10 Ways to Play with Your ABC’s

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Just wanted to share with you some simple ABC Tot Trays. I’m sure you will be able to find suitable items lying around your house to create these fun Tot Trays.

1. Magnets and Metal Juice Lids– if you drink frozen juice concentrate or know of some families that do, then ask them to save the lids. Wash and dry very well. Then use permanent marker or vinyl alphabet stickers. The magnetic letters will stick to the lids and make a great matching game.

2. Flashcards– Try to come up with a new way to use them. Say the name of the letter, match a magnetic letter to flashcard or spell the object on the flashcard.

3. ABC and Baseball Card pockets– use a few baseball card pocket sheets and stickers to create an easy match game. Small or flat letters can be placed inside pockets. Larger etter can be placed on top.

4. Sound and Letter Match– small 3D objects (dollar store toys) to represent the letters you have. Some sort of divided tray helps to sort out objects. (I bought mine at a garage sale for .10) You can use foam alphabets or magnetic letters or wooden alphabet for this tray. Use what you have or borrow from a friend.

5. Small ABC erasers and ABC Desk strip (magnetized)– I have a few sets of small abc erasers, probably from the dollar store, that work great with the small deskstrip abc’s teachers often buy in rolls for their classrooms. (I got mine at a teacher’s moving sale!) I used some old business card magnets to make the strip so it won’t move on those metal trays from Dollar Tree!

6. Foam Letter Stamps, Paper, and Metal Tray– I bought these foam alphabet stamps at Joann Fabric and Crafts using a 50% coupon. Princess used these during 1st grade to stamp some of her spelling words. I know Lil’ Red will love the hands-on crafty mess! 

7. ABC Wooden Puzzle on Metal Tray– I wish I knew where these wooden puzzle pieces came from. My husband has a larger set from his childhood and we got this set, but are missing some of the pieces.

8. Poker Chips, Stickers, and Magnetic Letters– I made these BEFORE Eldest was born while I was going to college to earn an AAS in Early Childhood Development. They have been sitting in my alphabet box all this time!

9. Chalkboard and Jumbo Letters– This is a small chalkboard bought at a craft store years ago. The jumbo magnetic letters were back from my ECD college days as well.

10. ABC Wooden Blocks and Plastic Animals– Use wooden blocks to spell out the names of animals. For younger tot’s I would use a flashcard or nonmenclature card for them to match the letters. Older tot’s you can help them read the words and match the animals. You can ask the child what sound the animal makes.

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