Letter A Activities and Crafts
Below you will find projects and activities that will help you and your child explore the letter A. Keep in mind that this theme page is really aimed at younger children, up to about age 5. Don't be fooled into thinking that these projects and activities are too simple for this age group. Young children thrive on simplicity - it gives them the opportunity to work independently, to understand the task at hand, and to "own" their work. Immersing them in projects and activities that center around a particular theme (in this case the letter "A") allows them to gain a greater understanding of the theme and internalize it.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this theme page is only for the long A sound. The short A sound page is here.
Words Beginning With "A"
Talk with your child about the letter "A", the sound it makes, and words that start with this letter. If you are using some kind of phonics program with your child, this would be the time to work on "A" within the program.
NOTE: If you are considering a phonics program to help your child learn to recognize letters, learn their sounds, and eventually read, then I can personally recommend Frontline Phonics
. It is an excellent program for younger children and blends nicely with this theme approach to crafting.
airplane
April
ate |
ape
aim
air
|
ace
arrow
apricots
|
aerobics
angel
airport
|
"A" Projects
Air Painting
Squirt a little paint onto a piece of paper. Cut a straw in half. Blow throught the straw and move the paint around the paper. The paint will spread and you can add different colors. This looks especially good on black paper.
Tissue Paper "A"
Use the "A" template here and print it out onto construction paper. Tear a variety of colors of tissue paper into roughly 1 inch pieces. You can turn this into a shape lesson by trying to tear specific shapes. Spread glue onto the A and let your child glue the tissue paper onto the A until it is filled in.
Handprint Angel
Use the Angel Template and cut the shape out of the desired color of construction paper, or follow the directions on the template. Trace your child's handprints onto a piece of white construction paper and cut them out. Glue the hands onto the back of the angel's body to form the wings. Color the angel as desired. You can decorate the wings and robe with glitter, markers, etc.
"A" Recipes
Apricot Tasting - If your kids have never tasted a fresh apricot, this would be a good opportunity to introduce it.
Apricot Biscuits - This is a fancy name for biscuits with apricot jam spread on top. If your kids aren't big apricot fans, they're sure to like it in a jam.
Alphabet Pasta - Prepare any kind of alphabet soup, or other pasta dish and then have fun picking out all the A's. (We like the Spaghettios A to Z's) You can do this with any letter.
"A" Books
EVERYONE has some type of ABC book out on the market, but these are the tried and true books that my kids like.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - I believe that this story was single handedly responsible for teaching my son his letters. He was hooked on this book the first time I read it to him and he never gets tired of it. I started out by pointing to the letters as I read it to him, now he points them out to me!
My First Phonics Book - My daughter loves to read this book before bed. It has helped her to get excited about words and their beginning letters.
Dr. Seuss' A B C - I love Dr. Seuss books because they keep the kid's attention. Not always an easy task!
My First ABC Book - My two year old son has this book and absolutely loves it! He makes me read it to him over and over and over and over!
Great "A" Books
Kids' Paper Airplane Book - All three of my kids love paper airplanes... even the baby is totally enthralled with them!
Richard Scarry's a Day at the Airport - My son has been crazy about airplanes since he was a baby. He even notices them in the sky while we're going down the highway at 60 mph.
Air Is All Around You - This is a great book to help explain the subject of air.
Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon - I am not a bit Curious George fan, but the kids love him!
"A" Play
There are probably a lot of free-play things kids can do that will encourage them to think about the letter A. Here are a few of the things that I've tried with my own kids: Make paper airplanes together. Demonstrate how different things move in the air (feathers, paper, frisbee, etc.) I also try to remind them about the other sound that A makes. In fact, I usually talk about both sounds whenever we talk about it. It is one of our dinner games. I pick a letter and we go around the dinner table and say things that begin with that letter. Remember, the more you can immerse them in the "A" theme, the better chance you have that they will remember the letter, it's sound, and words that start with "A."
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