In the Name of Love...

Here’s an activity that was very simple, but Caleb has enjoyed it repeatedly…

Materials:

Construction paper

Glue

Scissors

Laminator 

Set-Up Directions:

1. Cut out 2 copies of each letter in your child’s name from the construction paper.

2. Cut out small hearts that will fit on the letters you just cut. (You can skip this step if you choose to use small heart stickers instead.)

3. Glue 1 copy of letters to a sheet of construction paper in the order of your child’s name.

4. Glue or stick one small heart to each letter.  I alternated gluing the hearts at the top and bottom of each letter to remove any confusion. Make sure that you glue the hearts in the same location on matching letters. This is done for two reasons. First, it shows your child which side is the front of the individual letters. Second, it shows your child which way is right-side-up. This seems redundant being that the letter itself is right-side-up, but my son has played similar games in the past where he will match the letters correctly, but without this cue they were placed upside-down right on top of the matching letter. The visual discrimination is not there yet. He did not have any problems matching the letters correctly once I directed him to use the hearts as a guide. 

5. Laminate the name paper and the individual letters for durability. Then, cut out the individual letters. 

Ways to Play:

1. Hand your child a letter as you say that letter’s name. Have your child place it on the matching letter in his/her name.

2. Place the letters in a bag. Have your child pull out a letter. Say, “You pulled out the letter C!” Have your child place it on the matching letter in his/her name.

3. Place the letters in a bucket. Cover the letters with sand, rice, heart confetti, or a different medium. Have your child sift through the medium to find each letter. When your child finds a letter, name it for him/her. Have your child place it on the matching letter in his/her name.

4. Place all the individual letters on a table and mix them up. Point to the first letter in your child’s name on the paper and ask your child to find the letter you name. 

5. To build fine motor skills, add some play dough into the game. Have your child pull dabs of play dough and place them on the first letter to cover it. Then, have your child place the individual letter on top of the play dough like a sandwich. 

It’s beneficial for your child to play the same game repeatedly, but keep the engagement of your child high by adding novelty to the game when you see interest beginning to fade. Do you have any other suggestions to keep the novelty appealing?

God Bless your Learning Days,