Letters

My kids love to get a letter in the mail. I think today because of email and texting, it’s almost a novelty to get an envelope or package with their name on it.

• Morning Letter
  1. To start the day, have a letter, sealed in an envelope, addressed and waiting for your preschooler at the breakfast table (or a place they will notice it.)
  2. Follow a simple letter form
     • “Dear xxxx,”
     • Tell them what the plan is for the day (or whatever you want!)
     • End with “Sincerely,” or “From,” or “Love,”

• Read “Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin
  1. In this book, the cows and ducks write letters back and forth to Farmer Brown.
  2. As you read, point out how the letters start with “Dear” and end with “Sincerely”

• Typing Practice … my oldest loved doing this when he was 3-years-old
  1. If you can find or borrow a typewriter, the kids would love to type on the keys and watch them show up on the paper!
  2. Otherwise, turn on a simple word processing program, make the font very large and show the kids how to use one finger to make the letters appear on the screen.
  3. I love using the font Print Clearly for my preschool activities. It’s very simple and has great letter form. You can download it for free if you click on the Resource tab at the top.
• Go on a Letter Treasure Hunt
  1. Write down several clues in the form of a letter
  2. Fold them up, seal them in an envelope and address it like you would if you were mailing it.
  3. Place a sticker in the corner for a stamp.
  4. Hide the clues and have fun opening each letter. One clue could be hiding in the mailbox! 
  5. For a treasure, I might include some letter stamps and an ink pad or a set of envelopes, paper, and a pencil tied with a ribbon just for them to use! I’d love to hear your treasure ideas!