Alphabet Crafts: A to E

Since we didn't use our "learning boxes" this week, I'll be posting about our weekly alphabet playdate instead of our normal Weekly Wrap-Up post.  If you follow this blog, you may have noticed a lack of alphabet-themed crafts.  I thought I might do them when the Bibliophile was ready to learn phonic sounds, but then he learned his sounds before he was at a very crafty age, and then started joining them together and reading, and before I knew it, it seemed a bit too late.  I admit to a slight disinclination toward the idea of studying a letter per week, but I know it is a very popular method of teaching.

With that said, we've recently joined ranks with another family to do an alphabet themed craft per week.  We alternate hosting each week.  We really enjoy the crafty time and the socialization, even if he already knows the phonic sounds.  When I am feeling super ambitious, I try to teach him a Spanish word that begins with the letter (today was E, and we learned Espera = wait), and we usually play games trying to think of things - a country, food, animal, etc. - that begin with that letter before our playdate.

Here's what we have done so far on our play/craftdates (I hosted for B and D; the others I can't take any credit for!) -

A - We made ants out of apples, toothpicks, and pipe cleaners (I didn't take any photos, oops).  We ate apple slices.

B - We read the Berenstain's B Book, and I created a template for each of the kids to make their own B Book, with boxes and labels for them to stick down foam stickers (of a bee, bear, etc.).  We ate blueberries.

C - We stamped outside with different "C" vegetables, including corn, cauliflower, and cabbage.  Inside, we also played a game where the kids filled dixie cups labeled with sharpie markers to identify various C foods.  We ate canteloupe and corn (popped).  We read My "C" Sound box.

D - We decorated cardstock dinosaurs with glitter glue, do-a-dot markers, and googly eyes.  We read Dog by Matthew Van Fleet (Danny and the Dinosaur was also on display).

E - We read Elmer.  Our friend sewed up and stuffed these adorable Elmers out of grey felt for the kids to glue fabric and pom poms all over. 

F - Next week, we'll be hosting.  I'm thinking maybe the kids can make a fire engine out of shapes, and then glue them down to a scene with foam firefighter stickers I bought on sale a few weeks back.  Or, there are always footprint ghosts.  Either way, I'm sure our Foot Book will make an appearance.

Here are a few of our favorite alphabet books:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Dr. Seuss's ABC's
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks from A to Z
The Letters Are Lost

I am linking this post up with Preschool Corner, Weekly Wrap-Up, Sunday Best, ABC and 123, and Tot School.

Comment!  Do you regularly do alphabet themed crafts?

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