Letter H Activities and Craft Ideas
Below you will find projects and activities that will help you and your child explore the letter H. 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 "H") 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 "H"
Talk with your child about the letter "H", 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 "H" 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.
hat
happy
hippo
hug
|
horn
heart
hair
head
|
helicopter
hand
hammer
house
|
hat
horse
hen
ham
|
"H" Projects
Stuffed Hearts - These little stuffed hearts are a nifty little Valentine craft and work really well for an H themed craft activity. Kids love them, you can make them simple or more complicated, they are made out of recycled materials, and they are just plain fun.
Newspaper Hat
Place 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper on the child's head. It will go down over their face, so explain to them what you're doing so they won't be scared. Tape around the child's head 2 or 3 times with masking tape just over the child's eyes and ears. Roll the newspaper up toward the tape to form the brim of the hat (make sure you roll it tightly). Paint the hat and let dry. You can glue feathers, buttons, glitter, etc. on the hat to make it special.
Hey Diddle Diddle Wall Hanging
You'll need this template, crayons, scissors, yarn or string, and glue. Print the template on heavy construction paper. Color the pictures and cut out the pieces. To make the wall hanging: cut 6 pieces of string about 6 inches long. Tape a piece of string to the back top and botton of the cow. Tape the bottom string to the top back of the moon. Tape 2 strings to the bottom back of the moon as far apart as possible. Tape one string to the top back of the cat and the fiddle, and one to the bottom of the dog. Tape a string to the bottom of the cat and fiddle and tape the dish to the end of it. Tape a string to the bottom of the dog and then to the top of the spoon. If this is confusing, follow the diagram on the template. Hang your wall hanging from a nail, or tape it to the wall. This makes a very simple project. You could also configure the pieces to make a mobile like the moon mobile above, but mobile space in our house is at a premium.
Paper Plate and Bowl Hat
Cut out the inner circle of a paper plate. Staple a paper bowl to the paper plate ring. Paint the hat and let dry. You can add other decorations if desired. Punch a hole on both sides of the brim with a hole punch and tie on a piece of ribbon long enough to tie under chin.
Horse Shoes
Cut a horse shoe shape out of heavy paper or cardstock. Wrap strips of aluminum foil around the horse shoe to make it look like it's made out of metal. If you make several, you can play a kid-safe game of horse shoes.
Printable H
Use this template to make other letter crafts or simply use it to color.
Heart Man - You're bound to get a lot of giggles when you make a heart man! This is one of my favorite projects and we still make them each year for Valentine's Day... but they work well for the letter H as well.
"H" Recipes
Hand Food
Use a clean plastic glove and put candy, popcorn, fruit pieces, or other finger food inside. Make sure you use gloves that have no powder or other chemicals inside. Those cheap gloves that food service workers use work well.
Haystacks
Melt some butterscotch and/or chocolate chips in the microwave. Add chow mein noodles and mix until noodles are well coated. Scoop a spoonful out and put on wax paper and form into a little haystack. Let cool completely.
Horse Food
Serve up a plate of carrots and apple slices, a horse's favorite treat.
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 "H" Books
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - A classic.
A House for Hermit Crab - My children are Air Force Brats and move every couple of years (sometimes less). This is a great book about moving, changing houses, and just plain change.
Little Red Hen - This is a great story about work before play and very young children will love the illustrations.
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb - This is such a fun toddler book that even my "big girl" will listen to it.
"H" Play
There are probably a lot of free-play things kids can do that will encourage them to think about the letter H. Here are a few of the things that I've tried with my own kids: Practice the sound of the letter by putting our hands in front of our mouth to feel the hot air, hide and seek, hop scotch, hokey pokey, etc. Remember, the more you can immerse them in the "H" theme, the better chance you have that they will remember the letter, it's sound, and words that start with "H."
Or Search Amazon for More Resources...
