Teacher’s Brain

Fun Alphabet Practice Activities For Kids

Alphabet writing practice is one of the most important parts of preschool or kindergarten instruction. Getting familiar and comfortable recognizing, writing, and using the alphabet is a foundational skill that students will use for the rest of their lives! That’s why it’s so important to make it as fun as possible! 

The more fun kids have, the more engaged in learning they will be! 

How can I make learning the alphabet fun? 

The sky is the limit when it comes to learning the alphabet. Here are some of my favorite alphabet activities for kids. 

  1. Stamp pads. Get some alphabet stamping supplies and let students have fun practicing letters with stamps
  2. Finger paint. Let students get their hands dirty and finger-paint the letters. 
  3. Sand tables. This one is great if you have the supplies. Simply have students write their letters in the sand. 
  4. Shaving cream. Simply spray some shaving cream on each desk, spread it out, and let students write letters in it! 
  5. Lego Letters. Get out some Lego blocks and have students build the letters with them.
  6. Pipe Cleaners. Twist pipe cleaners to make letters. 
  7. Dry Erase Boards. Practice writing and erasing letters with dry-erase markers and boards. 
  8. Sidewalk Chalk. Decorate the sidewalk with letters. 
  9. Have a letter scavenger hunt. 
  10. Play I Spy with the alphabet. 

There are so many ways to get creative with learning the alphabet. If you are looking for some traditional alphabet practice sheets or even alphabet tracing worksheets, I have you covered! 

This Alphabet Writing Practice Bundle comes with everything you need!

alphabet writing practice

It comes with alphabet worksheets, alphabet tracing, and alphabet crafts for every letter A-Z! 

These provide hands-on options as well as worksheets to help with busy mornings. Students will learn how to work independently after the first couple of letter sets are used because every unit follows the same pattern. There are plenty of things to choose from for the week if you are doing a letter a week. Students will practice fine motor skills with writing, cutting, and tracing.

alphabet writing practice

What is the download?

  • LETTER A: 16 printables which include 3 crafts, a spinning game, letter identification, forming letters, playdough letters, BINGO daubing, tracing letters (upper and lowercase), letter sounds, and beginning sounds of words.
  • LETTER B: 16 printables which include 3 crafts, a spinning game, letter identification, forming letters, playdough letters, BINGO daubing, tracing letters, letter sounds, and beginning sounds of words. 
  • LETTERS C-Z These will follow the same format as units for letters A & B, but with different crafts.
Alphabet practice
alphabet practice

Want to try it out for FREE? Check out my free Alphabet Worksheets and Crafts resource here! 

Let your students have a blast while they master identifying the upper and lowercase letters, reviewing the sound, writing letters, and creating crafts with these printable practice pages. These make morning work, literacy centers, small groups, or home reviews a breeze!

What’s in the download?

P. 1 Cover

p. 2 More Resources

P. 3 Letter Aa practice

P. 4 Letter B Mini Book

P. 5 Letter C Play-Doh Trace 

P. 6-7 Letter A Alligator Craft

P. 8-9 Letter T Tiger Craft

P. 10 Color by Code Letter L

P. 11 Answer Key

P. 12 CREDITS

What are your favorite alphabet practice activities? Let me know in the comments!

Are Virtual Field Trips Better Than Real Field Trips?

When it comes to field trips, many teachers find that they have a love-hate relationship with them. Are they fun? Of course! Do students love them? You betcha. Are they exhausting? Absolutely! Can they be stressful? Unfortunately, yes. 

We’ve all been there. We spend weeks preparing for a field trip. Plan the activity. Get it approved. Send out notices to parents and get permission forms signed. Collect any money necessary. Arrange transportation. Get parent volunteers. And that’s all before the field trip even starts! 

are virtual field trips better than real field trips?

During the pandemic, we were all forced to embrace digital-well- everything. We found ourselves figuring out online learning, Google Classroom, Boom Cards, distance learning activities, Zoom meetings, etc. It was a learning curve for sure, but it has changed so much about how we are able to teach, and that includes field trips! 

When it comes to field trips, many of us started doing virtual field trips for the first time and realized how much we loved them! 

So that begs the question: Are virtual field trips better than real field trips? 

They both have their pros and cons. In-person field trips are more immersive, but virtual field trips are great because they bring just as much fun and learning with way less stress, planning, and organizing on your part. 

How do you do a virtual field trip? 

Virtual field trips are so easy to do! You can find free virtual field trip tours on museum websites or you can go for a more interactive resource that includes the “tour” along with educational activities. For more on virtual field trips, check out my post on 5 Reasons To Take a Virtual Field Trip! 

What are some good virtual field trips? 

One of my favorite virtual field trips is my Virtual Zoo Trip! 

virtual field trip idea: zoo field trip

Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts, learn about Zoo animals, facts, what to bring on a trip, and so much more! 

What is in this download?

28 Google Slides with titles, edit text boxes, directions, movable parts great for virtual or in-person teaching.

  • KWL Chart
  • Packing A Suitcase for the Trip
  • 1 Minute Take OFF Flight Video
  • 10-minute ZOO Field Trip Video (Car Ride to the Zoo, Animal Facts)
  • Sequencing Events, 3 Writing Prompts, Counting Objects (under 10), Labeling Parts, ZOO Counting Song, and Comprehension Questions
  • One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson. (videos or an assignment)
  • Home Connection Optional Assignment for students to build an animal habitat 
  • Black and white ink-saving Writing Pages and Home Connection Page for in-person teaching
virtual field trip resource preview

Your students will love this hands-on virtual field trip! Looking for more virtual fun? Check out my other virtual field trip resources here. 

What’s your favorite thing about virtual field trips? Let me know in the comments!

5 Reasons To Do Virtual Field Trips

Thinking about your next field trip and feeling exhausted by the thought of it? You’re not alone! Field trips are fun but they are overwhelming, to say the least. With so much to coordinate and do, they leave teachers and students alike completely worn out by the end of the day. 

This is why I have always preferred virtual field trips!  I know what you may be thinking, what is that?! Virtual field trips are a new way to experience new places with your students without leaving the comfort of your classroom. 

virtual field trips pin image boy at computer learning

How do you do a virtual field trip?

Using technology! Start by deciding where you want to go. Do you want a virtual field trip to the zoo? Virtual field trip to space? Virtual field trip to a museum? All of these are totally possible! Set the tone in your classroom by turning off the lights (or having students do it from home if doing it while distance learning!) and you can either do a virtual tour using a free website or get a resource to use with Google Classroom.  

Here are the top reasons you should do virtual field trips

  1. You don’t have to leave the classroom. It is so much work to leave the school! You have to get your field trip approved, send out notices, plan ahead, arrange bus transportation, parent permission, etc. By staying in the classroom for your field trip, you skip all of that extra work and get straight to the fun stuff. 
  2. You’re not exhausted. It’s no secret that field trips are tiring. Organizing a trip for tons of kids would wear anyone out. Save some energy by making it fun right where you are! 
  3. No permission slips to worry about. Chasing down permission slips is one of the not-so-fun parts of field trips. You can’t take students out of the school without them, but hunting them down can be a chore. No permission slips are needed when you stay at school! 
  4. Student engagement increases. Framing the day as a field trip, even if you are in the classroom, is guaranteed to get students excited and ready for an adventure! 
  5. Cheaper than going somewhere. Field trips are fun but they cost money! Cut out all that money and keep it cost-effective by investing in a couple of virtual options that students will love. 

What are some good virtual field trips? 

If you’re looking for virtual field trips for kids that you can do easily from your classroom, you’re in the right place. You can take a “trip” anywhere that students would want to go that can be educational. This means the zoo, space, camping, the beach, Egypt, etc! 

If you want to kick your virtual field trip up a notch and get all of the educational activities done for you, I have you covered! 

This camping field trip is the perfect way to get your students engaged. 

camping virtual field trip preview

Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts, learn about CAMPING, safety tips, what to bring on a trip and so much more!

virtual field trip to go camping preview

What is in this download?

28 Google Slides with Titles, Edit Text Boxes, Directions, Movable Parts 

  • KWL Chart
  • Packing A Suitcase for the Trip
  • 1 Minute Take OFF Flight Video
  • 9-minute Camping Field Trip Video (Car Ride to the Campsite, Camping Adventure)
  • Sequencing Events, 3 Writing Prompts, Counting Objects (under 10), Labeling Parts, Going on a BEAR HUNT Song, and Comprehension Questions
  • One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson. (videos or an assignment)
  • Home Connection Optional Assignment for students to design a map with a map key. 
  • Black and white ink-saving Writing Pages and Home Connection Page for in-person teaching.
virtual field trip camping preview

If you love this idea, make sure to check out my other virtual field trips here! You can take a trip to the beach, the zoo, a wizard school, and more!

To learn more about virtual field trips, check out my post here!

Senior Memory Books

For seniors, the end of the year is so bittersweet. A huge stage of their life is coming to a close and a new chapter is beginning. They are stepping into a new phase of life where they are becoming adults and starting to make their own decisions about their future. Needless to say, this is huge! 

The high school years are unforgettable. It shapes who we all become and for most, the memories we had there will be cherished forever. If you are looking for great memory book ideas or even high school senior gift ideas for the end of the year, you’re in the right place. 

A senior year memory book is my favorite way to capture these memories in a fun and creative way. Seniors love having a book that they can come back to reminisce on the good times with their friends.  

senior memory books pin image

What is a senior year memory book? 

A high school senior memory book is a place to put photos and memories from the last year of high school. Think of it as a senior year scrapbook. 

What goes in a memory book? 

Anything you want! You can include photos, notes, memories, hobbies, goals, plans, accomplishments, etc. You name it, you can add it to your memory book. 

Ready to get started on creating memory books with your seniors? Check out this digital memory book resource! 

I love this resource because it is so easy for students to make their own memory books digitally. 

This end-of-the-year senior memory book is a great way to help students feel connected to each other and produce a great keepsake for years to come! This editable digital Google Classroom™ option and PDF make it easy for you to make paper copies for students or updates for the future.

Students who are participating in the digital option will have easy-to-identify text boxes to edit with directions. They can insert images, text, and even video if they want to save their memories digitally. They can add school colors, senior pictures, write their feelings about the end of the year, anything they may have missed from being out of school, and so much more! Students can print them out as a keepsake or just keep them digitally.

What is included?

  • 33 Google Slides (with text boxes and directions and 4 slides at the end to personalize and edit for future years) to push out easily to students to edit on their own. 4 pages are decorative but blank to easily personalize with editing. Each slide has directions on the right side and edit boxes to add text.
  • 38 PDF (same images, but easy to print file)
  • 4 Pages PDF, with directions, terms, and credits
digital senior memory book sample image

Topics Included on the pages:

  • Favorites
  • Accomplishments
  • Hobbies
  • Friends
  • Things They Miss
  • Next Year’s Goals
  • Next Year’s Plans
  • Vacation Wish List
  • I am Grateful
  • Quarantine Writing Pages
  • Top 3 Senior Moments
  • If I Could Change the World
  • One Word from friends and family to Describe You 
  • All About Me
  • Homecoming
  • Prom ( Pages have directions on the side. If they missed prom, they can write about how the plans were changed or delete the page.)
  • I Feel Special
  • Graduation (add pictures of how they celebrated this important moment)
  • Autograph Page (digitally get Autographs from friends)
senior memory book

It’s so easy to get creative with these senior memory books. For more ideas, check out this blog post here! 

What are your favorite senior activities? Let me know in the comments!