Letter A Activities for Preschool: 11 Hands-On Ideas

During Letter A week, I turned our outdoor sensory bin into an alligator swamp and tucked alphabet cards inside for the kids to find. I set out four recording sheets, just enough to fit around the bin, and soon everyone was asking for a turn. I’ll show you how I set up the letter hunt and what else we did that week.

1. Alligator Swamp Letter Hunt

I put alligator alphabet matching cards in our outdoor sensory bin and set recording sheets beside it. Children pulled out a card, found the matching letter on the page, and crossed it off. We checked whether each letter was uppercase or lowercase before marking it.

2. Abstract Sensory Bin

I arranged different fillers in wedges like slices of pie, then added tools and toys in different colors and shapes. Children can scoop from one section or mix the materials together.

3. Ant Sensory Bin

Add toy ants, pretend food, and rocks to a rice and bean mixture. Let the children decide where the ants will go and what food they’ll carry.

4. Arctic Sensory Bin

I used white rice for snow and added toy penguins, snowflakes, and magnetic tiles. The tiles gave the children something to build with as they played.

5. Build From a Blueprint

Set out connecting cubes or blocks and the Build a City STEM blueprint pages. Invite children to build from a plan or design their own. Ask them to tell you what they’re building or how many blocks they used.

6. Archaeologist Scavenger Hunt

I used the Letter A pages from my A–Z Alphabet Scavenger Hunt. Hide the picture cards in a tray of sand and set out brushes, tongs, and a magnifying glass. Children can uncover each card, match it to the page, and cross it off.

7. Amazon Rainforest Animal Hunt

I made an animal search page and gave the children dry-erase markers to mark each animal they found. Slip the page into a clear sleeve so they can erase it and play again.

8. Build a Mountain and Make an Avalanche

I had leftover wax that looked like snow, so I set some out on a tray. The children built mountains with it, then knocked them down to make an avalanche.

9. Architect Dramatic Play

I set out blueprints, blocks, hats, and vests so the children could pretend to be architects and builders. They could follow a blueprint or make a plan of their own.

10. Ants at a Picnic Dramatic Play

Put out a picnic blanket, pretend food, and antennae. Invite children to play ants and decide what to bring to the picnic.

11. Airport Dramatic Play

I used simple airport signs and dress-up props to set the scene. The children could pretend to board a plane, fly it, or help the passengers get ready to go.

Continue Letter A Learning

For a Letter A read-aloud, try Adventures With A from my ABC Discovery series.

More Alphabet Activities

For help planning your alphabet lessons, see The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Letter of the Week. If you’re moving on to the next letter, explore Letter B activities for preschool.