Bottle Caps ABCs

Many thanks to my local Starbucks for collecting all these caps for me. If you are interested in trying these activities or Bottle Cap Math, ask your local coffee shop to save some for you!

Bottle Caps ABCs Activities

Sing and Flip:  Put the caps in alphabetical order letter side down.  Sing the alphabet song and flip the caps as you say each new letter.

Sing and Find: Arrange the caps letter side up in a random order. Sing the Alphabet Song, (or say the alphabet) have your child find each letter and put the caps in alphabetical order.

Alphabetize: This is simple and straightforward- just have your child put the caps in alphabetical order without your help.

Alphabet Hop Along: Grab a plastic animal or playing piece and have your child “hop along” the alphabet as he says each letter.

Spell Your Name- Seek and Find: Arrange the letters randomly letter side up and have your child find the letters that spell his name. You may need to make a few extra bottle cap letters depending on your child’s name.

Spell Your Name- Quick Time: Lay the letters of your child’s name letter side up and have your child “spell” his name as quickly as he can.

Sorts: Sorting the letters of the alphabet is a great way to not only familiarize your child with the letters, but also to bring their attention to how letters are shaped which can help with handwriting later on. Sorts also allow children to experiment with how the letters “fit in” and compare to other letters and words.

Below are a few ways your child can sort the letters of the alphabet. Remember to have them come up with a sort of their own- it is always interesting to see what they are thinking.

• curvy and straight
• tall and short
• tails and no tails
• vowels and consonants
• in my name and not in my name
• own sort

Short Vowel Words:  Choose one short vowel to work with at a time, pull out a few consonants and have your child make words- real and nonsense and sound them out. Again, you may need to make a few more bottle cap  letters for this activity.

Sight Words/Spelling Words: Use the caps to practice your child’s sight words and/or spelling words.

Letter Run: Place all the letters in a bag. Have your child pull a letter from the bag and “run” to find something in the room that begins with that letter.

Alphabet Race: Place all the letters face up at one end of the room.  When you say “go,”  your child has to grab the letter “a” from the pile, run to the other side of the room where he will place the letter on the floor or on a table.  He then runs back to the pile, grabs the letter “b” and puts in next to the “a.”  Continue this way until all the letters are in alphabetical order.  This can be done with spelling words, names, sight words or just about anything that can be spelled!

Alphabet Fishing: I really, really wanted to try this with my son, but cannot find any magnetic tape or magnets for that matter near where we are living.  Put a magnet on each bottle cap and make a “fishing pole” from string and a magnet. Then go fishing for letters! Your child can fish in alphabetical order or fish for his name.

Word Lists: Put all the letters face down on the table or in a bag. Have your child remove one letter and flip it over. Then together create a list of words that begin with that letter sound.

Add the Magic e:  I love teaching children about the “Magic e.” I love the fact that one little letter can make such a significant change to a word. 🙂 Anyway,  to do this make a list of words that work with the the magic e and without (hate/hate, kit/kite, cap/cape, sit/site etc).  Spell out the first word with the caps and have your child sound it out. Then add the magic e and explain to your child how the “e” at the end of the word makes the vowel change from a short vowel sound to a long vowel sound. Or, you can tell them the magic e makes the vowel say its own name.

Blends and Vowel Teams: Use the bottle caps with the vowel teams and/or blends to practice the sounds made by the letter pairs.

Word Endings:  Use the “er, “ing” and “ed” to practice these sounds at the end of words.

 

Templates available for purchase. Click the link below for details or to purchase:

Bottle Cap ABCs from Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Like This?  Then You May Also Like These Activities:

• Teacher Mama: Around the Table ABC
• Teacher Mama: Teaching Your Child the Alphabet
• Teacher Mama: Word Family Practice Tube
• Teacher Mama: Short Vowel Flip Book
• Teacher Mama: Sight Word Practice Made Fun

Have a young one at home? While your older child is practicing with his bottle cap letters, have a few extras for the little one to sort, stack and play with as he likes.

         

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