children (and adults) to shut down when there is too much new content at once. Rather than introduce all 26 letters simultaneously, begin by introducing the letters of your child’s name. These name recognition activities are a terrific starting place!
