Printable Preschool Alphabet Mats + Activity

We’re just over a month away from AG starting Pre-K. I’m not going to go into how I feel about it. We’re also under a month away from her 4th birthday. Just how?!?

Since we’re taking the summer off from school or camps this summer, we’ve been doing “pre-k bootcamp” at home. It’s something I’ve been planning all year. AG’s birthday is in August, which will put her as the youngest in her class. When I met with her teacher at the end of last year, she gave me a list of things to work on over the summer months so that she’s where she needs to be starting Pre-K.  Everyday we’ve been doing different sight word, alphabet & learning activities while Luke naps.

Today, I’m sharing an EASY letter identification activity with you. It’s one AG loves to do, mostly because she loves playing in the rice. With this activity, she digs out the letters, identifies them, tells me the sound they make and places them on the alphabet mat. I have a lowercase and uppercase alphabet for you to print below. One thing I realized when we started the activity was that she could easily identify the uppercase letters but some of the lowercase were a bit tough for her. So each day, I make sure to alternate the alphabet mat she uses.

Below you’ll find instructions on how to put this activity together along with the printables for you to use. Happy learning! 

Materials:
Magnetic Alphabet Letters

Alphabet Mat Printables

Scissors

Rice

Shoe Box Container

Laminating Sheets 

Directions: 

1. Fill a shoe box container with rice. I used about 6 cups. To make the colored rice, all you need is white rice, rubbing alcohol and food coloring.  Put the white rice in a large bowl, ad a few drops of rubbing alcohol (just three drops for about 4 cups of rice), mix the rice in the rubbing alcohol.  Last, add the food coloring.  I used over 10 drops for my rice.  Just mix it until the rice is coated.  I lined a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and pour the rice on top for it to dry.  I left it out overnight.
2. Bury a set of alphabet magnets in the rice. I bought my alphabet magnets at Target, in the dollar spot.
3. Print the uppercase or lowercase printables (links below each picture.)
4. Laminate the alphabet mats. I only laminated the printed side.
5. Cut off the excess laminating sheet.
6. Start playing! AG went fishing for the letters, found them, identified the letter and then placed it on the mat.
   

Lowercase Alphabet Mat Printable   

Uppercase Alphabet Mat Printable

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