Looking for a fun way to practice letter recognition with your preschooler? Roll up your sleeves and be prepared for a big smile with this one! You most likely have everything you need already around the house and your little one will love the feel of the shaving cream.
We started this activity by reading Dr. Seuss’s ABC. This classic book is terrific for reviewing upper and lowercase letters (“big A, little a”; “big B, little b”) with catchy rhymes your child will love. And what better to follow a Dr. Seuss book than an activity that’s a little messy – make a shaving cream, letter sensory bin!
Here’s the setup:
Put two clear bins side-by-side. Fill one of the bins with warm water. Fill the other bin with shaving cream. As a variation, I put a touch of blue food coloring and let my little one use a craft stick to stir it up. She loved watching the cream change color! Then we placed magnetic letters (a variety of uppercase and lowercase) in the shaving cream bin. Place a paper towel next to the water bin and your little one can get started.
Have your preschooler can dig around the shaving cream and pull out letters. As they pull each letter, have them tell you the letter name (or letter sound if they know it). Your preschooler can wash off the letters in the water bin and place them to dry on the towel. Then they can start again and hunt for more letters. Be prepared for a bit of a mess, but this one is worth it!
Little learners today, leaders tomorrow…..happy creating!
Want to try this activity out? Just pick up the materials below and have fun!
Are You a New York State Pre-K Teacher?
This lesson aligns with the Next Gen Standards:
- Reading: Foundational Skills: Print Concepts: PKRF1d: Recognize and name some upper/lowercase letters – especially those in their own name
MATERIALS:
- Plastic letters
- Plastic tubs (2x)
- Water
- Paper Towel or drying towel
- Blue food coloring (optional)
- Craft Sticks (optional)
- Letter flash cards (optional)
BOOKS: