Rock the Alphabet

What You Need:

• 26 rocks
• Paint
• Paintbrushes (small and medium)
• Water and a container for washing rocks

What You Do:

1. Start by going on a rock hunt. While you supervise, invite your child to search the yard, neighborhood, local park, nearby creek or stream for rocks of a manageable size that they can easily lift and move around.
2. Wash any dirt particles clinging to the rocks by soaking them in water and rinsing them. Let the rocks dry.
3. Now for the painting! Help them paint one letter of the alphabet on each rock so they have one rock for each letter by the time they are done. Encourage your child to use a wide variety of different colors to make a vibrant collection. If they are unsure of how to paint any of the letters, have them practice on a scrap sheet of paper before painting on the rocks.
4. As they paint each letter, have them say the name and the sound(s) it makes. Can they think of a word that starts with that letter?
5. Once all the rocks are painted, place them aside to dry.
6. When the rocks are dry, use them to “label” objects in and around the house. For example, take an apple from the fruit basket and set the “A” rock beside it to show your child that “A” is for “apple.” Repeat for the other letters; once they get the hang of the activity, encourage them to find objects on their own.

Use your cool new collection again and again until your young learner has mastered the alphabet and letter sounds. Mix up the rocks and then challenge him to put them back in order, or work with the rocks to spell simple sight words.