I started making a laminated leaf keepsake with my class in 2019, and I still have one of those first leaves tucked safely inside its page. That small tradition became the starting point for a Letter L week built around real classroom materials: laundry, lunch, leaves, and plenty of hands-on play.
1. Lion Letter-Match Sensory Bin
A lion-themed sensory bin gives children a playful way to work on uppercase and lowercase letter recognition. Add the lion alphabet cards to your favorite sensory filler, then invite children to find and match the pairs. The same setup also works well during jungle or animal themes.
Use the lion alphabet match cards for this activity.
2. Laundry Washing Sensory Play
This simple laundry station kept the children focused much longer than I expected. Fill a shallow bin with a little water and soap, add fabric squares, and place a small drying rack or wire shelf nearby. Children can wash, squeeze, and hang each piece with clothespins.
Along with imaginative play, the squeezing and clipping build hand strength, coordination, patience, and problem-solving skills. Keep the water shallow and supervise closely.
3. Laminated Leaf Keepsake
This has been one of my favorite Letter L traditions since 2019. Each child chooses a dry leaf outside, names it, and explains why that particular leaf feels special. I place the leaf and the child’s words on a page, laminate it, and send it home as a keepsake.
The activity makes room for observation, conversation, and a personal connection to nature without requiring an elaborate setup.
4. Laundry Scavenger Hunt
A small toy washing machine made this scavenger hunt feel like part of the laundry theme. I placed blue rice inside as the “water” and hid the picture cards in it. Children pulled out one card at a time, found the matching image on their page, and compared it with the pictures spread across the table.
The A–Z alphabet scavenger hunt includes the Letter L page and matching picture cards.
5. Lunch Loose-Parts Play
For this invitation, children use loose parts to create their own lunches. There is no single finished example to copy, so a sandwich, a plate of pretend noodles, or an entirely invented meal can all belong at the table. Children from about two and a half through five approached the same materials in completely different ways.
The open-ended loose-parts set includes printable scenes for invitations like this one.
6. Laundry Room Dramatic Play
You do not need a full dramatic-play kit to create a laundry room. Our outdoor honeycomb steps became a washer and dryer, and the children supplied the rest of the story. Add a basket, fabric pieces, clothespins, and empty detergent containers if you have them, then let the play develop.
Continue Letter L Learning
Legendary Leader With L, from my ABC Discovery Series, pairs naturally with these activities and carries Letter L vocabulary into story time.
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