How to Practice the ABCs with Welch’s

This post is sponsored by Welch’s® Fruit Rolls. I am being compensated for this post. All comments and opinions are my own.

Whenever schools are closed for vacation, I try to find ways to have fun at home that are both educational and entertaining. My inner teacher likes to reinforce the lessons my child learns at school, so counting and the alphabet are often incorporated in our games.

One of the most important skills Annabelle must practice is letter recognition. On the days she doesn’t have school, I try to do a little bit of practice here and there. Unfortunately, there is only so much you can do with worksheets and flashcards before she becomes bored. As a former elementary school teacher, I recall the educational activities my own students enjoyed. One great way to practice the letters of the alphabet, as well as reinforce letter recognition and phonics, is by having an ABC Scavenger Hunt around the house.

Materials: Sticky paper, marker, a reward

Instructions:

1. Choose 1 – 2 letters that you want to focus on. Review the letters with your child. Here is where you decide if you want to stick with letter recognition, letter sounds, or a combination of both.
2. Write the letter (uppercase OR lowercase – do not write both) on a sticky paper.
3. Place the sticky paper letters around the room or the house in plain sight. (Hide them for an advanced game).
4. Create an area where your child can sort the sticky letters that he/she finds.
5. Have your child say the letter, make the letter sound, or even say a word that begins with the letter when a sticky note is found.
6. When all the letters have been found, count how many sticky letters there are in total.
7. Celebrate with a reward.

A great reward at the end of an educational activity is to unroll a Welch’s Fruit Rolls – not only are they tasty, but they’re also made with real fruit as the first ingredient! They have 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C and 25% of the daily value of Vitamins A & E.

To reinforce the letters found during the ABC Scavenger Hunt, you can use the fruit roll to make the letter. Since the Welch’s Fruit Roll is backed with paper, you can tear the pieces you need to form the letter first. We discussed the number of straight lines in a T and an F before tearing apart the pieces.  An adult should tear the pieces needed, or use scissors if necessary.

After the letters are formed, it’s time to EAT! Welch’s Fruit Rolls are not only delicious, but so FUN (with a capital F) to eat. They are easy to pack in a lunch box for when school break is over, so your child can even practice making a letter during snack time on her own.

You can find Welch’s Fruit Rolls at Walmart and Shop Rite, and you can find a coupon here for $1 off before you shop. Don’t let a week-long vacation keep your kids from learning! Can you think of something educational and fun to do with a Welch’s Fruit Roll?