Letter T Activities and Craft Ideas
Below you will find projects and activities that will help you and your child explore the letter T. 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 "T") 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 "T"
Talk with your child about the letter "T", 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 "T" 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.
toast
tape
tire
turtle
|
tent
telephone
toy
toad
|
table
television
tooth
toe
|
tool
tie
teddy bear
tiger
|
"T" Projects
Pom Pom Teddy Bear
The kids loved this project and even had to have their finished bears in their beds at bedtime. The largest pom pom is only 2 inches in diameter and the sizes go down from there. We did this project out of odds and ends that we had laying around, so they are all different colors. I had a big bag of pom poms in various sizes and colors, so I let them choose their own colors.
Supplies: 1 extra large pom pom, 1 large pom pom, 4 medium pom poms, 3 small pom poms, 2 extra small pom poms, 1 extra small black pom pom (for the nose), low temp hot glue, 2 wiggle eyes (or buttons, beads, etc.) 3-4 inches of ribbon.
Directions: Have the child lay out their pom poms in the following pattern. The extra large pp is the bear's body, the large pp is the head, the medium are arms and legs, the small are ears and tail, the extra small are and the black one are for the nose and snout (put them together like a triangle. An adult should handle the glue gun and glue all the parts together (white glue just takes too long to dry). Once you have the basic bear put together, you can embellish any way you want. You can use buttons or wiggle eyes for the eyes, and the ribbon is for a bow at the neck. My four year old used one bow for the neck and one for the hair. Remember this is supposed to be a non-stress, non-exact kid craft. It should be fun, not perfect!
Tree Rubbing
Hold a piece of paper up against a tree and use a crayon to create a rubbing. (Turn the crayon on it's side with the paper peeled off.)
Bowl Turtles
Turn a paper bowl upside down and paint green or brown. Let dry. Tear some squares of green and brown paper and glue on bowl to make the turtle's shell. Cut a head, tail and feet from green or brown construction paper. Glue or staple them on the bowl.
Printable T
Use this template to make other letter crafts or simply use it to color.
"T" Recipes
Tiger Cookies
Bake a batch of sugar cookies and put chocolate and orange stripes on them. You could also buy fudge stripe cookies and add a couple of orange stripes in between the others.
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 "T" Books
The Hare and the Tortoise: A Fable from Aesop
Tuesday
A Toad for Tuesday
The Giving Tree
Or Search Amazon for More Resources...
