20 Fun Ways to Use Alphabet Flash Cards {for any age}

Of course, flash cards can be boring. But if you get a little creative, they are cheap, portable, educational, and fun.



Before your child knows the letter names or sounds:
1. Alphabet Hunt & Match
2. Memory/Concentration Game - My pack of cards from the dollar store included enough repeat cards to play a game of Memory.   Be sure to name the letters for your child as they are flipped over.
3. Trace - Place tracing or tissue paper over the cards and have your child trace the letters.
4.  Sort - Use the monkey, giraffe, chicken method to sort lower case letters.  (Monkey letters have tails, giraffe letters are tall, and chicken letters are in between.) Or sort by round and straight.  There's no wrong way - you just want them looking at and thinking about the letters.
5. Indoor or outdoor sound match
6.  Make your own set of alphabet cards using index cards.
7. Decorate - we have 8x10 alphabet cards hanging from a clip wire in our playroom, but they would look really cute framed too.

When your child knows some or all the letter names and sounds:
8. Spread the cards all over the floor.  Call out a letter and have your child jump on that letter.
9.  Work together to arrange the cards in alphabetical order.
10.  Match each card to an object that starts with that letter.
11.  Slap Jack - play Slap Jack using the letters in your child's name as the Jacks.
12. Alliteration Game - each player takes turns choosing a card and listing as many words starting with that letter as they can think of in 15 seconds.  Each word is one point.
13.  Word Game - once they've mastered the alliteration game, move on to listing words that end with the letter.  Once they've mastered that, try listing words with the letter in the middle.
14. Letter Pictionary - One player chooses a card without showing the other player. They draw something that starts with that letter while the other person tries to guess the object and letter. 
15. Letter Charades - same as Letter Pictionary but acting out instead of drawing.

For older kids:
16.  Choose a topic and 10 cards.  Think of a word related to the topic beginning with each letter from the cards.  (Example:  If the topic was volcanoes and I chose the cards L, A, and H, I'd say " L=lava, A=ashes, H=hot" etc.)  This is a great way to review.  I've done a similar activity with my students after finishing a novel.
17.  Choose 5 cards and lay them out.  Form a sentence in which each word begins with those letters.
18.  Choose 1 card.  Say a sentence that DOES NOT contain that letter.
19.  Play Slap Jack.  Vowels are the Jacks.
20.  Choose a card.  Write or tell a story with the letter as a main character.  What's the personality of the letter?  Quiet or loud?  What does the letter like to do and what other letters does he/she hang out with?

What ideas do you have for using alphabet flashcards?  I'd love for you to share them in the comments.


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21 comments:

  1. Great ideas! I love the topic idea for older kids. Very creative!

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  2. Love these ideas! Thanks for sharing them!

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  3. So many great ideas!
    Time to pin, so I have them filed. :) thanks!

    Jen
    Creative and Curious Kids!

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  4. I found you via delicate construction. Thanks for the cute ideas!!

    ~Heather
    welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com

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  5. So many wonderful ideas! If you have time I would LOVE for you to come share these in The Mommy Club this week. I'm new to homeschooling so these are super tips.

    Thanks much, Crystal
    http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2012/08/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-57/

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  6. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!!!

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  7. I LOVE this!! I think so many of us pick up these great educational things and then they sit on our shelves because we don't really know how to use them. I will be featuring this at TGIF on Friday =-) Thanks for linking up - I always REALLY enjoy your posts!
    Beth

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  8. Great ideas for all ages!! I would love for you to link up to Tasty Thursdays at The Mandatory Mooch. The party is still open until Sunday night. http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/08/tasty-thursday-4.html

    Thanks, Nichi

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  9. Love the Slap Jack idea!!

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  10. As my toddler continues to gain interest in spelling and matching letters to their sounds, it will be fun to explore/use his alphabet cards more.

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  11. These are all great ideas; some that I have used. Kids love learning through games. Thanks for sharing at Mom's Library!

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  12. These ideas are wonderful! Thanks for linking up to our Strut Your Stuff Saturday! We loved having you and hope you will come back soon! -The Sisters

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  13. Some great ideas in here! I would add, for lolder kids, that we used to play a variation of #16 in the car. We'd choose a letter and see who could come up with the most words starting with that letter.

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  14. So great! We have lots of flash cards laying around our house :) Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!

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  15. I am using this post as one of my top picks for the Weekly Kid's Co-op. Some great ideas!

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  16. Great activities! Thanks for sharing at Saturday Show and Tell. I hope you be back this week with more great stuff!
    -Mackenzie
    http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com

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    Replies
    1. You're a Featured Favorite on Saturday Show & Tell this week on Cheerios and Lattes! Thanks again for sharing!
      Mackenzie :)

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  17. Awesomeee.. Cause i have 2 pack of flashcard and no more ideas using it..

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  18. Awesomeee.. Cause i have 2 pack of flashcard and no more ideas using it..

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  19. Awesomeee.. Cause i have 2 pack of flashcard and no more ideas using it..

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!