Alphabet Hunt

What You Need:

• Children's magazine (we like "National Geographic Kids," "Time for Kids," and "Chickadee")
• Large sheet of paper, cardboard, or poster board
• Markers
• Glue

What You Do:

1. Have your child use the markers to write all the letters of the alphabet in a column running down the left side of the large piece of paper, cardboard, or poster board. (Just one letter per line.)
2. Once they've written all the letters, it's time for your child to find them! Give your detective the magazine and ask them to hunt for a picture of a suspect that begins with each of the letters. (An "acrobat" would work for A, a "baseball player" would fulfill B). As they find them, they should write the suspect next to its appropriate letter on the chart. If they'd like, they can cut out the picture and glue it next to the name. The game continues until there's something for each letter of the alphabet.

Not only is this a wonderful way to reinforce the alphabet and practice writing, but it's a good activity for the kitchen table. So the next time your child is asking for something to do as you gather materials for dinner, put them to work. Detective work, that is!