Back to School Alphabet Activities County Fair Style
Who doesn't love a fair! Some of my favorite memories involve tiger ears, crazy corn, and hot dogs on a stick! I enjoy bringing that county fair-fun feeling into the classroom as an introduction to our study of the alphabet! It instantly gets the kids excited to learn more — Each letter becomes its own identity — All letters seem important!
One game students always enjoys from the unit is "Cotton Candy Letters."It is a simple early- alphabet letter match that serves as a good review and/or a great introduction to alphabet letters. And yes after playing, each student will enjoy a small taste of the yummy sugary stuff. Who wouldn’t love a taste of cotton candy after playing the cotton candy game!
Set the mood of a county fair by searching youtube for some great fair-fun overviews, there are some great ones out there. Your local fair may even have a production video. Some students have visited a fair, invite some sharing.
Be sure to check out two of my early readers that I have published over at hameraypublishing.com which deal with a child’s experiences at a fair! They are heavily influenced by my experiences taking my own children to the fair.
Keep scrolling to the bottom for directions to make a fun hands-on-activity at your own alphabet fair!
Make an I Spy Alphabet Bottle!
I Spy Alphabet bottles are fun to make and fun to use! All you need is a water bottle, some rice or birdseed, and a handful of alphabet letter beads.
Let your students scoop in enough rice or birdseed to fill half of the bottle - the smaller bottle are a perfect size, but any water bottle will work. Add 15-20 letter beads; provide letter beads of any color or size as long as they fit in the top of the bottle. (If your students make name necklaces, this is a great way to use the leftover beads!) If you wish, students can also add other small objects such as colorful beads or bits of confetti, I especially love to add yellow ducks. Finally, twist the cap on the bottle and shake.
Students can now hunt for - and record - letters in the bottle. This project gives the students an opportunity to review letters in a fun way while providing a tangible alphabet tool to take home.
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