DD has been really interested in letters and the alphabet lately. DH and I usually read at night and she wants to read with us. She points to the pages and will say "Oh! It's a letter. Look,it's a letter B." (Of course, she doesn't recognize letters yet.)

She has also started to want to "write." She tells us "Look at the letters, Mom! See the letter G. I'm writing. Yeah." LOL!

She did this the other day and I was really surprised. She is starting to really take her time and draw small squiggles that looked sort of like letters.


Is there any kind of fun activities I can do with her?? (I read with her and we have the bathtub alphabet) Thanks.

By Clair~moderator on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 01:46 pm:

Does she still use her highchair? If so or if you have a small play table you can always let her write (fingerpaint) in shaving cream - lots of fun and easy clean up

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 02:01 pm:

YEAH for Syd! Do you still have the stationary walker that converts to a little table? That's exactly what Ty & B used it for when they were little. It has little indents so crayons, etc. don't roll off. Have you tried play doh with her yet? I have a homemade recipe if you're interested. Be careful, some kids like to eat it! LOL! You already have a lot of manipulatives like puzzles, legos, felt board, etc.. Finger paints, play doh, stringing large beads, coloring, painting on the easel. Oh, do you have paint cups and brushes, etc.? Aunty Trina will take care of that. I think the best thing to do, and you're already doing it, is READ, READ and read some more. They really do soak it all up.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 02:09 pm:

This might be outdated, but we had alphabet and number magnets for the fridge and my kids loved those.

By Tunnia on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 03:24 pm:

I'd say give her plenty of paper, crayons and pencils. My dd began writing when she was three. She also loved books so one day I stapled a few sheets of copy paper together and told her she could make a book. She would write a story and draw the pictures to go with it. She usually asked how to spell words, but sometimes would just write letters in any order and then tell us the stories by the pictures. I never pressured her, I just tried to make it fun. Eventually we had to start buying her her own reams of paper for her books. She also had the refrigerator ABC magnets and also foam ABCs that stuck to the wall in the tub. I also bought her Jumpstart Preschool and let her play with that. You can draw the letters in the sandbox, make them out of spaghetti noodles at dinner or simply look for shapes that resemble a letter. My dd loved that game. "Look Mommy, that roof looks like an A. This Spaghettio looks like and O and this broken one looks like a C" We played that one a lot.

By Truestori on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 05:30 pm:

Eve,
She is getting so big! Lotte started trying to write her name at 2 and could by the time she turned 3. If she shows interest, which she seems to be, I would get her the little practice books that let them trace and draw letters. I always loved a chalk~board and reading to her is a very good thing.

By Feona on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 07:39 am:

We do the chalk board thing.

I found magnetic letter

Letter puzzles

Chicka chicka boom boom book

Ot teacher does

draw a circle like this

draw a line like this

draw a cross like this

draw a dots for the square and have them fill in the lines for the square - modeling two lines first.

Some times we play draw thing. (My son is 3 and 1/2 so some of this might be too advanced.)

Shaving cream in bath tub

letters in bath tub

write name on paper.

Good luck and have fun!


I also have alittle table set up for ds to practice his art - crayons.

abc posters or place mats so he could see letters many places.

By Eve on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 09:05 am:

Thank you, thank you , thank you! You all gave me some new ideas!

She loves for us to write her name or draw something, like a square and then she likes to trace it. So, she might go for the tracing paper or like Feona said, me making dots in a shape for her to trace. Good one!

We have the alphabet puzzle, but the pieces always get tossed somewhere else! (This is the case with all puzzles. Uggh.) But the fridge magnets! Yes! They still make them, Karen! I need to get some!

The make your own picture book! Love that! She is into "Tell me a story Mom!" She might really dig that, although, I guess Mom needs to shop for supplies! LOL!

Trina, we do have the table. I forgot that it was a table actually. LOL! We've had some issues with chalk, crayons and markers....paint and Play Doh? Oh Lord give me strength. LOL! She would go NUTS for them, I know. Darn, guess I need to go shopping!

Thanks everyone! Some really terrific ideas!

Who writes the Chicka Boom book? It sounds familiar.

By Feona on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 03:19 pm:

Chicka Chicka ABC
by John Archambault (Author), Lois Ehlert (Illustrator), Bill Jr Martin (Author)

Lois Herlert illustrated brown bear brown bear also and some other famous children's books.


a told b, and b told c, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree. Whee! Said d to e f g, I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree." The entire lowercase alphabet makes it to the top of the coconut tree and "chicka chicka boom boom," they all fall down! Colorful and eye-catching, the artwork bewitches little ones, while the sing-songy prose encourages listening and learning. Birth and up.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 03:55 pm:

You could also go to Crayola.com. They have a "letter of the day" type thing. You can print out the paper and have her try to draw the letters (i know she is little, but it doesn't have to actually LOOK like the letter LOL). And say words that the letter starts with. Go to any of the childrens shows on the internet: Barney.com, playhousedisney.com, sesamestreet.com etc. and most of them have sheets that you could print out and your dd can color. My neighbor actually went to a bunch of kids websites and printed out TONS of sheets of paper for his dd and my dd and stapled them together to make coloring books! HAVE FUN!