Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

I work as a nanny for two awesome kiddos (age 4 & 2), and I'm often looking for/creating educational activities to keep them engaged.

Today I wanted to share a super easy activity that is great for kids just mastering their "ABC's" all the way up to those practicing spelling. (You can also check here for some other activities I did with the boys.)

         

Grab a sheet of paper, ask s/he to tell you all the letters in the alphabet and record them.
(This helps get them interested in what they're doing - up until then I told J that we were going to play a game.)

 Then, have the kiddo run around the house/room/yard etc. and collect things that start with each letter of the alphabet. What's so great about this activity is that you don't need any special supplies and it gets them moving! (J was running back and fourth with each new thing he found to match a letter.)

You may have to help by giving hints and such, but you might also be impressed by how your child thinks outside of the box. (We didn't have an "x-marks-the-spot" toy... but we did have a pirate.) 

Also, it was pretty great to hear J look at things and sound them out to see if they matched any other letters he needed. That being said, even if you're child isn't even working on writing or spelling, when they find an item, ask them to watch as you write it down and spell it out for them. 

 (You can never build too much of a foundation when it comes to learning!)

We had a lot of fun with the Alphabet Scavenger hunt and I hope you do, too!
 

I'd love to hear about what activities you have created/found/tried!

-N