Preschoolers love to move! Incorporating movement is important when teaching preschoolers. You can include movement to enhance learning all kinds of concepts. Add these clapping and stomping activities to build or reinforce alphabet and letter learning.
Alphabet Skills
The skills covered in these activities include:
Literacy
- demonstrating knowledge of the alphabet and letter sounds
- following directions
Activity One: Clapping Cheer
Materials Needed
- letters (magnets, foam letters, or an alphabet chart)
Setting Up the Activity
Grab your letters and you are ready to start. Invite the kids to stand for this activity.
Playing the Activity
Start the cheer by chanting, “Give me a ______ (insert letter name.)” Hold up the letter you call out to provide a visual to the students. The kids respond with the letter name in a call and response fashion. Everyone claps to keep the beat of the cheer. Repeat until you have worked your way through the alphabet.
Variation
Spell out a child’s name and place each letter on a board. Then the kids say the name.
Activity Two: Sponge Stomp
Materials Needed
- 26 sponges
- black permanent marker
Setting Up the Activity
Write a letter of the alphabet on each sponge. You could put lowercase letters on one side of the sponge and uppercase letters on the other side.
Line up the sponges in a row spaced a foot apart if you are playing with a large group, or randomly place them in a large space if you are playing with a smaller group.
Playing the Activity
The kids are now ready to “stomp” the alphabet. Invite the kids to walk to a sponge, name the letter, and stomp on the letter. Players continue to walk through the line saying and stomping letters.
Variation
Students may also say the letter sound or name a word that starts with the letter as they stomp.
Activity Three: Clap, Stomp, and Chant
Materials Needed
- letters (magnets, foam letters, or an alphabet chart)
Setting Up the Activity
This is another easy activity to prepare. You just need to take your letters or chart with you to the area you want to work with the kids. Your circle time rug or the playground works well.
Playing the Activity
The kids will need to stand for this activity. Hold up a letter. The kids will clap two times. On each clap, they will name the letter, thus saying the name of the letter two times. Then, they will stomp two times and say the letter sound.
Clap “A” Clap “A”
Stomp “/a/” Stomp “/a/”
Variation
Vary your voice for each letter. You might talk like a robot, in a whisper voice, or use a singing voice.
For more playful alphabet and phonological awareness songs and activities try 35 Circle Time Songs and Chants to Build Literacy Skills. Most of the songs are set to familiar tunes such as “I’m a Little Teapot,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” and “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” Best of all, the kids will love them. Get a copy of 35 Circle Time Songs and Chants to Build Literacy Skills HERE.
Enjoy playing with your preschoolers to build literacy skills.
BIO: Jodie is the creator of Growing Book by Book. She believes that we can meet the needs of all our growing readers. She guides you with developmentally appropriate book lists, reading and writing activities, and literacy-building tips for young children. Check out her Exploring with Preschoolers resources! You can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
More Alphabet Activity Ideas—
DIY Tactile Alphabet Cards
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Magnetic Alphabet Tree
Squirrel Alphabet Game for Fall
10+ Ways to Learn the Alphabet
Follow my Alphabet Pinterest Board for more great ideas!
