April showers bring May flowers, right? And just in time for spring I’ve created this fun (and free) letter recognition game for my preschoolers. It teaches the alphabet and a little math, too, as players anticipate spring showers.
Be sure to grab your free Spring Shower Letter Recognition Game at the end of this post.
Spring is just around the corner in our neck of the woods. Well, my tulips and rhubarb have been thinking that since mid-January as it was unseasonably warm this year. Then we got hit with some snow the last week of February and I think they regretted their decision to peek up early.
I’m pretty sure we won’t get any more snow, although admittedly I was happy my kids got more use out of all the extra snow gear I bought last year during the snowpocalypse of 2017.
But they are few things in life more joyful than the first green grasses the push their way through the melting snow. And my tulips. They are yellow and red and kinda’ seem to throw up a middle finger to winter. I like that they are bright and sassy and for some reason, spring seems to bring a renewed enthusiasm for teaching preschool, too.
Or maybe I’m just overwhelmed by the anticipation of spring break which is quickly approaching.
But springtime is the most appropriate time to teach preschoolers about growth. We love to plant flowers and raise butterflies as well as learn about insects and make Mother’s Day gifts.
To add to all our thematic fun, I made this Spring Showers Letter Recognition game for my preschoolers.
Very similar to my Don’t Feed the Raccoon game, or my Don’t Feed the Monster game, preschoolers practice letter recognition as they draw cards. They also practice counting as they discard tokens from their scorecard when certain cards are drawn.
Spring Showers Letter Recognition Game
My little boys loved the pictures on these cards. It didn’t take long for my 4-year-old to notice the differences in the plant’s growth and my 3-year-old is fascinated by growing plants. This game is sure to tie in well with your spring preschool theme, too!
Materials
- blue counting manipulatives (floral gems, math counters, or pom poms work well)
- Free printable at the end of this post
The Set-up
Print the spring printable on heavy cardstock, in color. Laminate for added durability. These cards will be handled a lot by little hands, so at the very least use the heaviest cardstock you can find.
Mix up the letter cards with the rain shower cards and place them all face down in a pile. Give each player a scorecard and fill the scorecard with the blue counting manipulatives. I used floral pebbles from a dollar store.
How to Play
Players take turns drawing a card from the pile. They identify the letter and then place it in a discard pile. (At this point I like to have all players say the name of the letter).
If a rain showers card is drawn, then the player removes one blue counting manipulative from his scorecard.
Play continues until a player empties their scorecard. The first player to empty their scorecard wins the game.
Want this Letter Recognition Game?
Think this is something your preschooler will love? Just click the image below to claim it!
Want More Spring Theme Activities?
I’ve paired up with some of the best kids activity bloggers to bring you some brand new activities!
Don’t forget you can grab your FREE PRINTABLE at the end of this post!
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Editable Spring Sight Word Game // Letters of Literacy
Spring Color by Sight Word // Sara J Creations
Spring 5 Senses Mini Book // The Primary Post
Flowers CVC Word Building Freebie // A Dab of Glue Will Do
Spring Read-Write-Build Alphabet Mat // Fun-A-Day
Flower Roll and Cover Mats // Fun Learning for Kids
Roll and Graph Spring Math Activity // The Kindergarten Connection
Spring Letter Recognition Game // Stay at Home Educator
Spring Tree Fine Motor Math // Fantastic Fun and Learning
Bird Life Cycle Puzzles // Liz’s Early Learning Spot
Growing Beans in a Bag // Science Kiddo
Spring Patterning Activities // Fairy Poppins
Flower Color Matching // Teach Me Mommy
Looking for More Thematic Printables?
Try some of these!
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
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