Letter E Activities
Below you will find projects and activities that will help you and your child explore the letter E. 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 "E") allows them to gain a greater understanding of the theme and internalize it.
There are plans for many projects and activites for this theme. Additional crafts, projects, printables, recipes, music, and more will be added to this page in the coming months. I've decided to put the theme pages up as a work in progress. In truth, even when I think that I've completed a theme page, I think of other things that I should have added.
Words Beginning With "E"
Talk with your child about the letter "E", 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 "E" 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.
ear
eskimo
envelope
exit
etiquette
elevator
|
elf
elbow
earth
Easter
electricity
exercise
|
eleven
eel
eagle
easy
eyedropper
eat
|
elephant
egg
eyes
empty
eraser
enter
|
"E" Projects
Dress Like An Eskimo
Find a fairly large picture of a child's head and face from a magazine. If you have a scanner and printer, you could scan in a picture of your child, blow it up and print it out. Paste the child'd head to a piece of construction paper. Cut a piece of construction paper into a half moon shape that will fit around the face of the child. This doesn't have to be exact. This will be the child's hood. Glue cotton balls all around the head to make a fir trim on the hood. If you want to take this project further, you could make it a whole body picture of the "Eskimo" by using a smaller head and cutting out other winter clothes for it. Don't forget to trim around arms and legs with cotton. I plan to do a template of this craft soon to make it easier.
Eyedropper Painting
Fill an ice cube tray with water and then put a few drops of food coloring in each of the sections. Make each section a different color. Flatten out a basket type coffee filter. Use a eyedropper to make designs on the coffee filter. Each color will spread and run into the other colors. This is a lot of fun for the kids (and the grownups) and makes a good lesson for what happens when you mix colors. Let the filters dry completely and don't forget to put down some newspaper or your table will likely be stained. You can also do this project on plain paper and use paint instead of food coloring. This, of course, will have a different affect.
Paper Plate Elephant
Paint the back of a paper plate gray (or any other color you choose) and let dry. Print out the black and white or color template. Color the parts, if necessary, and cut out the pieces. Glue or staple the ears onto the plate on opposite edges. Make sure you put the ears behind the plate so the tabs don't show. Glue on the trunk and eyes.
"E" Printables
These are pretty much just color sheets with an "E" word theme.Upper and Lower Case E
"E" Recipes
Exercise Eggs - My oldest daughter came up with this when she was about 2. I have no idea why she calls them "exercise eggs," but here's the what they are: scrambled eggs with parmesian cheese sprinkled on top.
Alphabet 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 "E" Books
Horton Hatches the Egg - Dr. Seuss does it again. I love that this book has a good moral at the end. Don't worry about what other people say, just stick with it and you'll be rewarded. This is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books. I also like
Horton Hears a Who a lot!
Green Eggs and Ham - A most appropriate book for the E theme. This is my husband's favorite Dr. Seuss book from childhood. He couldn't wait to read it to the kids. Luckily he wasn't disappointed... they loved it too!
Bonjour, Babar! - My oldest daughter absolutely loves Babar. This is a collection of 6 complete Babar stories.
"E" Play
There are probably a lot of free-play things kids can do that will encourage them to think about the letter E. Here are a few of the things that I've tried with my own kids: crack an egg open and let them see what's inside, practice the works enter and exit by going in and out of a door or large box, take them outside for some exercise, etc. Remember, the more you can immerse them in the "E" theme, the better chance you have that they will remember the letter, it's sound, and words that start with "E."
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