5 Games to Help Kids Learn and use the Alphabet

5 Games to Help Kids Learn and use the Alphabet

Kids learn through play so why not make a game out of learning everything there is to learn from the alphabet! All of these games can be used in a classroom or at home, and can be modified easily for bigger or smaller groups. 

The games work best if you use large letters so that they are easy to see and move around. (I suggest investing in the playtime felt set from Mom’s Affiliate found here. It is awesome because is has upper and lower case letters, different colored vowels, and the letters are 3″tall! p.s. it is only $12.95!)

5 Games to Help Kids Learn and use the Alphabet

1.  Two Letter Shout: 

This is a game we used to play in my Spanish class to learn the Spanish alphabet and it was super effective because you hear and see the alphabet over and over while having fun! 

Give each student two random letters. Have the kids say the alphabet and when their letter comes up they have to hold it high in the air and shout it. Each time try to move through the alphabet faster and faster. You can use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, or even play the game with no talking to make it more difficult. 

2. Sets of Five: 

This game helps students focus in on certain sections of the alphabet so that they don’t have to sing the whole dang song when they are trying to find something in alphabetical order. (You’re wishing your teacher did this huh!)

Give each child a set of five letters from the alphabet. Repeatedly mix them up and have them put them back in order. Have them switch sets with another student, do it backwards, and add more letters to their sets to increase difficulty.  

3. Upper & Lower Case Matching Race: 

This will help kids remember what the upper and lowercase letters look like.

In groups of two let students try and match the upper case with the lower case letters. You could add in other challenges as well like no talking to each other or only give them some letters to make it more difficult.

4. Crazy Vowel Words: 

This game will help kids learn the importance of vowels as well as the sounds they make.

Give each student two consonants. Hang a vowel on the board and have them sound out the “crazy word” it would make if they put the vowel in-between the two consonants. Have them raise their hand if they think theirs made a real word. You can also go around the room and point out different words that would make different sounds with the same vowel, such as “her” vs.  “hen”

5. Spell It: 

This game will help kids learn how to spell!

Depending on how many sets of letters you have, put kids into groups (hopefully of just two or three kids) and give them a word to spell with the letters. Groups are a good idea for spelling because they can teach each other the rules, or you can teach small struggling groups all at once.