A Step Forward logo
A Step Forward
A Step Forward logo
A Step Forward
Try the App

Preparing every child for kindergarten success

Back to Resource

Letter Recognition Activities

10 fun games and activities to help children learn their letters

Why Letter Recognition Matters

Letter recognition is one of the strongest predictors of reading success. Children who can quickly and accurately identify letters are better prepared for phonics instruction, spelling, and eventually fluent reading.

Tip: Focus on 3-5 letters at a time. Master those before adding more. Start with letters in your child's name!

1

Letter Hunt Safari

15-20 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Letter cards or sticky notes
  • •Small basket or bag

How to Play:

  1. 1.Hide letter cards around a room or outdoor space
  2. 2.Give your child a "target letter" to find
  3. 3.Have them hunt for that letter while saying its name
  4. 4.Once found, ask them to name the letter and its sound
  5. 5.Repeat with different letters
Start with letters in your child's name for extra engagement!
Visual Recognition
2

Alphabet Sensory Bin

20-30 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Plastic bin
  • •Rice, sand, or dried beans
  • •Magnetic letters or letter tiles

How to Play:

  1. 1.Fill a bin with rice, sand, or dried beans
  2. 2.Hide magnetic letters or letter tiles in the sensory material
  3. 3.Have your child dig and discover letters
  4. 4.As they find each letter, ask them to name it
  5. 5.Sort found letters into "known" and "learning" piles
Add scoops and tongs to build fine motor skills too!
Tactile Learning
3

Letter Sound Matching Game

15 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Letter cards
  • •Small objects or pictures starting with each letter

How to Play:

  1. 1.Lay out 5-6 letter cards
  2. 2.Show your child an object (apple, ball, cat toy, etc.)
  3. 3.Ask "What letter does this start with?"
  4. 4.Have them match the object to the correct letter
  5. 5.Say the letter sound together: "A says /a/ like apple!"
Use toys and household items your child already loves.
Phonemic Awareness
4

Rainbow Letter Writing

15-20 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Paper with large dotted letters
  • •Crayons in multiple colors

How to Play:

  1. 1.Print or draw large dotted letters on paper
  2. 2.Have your child trace each letter with one color
  3. 3.Trace again with a second color, then a third
  4. 4.Each letter becomes a "rainbow letter"
  5. 5.Say the letter name and sound while tracing
This builds muscle memory through repetition while keeping it fun!
Letter Formation
5

Alphabet Freeze Dance

10-15 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Music
  • •Letter cards or poster

How to Play:

  1. 1.Play music and let your child dance freely
  2. 2.When music stops, hold up a letter card
  3. 3.Child must freeze and shout out the letter name
  4. 4.For extra challenge, have them say a word starting with that letter
  5. 5.Resume music and repeat with new letters
Great for active learners who need movement breaks!
Quick Recognition
6

Playdough Letter Builders

20-25 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Playdough
  • •Letter cards for reference
  • •Cookie cutters (optional)

How to Play:

  1. 1.Roll playdough into "snakes"
  2. 2.Use the snakes to form letters
  3. 3.Compare to letter cards for accuracy
  4. 4.Say the letter name and sound when complete
  5. 5.Squish and rebuild for practice
Focus on letters with similar shapes (c, o, s) or (l, t, i) in one session.
Letter Formation
7

Letter Bingo

15-20 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Bingo cards with letters
  • •Letter calling cards
  • •Markers or chips

How to Play:

  1. 1.Give each player a letter bingo card
  2. 2.Call out letters one at a time
  3. 3.Players cover the letter if it's on their card
  4. 4.First to get a row (or full card) wins!
  5. 5.Have the winner read back their letters
Make your own cards focusing on letters your child is learning.
Visual Recognition
8

Outdoor Letter Chalk Walk

20-30 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Sidewalk chalk
  • •Outdoor space

How to Play:

  1. 1.Write large letters on the sidewalk or driveway
  2. 2.Call out a letter for your child to find and stand on
  3. 3.Have them trace the letter with their finger
  4. 4.Jump, hop, or skip to the next called letter
  5. 5.Take turns being the "caller"
Add gross motor challenges: "Hop to the letter B!"
Full Body Learning
9

Letter Collage Art

25-30 min

Materials Needed:

  • •Magazines or newspapers
  • •Scissors
  • •Glue
  • •Paper

How to Play:

  1. 1.Choose a "letter of the day"
  2. 2.Hunt through magazines for that letter
  3. 3.Cut out different versions (fonts, sizes, colors)
  4. 4.Glue all found letters onto paper as a collage
  5. 5.Display and review the letter together
This shows children that letters look different but are still the same letter.
Visual Discrimination
10

Alphabet Book Creation

30+ min (ongoing project)

Materials Needed:

  • •Blank book or stapled pages
  • •Crayons/markers
  • •Stickers or magazine cutouts

How to Play:

  1. 1.Create one page per letter
  2. 2.Write the uppercase and lowercase letter at the top
  3. 3.Draw or paste pictures of things starting with that letter
  4. 4.Add the words for each picture
  5. 5.Review completed pages regularly
Work on 2-3 letters per session over several weeks.
Comprehensive Learning

Letter Mastery Tracker

Circle or highlight letters as your child masters them:

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Notes & Observations

© 2025 A Step Forward. Download Countdown2K at astepforward.co/app