activities for preschoolers

Z is for Zebra: Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 10 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and it’s been so fun sharing letter of the week crafts and learning ideas with you at Crystal & Company!

This is our final week in the series. We’re wrapping it up with letter Z — for zebra, of course!

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Z is for Zebra

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

large letter Z cut from white paper (see this pattern: Z is for Zebra pattern)
black nose (see pattern)
triangular ear (see pattern)
googly eye
small black strips
glue stick
black marker
plain construction paper

1. Glue down the Z in the center of the paper. Add the black nose.

2. Add the googly eye.

3. Give your zebra a triangular ear.

4. Glue the stripes all the way down the zebra. (Your preschooler may need help making the stripes go in the right direction.)

5. Use a black marker to add the zebra’s mane.

I just love them!

RHYME FOR LETTER Z:

Say this rhyme in a sing-song chant. Be sure to say that last line with a shout!

Zoom, zoom zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.
So if you’d like to take a trip
Just step inside my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.

10 – 9 – 8 -7 – 6 – 5 –
4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – BLAST OFF!

SONG FOR LETTER Z:

Sing this to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”

Oh do you know the zookeeper,
The zookeeper, the zookeeper?
Oh, do you know the zookeeper
Who works down at the zoo?

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Z:

If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss

I couldn’t leave out this classic rhyming tale by Dr. Seuss. Kids will enjoy this zany story about a little boy named Gerald McGrew – and all the changes he’d make to the zoo.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead

I just fell in love with this beautiful story about a kind old zookeeper named Amos. He takes time for each of the animals – and he is their dear friend. But one day Amos is sick and can’t be at the zoo. So the animals come to him! The award-winning illustrations will steal your heart!

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Y is for Yak: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 12 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom — and I can hardly believe it, but my preschoolers and I are almost done sharing weekly letter of the week crafts with you at Crystal & Company! This week we found an adorable craft over at Pinterest: Y is for Yak. Be sure to read to the end for rhymes and books to go with the letter Y.

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Y is for Yak

I like the credit the sources of my crafts when they’re not original, but I couldn’t track down the creator of this one. We loved it – and my boys had a lot of questions about yaks as we completed the craft!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter Y cut out of brown construction paper (see this pattern: Y is for Yak pattern)
two large tan circles (see pattern)
two small black circles (see pattern)
large tan oval (see pattern)
two tan horns (see pattern)
glue stick
black marker
red marker
white construction paper

1. Glue down the Y in the center of the white paper. Add the horns on either side.

2. Make the eyes by gluing down the large tan circles first. Then add the small black circles on top.

3. A little farther down, glue down the oval for the nose and mouth.

4. Use the black marker to make two lines for the nostrils.

5. Add a big red smile!

Aren’t they fun?

SONGS FOR LETTER Y:

Most of us love this silly favorite!

Yankee Doodle went to London
Just to ride a pony.
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni!

I know I’m stretching it here, but the letter “Y” is a seriously hard letter to find in children’s songs!

You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out.
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Y:

Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

This simple story of just 34 words is a unique story of friendship. When two boys meet on the road, one timidly offers friendship. (“Yo!”) As they continue to talk in one or two words a piece, the boys excitedly agree to be friends – sealed with a “Yow!” This is a great story about friendship — filled with letter Y words!

Extra Yarn, by Mac Barnett

This book won a Caldecott Honor Award (honorable mention for best pictures). It’s a gentle story about a girl in a dreary, black-and-white world who finds a box of colorful yarn. Her town is transformed as she covers its inhabitants with beautiful knitwear.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)
L is for Lollypop (apples)
M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)
N is for Nest (a nest for a sweet candy treat)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

X is for Xylophone: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 9 Comments

If you are working on teaching your little one their alphabet, doing letter of the week crafts you are going to love these letter crafts for your young child.

This X is for Xylophone craft is super cute and the kids will have so much fun with it. Children learn with alphabet crafts like these that help them associate and remember.

And… we even have handprint art, snack and book list to go along with it. You will find links to all of that below.

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: X is for Xylophone

We love that these crafts incorporate fine motor skills for child development. Craft ideas like these are always so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers!

letter of the week crafts for preschoolers X is for xylophone #letteroftheweek

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

xylophone sidebars printed on plain white paper (you can get it in our letter of the week pack here)
four colored strips (use page 2 of the above pattern for sizing)
two small black strips (see pattern)
two small black dots (see pattern)

1. Find the largest colored strip. Glue it across the bottom of the bars.

2. Keep adding all the paper strips until you’ve reached the top of the xylophone.

3. Glue down the two black strips in the shape of an X. Add the black circles at the ends of the mallets.

And here they are!

SONGS FOR LETTER X:

You’ll be happy to know I’m not going to give you songs about x-rays and xylophones! Instead you’ll find some rhymes with letter X within the words.

Here’s a preschool favorite.

Six little ducks that I once knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones too.
But the only little duck with the feather on his back,
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack, quack quack quack, quack quack quack,”
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack!”

And here’s another classic song which is really fun to sing:

A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
Heigh ho, the derry-o, a hunting we will go.
A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
We’ll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we’ll let him go.

books to read with your preschooler as you learn the letter of the week X

Jessica’s X-Ray, by Pat Zonta

My kids loved this story because of the real X-rays printed on mylar, sprinkled throughout the book. When Jessica breaks her arm, she’s taken to the hospital to get a cast. While there she gets a tour of the hospital and learns all about X-ray technology. This book is actually written by a professional X-ray technologist!

My Mom Has X-Ray Vision, by Angela McAllister

Kids will love this silly story told by a boy named Matthew, who is convinced his mom has X-ray vision. How else would she always know what he’s up to? The lively illustrations by Alex T. Smith combine with the fun story to make this an engaging book.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)
L is for Lollypop (apples)
M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Letter of the Week Snack: M is for Monster

By The Taylor House 4 Comments

Welcome to our weekly Letter of the Week snack series where we are taking time to share a new snack idea for each letter of the alphabet. These letter of the week snacks are a great way to start introducing letters and letter sounds to your children.

Incorporating letters into fun things like snacks and games is a great way to help your kids learn their letters and the sounds the letters make. If you homeschool, you can easily add these into your curriculum. If your kids go to preschool or kindergarten, maybe coordinate with the teacher for the day they are learning a specific letter, have your child take a fun letter snack that day!

Today we are working on the letter M and with Halloween being right around the corner, I decided to make a delicious Monster Cookie Bar treat to share with you. I hope you enjoy!

How to make Monster Cookie Bars

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. quick rolled oats
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
⅔ c. peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ c. chopped peanuts
¼ c. chocolate chips (a mix of regular and mini)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or cover with parchment) a full size cookie sheet with sides.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter and sugars for 1 minute. Turn speed to low and add one egg at a time. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Remove bowl from stand mixer. Fold in dry ingredients, then chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and M&Ms. Pour onto prepared pan and pat down until even. I like to use a my hands to get it all spread out, and then a spatula to make it smooth and even. Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.

You can also find Letter of the Week Crafts here at Crystal & Comp to coordinate with your Letter of the Week Snacks.

Letter of the Week Crafts:

You can also find Letter of the Week Crafts here at Crystal & Comp to coordinate with your Letter of the Week Snacks.

Letter of the Week Snacks:

A is for Airplane (granola bar)
B is for Butterfly (grapes)
C is for Car (apple)
D is for Dirt (Oreos)
E is for Egg (pretzels)
F is for Fishing (cupcake)
G is for Green (rice krispy)
H is for Heart (waffle)
I is for Ice Cream (ice cream)
J is for Jelly Bean (Trail Mix)
K is for Kite (Graham cracker)
L is for Lollipop (Apple Lollipop)

W is for Watermelon: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 14 Comments

I’m Anna from the Measured Mom, bringing you another letter of the week craft at Crystal and Company!

Last week we got messy with vegetable prints, so this week we’ll keep it simple with a construction paper craft: W is for Watermelon. And since watermelons are heavy, we’ll be carrying ours in a wagon.

At the end of the post I have some nursery rhymes, a song, and several fabulous books to keep the learning going!

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: W IS FOR WATERMELON

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter W printed onto cardstock (get the pattern here: W is for Watermelon on a Wagon pattern)
red rectangle for wagon, black rectangle for handle, two black circles for wheels, and two white circles for the inside of the wheels (see above pattern)
glue stick
plain construction paper
green, black, and red or pink markers

1. Color the bottom of the W green – it’s the rind of your melon.

2. Now color that delicious fruit red or pink.

3. Don’t forget to add the seeds!

4. Your watermelon is heavy, so we’ll carry it on a wagon. Glue down the W and add the red wagon.

5. Give your wagon some black wheels.

6. Add the white centers.

7. Finally, give your wagon a handle.

And here they are!

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER W:

I like this kinder version of the favorite nursery rhyme.

There was an old woman
Who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children
She didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth
And lots of fresh bread.
Then kissed them all soundly
And put them to bed.

Don’t forget this other classic!

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs,
In his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows,
Crying at the lock,
“Are the children in their beds?
For now it’s 8:00!”

SONG FOR LETTER W:

If your kids are like mine, they can’t get enough of this summer treat! Sing this one to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”

Watermelon, watermelon,
On the vine, on the vine.
Sweet and red and juicy,
Sweet and red and juicy,
Please be mine! Please be mine!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER W:

The Watermelon Seed, by Greg Pizzoli

Here’s a great new book about a funny alligator who sings about how much he loves watermelon… until he swallows a seed. His mind goes wild about what the consequences will be! My kids love this silly story.

I Went Walking, by Sue Williams

Here’s a great predictable book to read with your preschooler. “I went walking. What did you see? I saw a black cat looking at me.” Your child will be proud when this becomes a book he can read himself!

The Worrywarts, by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Books that try to use a particular letter in every sentence can get tiresome. Not this one! Wombat, Weasel, and Woodchuck want to wander the world. But they’re worried about what they might find. You’ll be laughing aloud at what they envision!

Looking for more learning fun for the letter W? Visit this link.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)
L is for Lollypop (apples)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Letter of the Week Snack: L is for Lollipop

By The Taylor House Leave a Comment

A fun idea for these snack ideas would be to incorporate them into the preschool curriculum. On the week they are learning the letter K, you could bring a Kite snack for the kids as an extra way to reinforce the letter. Using these letter snacks during the summer months is a great way to practice letters so that you are ready when back to school times comes.

This week we are working on the letter L and I immediately thought of Lollipop. I wanted to have a little healthier version though, not just a sugary snack so I decided to use some apples that I had on hand and make Apple Lollipops! They were simple to make and the kids loved them!

How to make Apple Lollipops

Materials You Need:

Apples
Knife
Skewers

Instructions

Step 1 – Cut your apple in half

Step 2 – Cut thin slices that look similar to a Lollipop

Step 3 – Insert your skewer to use as the Lollipop stick. That’s it! Super easy to make!

Be sure to watch small children who are eating these so that they do not injure themselves with the skewer. Enjoy!

You can also find Letter of the Week Crafts here at Crystal & Comp to coordinate with your Letter of the Week Snacks.

Letter of the Week Crafts:

You can also find Letter of the Week Crafts here at Crystal & Comp to coordinate with your Letter of the Week Snacks.

Letter of the Week Snacks:

A is for Airplane (granola bar)
B is for Butterfly (grapes)
C is for Car (apple)
D is for Dirt (Oreos)
E is for Egg (pretzels)
F is for Fishing (cupcake)
G is for Green (rice krispy)
H is for Heart (waffle)
I is for Ice Cream (ice cream)
J is for Jelly Bean (Trail Mix)
K is for Kite (Graham cracker)

V is for Vase: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 6 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and for this week’s letter of the week craft we’re sharing a fun printing activity for the letter V. V is for Vase — and how will we make our flowers? With vegetable prints, of course! This was a great craft for our family to do at the end of summer, because we are swimming in a garden overflow! After you’ve checked out the craft, be sure to find the songs and book list at the end of the post!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: V IS FOR VASE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter V cut from construction paper (get the pattern here: V is for Vase pattern)
plain white construction paper
glue stick
vegetables that are good for printing, like broccoli and peppers
washable tempera paint
newspaper

1. Glue the V down on the center of the paper. This will be your vase.

2. Choose a vegetable to start with. Dip it very gently into the paint.

3. Add some lovely flowers by making vegetable prints at the top of the vase.

4. If you’d like, switch colors and try a new vegetable.

5. Keep going until your bouquet is complete! The idea is to keep the flowers above the top of the vase, but you may find that your preschooler gets a little carried away, as my three-year-old did :)).

Aren’t they beautiful?

SONGS FOR LETTER V:

Did you know it’s extremely hard to find rhymes and songs for letter V? If you know of a nursery rhyme, let us know in the comments, because I couldn’t find one! Instead, I made up my own. I’ll have to credit myself :), since these first appeared on The Measured Mom.

V is for Vacuum (to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot,” original rhyme © The Measured Mom)

I’m a little vacuum,
Hear me vroom,
Over the floor and
All across the room.
When I get all revved up,
See me work,
Cleaning up the carpet
And sucking up the dirt.
VROOM!

V is for Volcano (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?” original rhyme © The Measured Mom)

Big volcano, big volcano,
Getting hot, getting hot!
Now the lava’s coming,
Now the lava’s coming
Out the top! Out the top!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER V:

The Viper, by Lisa Thiesing

Both you and your kids will love this adorable book. Peggy the pig has a simple, unworried life until the day she receives a scary phone call. “I am zee Viper. I vill come in 1 year.” When Peggy learns that a viper is a poisonous snake, she becomes more and more terrified. When the year has finally ended, Peggy has her doors bolted and locked — only to discover that zee Viper isn’t so scary after all. You’ll love the completely unexpected ending!

Tops and Bottoms, by Jan Stevens

This is a folksy tale about a hard-working rabbit family that outsmarts a lazy bear. Rabbit’s family has fallen on hard times, so he approaches his neighbor, Bear: Rabbit’s family will do all the work in Bear’s neglected garden and share the produce. Rabbit will get the tops, and Bear gets the bottoms. You can guess what kind of vegetables Rabbit plants! On it goes until Bear finally learns his lesson: to plant his own garden from now on!

Looking for more Letter V learning? Check out this link.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

U is for Underwater: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 18 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, back for my weekly post at Crystal and Company to share a letter of the week preschool craft. This week we made a quick and simple project: U is for Underwater. We love to extend the learning with books and rhymes, so don’t miss those additional learning ideas at the end of the post!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: U IS FOR UNDERWATER CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 piece of plain construction paper
letter U printed onto construction paper and cut out (get the pattern here: Letter U pattern)
colorful circles and triangles cut from construction paper
glue stick
school glue
googly eyes
blue paper with waves cut across the top

1. Use the glue stick to attach the blue paper to the piece of plain paper.

2. Glue down your letter U in the middle of the water.

letter of the week preschool craft u is for underwater

3. Use the circles and triangles to make little fish. Use the school glue to attach the googly eyes.

letter of the week preschool craft u is for underwater

4. Here is our underwater collection!

SONG FOR LETTER U:

Pull out this familiar verse from “Wheels on the Bus.”

The people on the bus
Go up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down,
The people on the bus
Go up and down,
All through the town.

ACTION RHYME FOR LETTER U:

Try acting out this fun rhyme!

Here goes a turtle up a hill –
Creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy.
Here goes a rabbit up a hill –
Boing, boing, boing, boing!
Here goes an elephant up a hill-
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Here goes a snake up a hill –
Slither, slither, slither, slither…
And here comes a rock down the hill
–
Boom, boom, boom, boom,
CRASH!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER U:

Great Day for Up, by Dr. Seuss

You can’t go wrong with Dr. Seuss’s crazy rhyming fun. With people going up on every page, your little one will get lots of exposure to the sound of “U.”

letter of the week U: books to read with your preschooler as you learn this new letter

Unlovable, by Dan Yaccarino

This is an adorable story about a little dog named Alfred who is told by the cat and the parrot that he is unlovable. Alfred longs to be a bigger, more impressive dog instead of an unlovable little pug. One day he makes a friend through the the fence — but Alfred isn’t truthful with his new dog friend. He says he’s a golden retriever! When the two dogs finally meet, Alfred has a wonderful surprise.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

T is for Tree: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 8 Comments

I’m Anna from the Measured Mom – and I’m back at Crystal & Company to share a preschool craft and other learning ideas for the Letter T. After painting with spaghetti for letter S, we’re doing a neat and simple paper craft this week. (You’re welcome :)). Be sure to check out the rest of the crafts in our Letter of the Week series!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: T IS FOR TREE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter T pattern printed onto cardstock (get it here: T is for Tree pattern)
small green squares cut from green construction paper or cardstock
tree trunk cut from brown paper (to fit the bottom part of the T)
buttons of one color
school glue

1. Glue down the tree trunk.

2. Spread glue all over the top of the T.

3. Add the green squares for leaves. Place them so that they overlap each other.

4. Put down dots of glue and add buttons for fruit.

Normally my Four likes to do these crafts as well – but he was so involved in his lego project I couldn’t bear to pull him away. 🙂

SONGS FOR LETTER T:

Don’t miss these classic childhood songs!

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.

I’m a little teapot, short and stout!
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
“Tip me over and pour me out!”

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER T:

Nursery rhymes are notorious for not making much sense. Maybe that’s why kids love them so much!

Little Tommy Tucker
Sings for his supper.
What shall we give him?
Brown bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
Without a knife?
How shall he marry
Without a wife?

Be sure to find the tune for this classic nursery rhyme if it’s a new one for you.

A tisket, a tasket,
A green and yellow basket.
I wrote a letter to my love,
And on the way I dropped it.
I dropped it, I dropped it,
And on the way I dropped it.
A little boy picked it up
And put it in his pocket.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER T:

Letter T is such a great letter. I could have recommended twenty books, but for your sake I picked just my favorites. 🙂

The Tub People, by Pam Conrad

This is one of my favorite children’s books of all time. The wooden tub people are lined up, expressionless, at the edge of the bathtub. But when it’s bathtime, they love to play. They ride on the floating washcloth and have water races — until the day the tub child disappears down the tub drain. Nothing is the same as the tub people silently mourn their lost child. But a happy ending is coming! Don’t miss this precious book.

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my three-year-old recite the book’s refrain,“Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the trashy town!” He loves the simple story of Mr. Gilly picking up the trash. It’s a predictable story which makes it perfect for kids to read along.

Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough

I’ve heard my preschooler recite nearly all of this book while riding in the van as we do our errands. He loves the story of Duck and his truck that gets stuck in the muck – so much that he would beg for it every time we drove past the library. After getting it for his third birthday, he can now enjoy it as much as he wants. 🙂 Be sure to check out Alborough’s other Duck books, too!

For many more ideas for teaching the letter T, visit this link.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

S is for Snake: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 21 Comments

I’m Anna from the Measured Mom, bringing you yet another activity in our Letter of the Week craft series at Crystal and Company. This is one of my kids’ favorite crafts to date – I hope your kids love it too. Who wouldn’t love painting with spaghetti? Be sure to head to your library to check out the book recommendations at the end of the post. Try to find some time for those rhymes and songs too!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: S IS FOR SNAKE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

letter S pattern (get it here: Letter S pattern)
snake tongue cut out of red construction paper
2 googly eyes
washable paint
kitchen tongs
cooked spaghetti
glue
one piece of plain construction paper
box lid
3 cereal bowls
tape

s is for snake

1. Use the kitchen tongs to put the cooked spaghetti into three different bowls. This is great fine motor practice – but if your preschooler likes to get messy, turn it into sensory play instead and let him scoop it with his hands!

2. Choose three colors of paint. Squirt a little into each bowl. (Mom did this step at our house :)).

s is for snake

3. For fine motor practice, lift the spaghetti with the tongs and drop it back in the bowl. Repeat a few times until the paint is mixed in. For messy sensory fun, mix with your hands!

4. Tape the S into the box lid.

5. Dump the spaghetti into the lid!

6. Tip the box back and forth until you’ve painted the S with spaghetti.

7. Let your painting dry.

8. After a few hours,cut out the S and glue it to a piece of plain construction paper.

9. Add the googly eyes.

10. Add the tongue, and you’re done!

11. Here they are! All our S’s look the same because each of the kids chose red, yellow, and orange. 🙂 Those colors do make pretty snakes!

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER S:

This was a new rhyme for me. It’s so fun to say!

Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Bread and milk from a china cup.
Bread and milk from a bright silver spoon
Made of a piece of the bright silver moon.
Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Sippity, sippity sup.

Here’s a classic nursery rhyme that all kids should know:

Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Let me taste your ware.”
Said the pieman to Simple Simon,
“Show me first your penny.”
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Indeed I have not any.”

Lots of letter S’s in this one!

Sally go round the sun,
Sally go round the moon.
Sally go round the chimney pots
On a Saturday afternoon.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER S:

Swimmy, by Leo Lionni

Swimmy is a little fish whose friends are swallowed up by a giant predator. When Swimmy joins a new school, he helps his friends swim together in the shape of a giant fish so that they can outsmart their enemy. It’s an engaging story with a great lesson – work together to make the best of a bad situation!

Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown

My six-year-old still can’t get enough of “Stone Soup” variations. This old folktale tells of hungry travelers who ask a woman for food. When she refuses, they decide to make stone soup. A stone goes into the pot – but it needs just one thing more. When the woman is tricked into providing one thing after another, the stone soup becomes hearty and delicious!

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats

This vintage story is by that master of childhood, Ezra Jack Keats. Children enjoy the simple pictures and can relate to Peter’s day making snow angels, catching snowflakes on his tongue, and throwing snowballs — unless they live in a very warm climate. In that case, this book will make them wish they had snow!

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers