7 Alphabet Learning Toys

It's the time of year when I shift my attention to gift buying in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. I start thinking about what my kids want and what they need. And where they're concerned, I'm always thinking about fun educational products that will help them learn and grow. Over the past year, I have focused on alphabet toys for preschoolers and kindergartners to help my youngest. And I wanted to share some of the ones that we've used, and a few others that I think would be great tools in a child's pre-literacy journey.

Educational Insights and Learning Resources are my two go-to brands for this type of resource. They have so many excellent educational toys to help teach and reinforce basic skills. But there are a few other smaller, but wonderful companies creating learning magic. I've tried to list the resources below in order of complexity, beginning with uppercase letter recognition and ending with beginning sounds.

The following post contains affiliate links.

Alphabet Bingo

We began with this game and still play it today, even though my son knows his alphabet letters. This bingo game comes with six double-sided game boards, a bunch of counters, and 26 letter tokens with the capital on one side and an image on the other. Each image begins with the letter on the other side of the token. 

When we first started playing this game, my son always wanted to look for the picture which was easier, but I would always say the letter out loud instead of the name of the image. Or I would say, "R for rocket," emphasizing the r sound at the beginning of the word. This is a great first game for alphabet recognition.

This game is from Peaceable Kingdom.

Frida's Fruit Fiesta Alphabet Game

This is, hands down, my favorite alphabet toy. Technically, it's a 2- (or more) player game. But it's one that even I don't mind playing regularly with my 5 year old. He's old enough now to recognize all the letters, but we still play the game because it's fun and a good way to reinforce his letter recognition.

This game comes with four player boards, three (connected) spinners, 26 game pieces (fruit bowls with a letter), and Frida (a toucan-shaped tweezer tool). Instructions are also included, of course. 

The objective of the game is to get four in a row on your player board in a manner similar to bingo (left-right, up-down, or diagonally). You spin all three spinners and choose the letter of the alphabet you want to place on your player board. Then your child uses Frida to "collect" the fruit bowl that has the letter in question.

It's super fun for littles and great for helping them identify upper case letters. The only thing I would change about this game would be to add lowercase letters as well.

This game is by Educational Insights.

Alphabet Learning Locks

This is another great toy that we have. I noticed a long time ago that my son was fascinated by keys and locks. So whoever invented this was pretty brilliant. Kids have to find the right key to unlock the padlock - and the "key" is that they have to match the upper- and lowercase letters! 

This is a really fun toy set by Dinhon.

Alphabet Acorns Activity Set

I bought this set a few years ago for my son and he still plays with them. Alphabet Acorns comes with 78 pieces: 26 acorn bases, 26 acorn "caps" and 26 color-coded counters/figures. 

Each acorn has a capital letter displayed on the front, it's lowercase partner on the inside of the lid, and a surprise hidden inside that begins with the letter on the acorn. What a great way to help teach the alphabet! I really highly recommend this set. 

But parents be warned: It can be a challenge to keep up with the small figures inside the acorns if you don't keep an eye on your child while they are playing with the set.

This set is by Learning Resources.

ABC Cookies

This set is also on my list to purchase because it is the next level up. ABC Cookies comes with four different games that you can play to learn different concepts: 

• letter recognition
• upper and lowercase matching
• letter sequencing
• beginning sounds

Letter sequencing is, I think, often overlooked especially in homeschooling. So I really like this set from Learning Resources.

Alpha Pops

The focus of this set is to learn upper and lowercase letters. It comes with 26 double-sided pops, that are also color coded to help children learn which letters go together. All the popsicles will connect with each other, so they may also be used to build simple two-letter words, such as "go," "at," "me," etc.

This set is also by Learning Resources.

Alphabet Island

I haven't actually bought Alphabet Island, but it is on my list of games to get this year. It caught my eye because players are required to match upper and lowercase letters or beginning sounds with the corresponding pictures. My 5 yo definitely loves playing games, so this is high on my list this year for Christmas. And it's a treasure hunt theme, which I know he will enjoy. 

This game is by Learning Resources.

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New Alphabet Books

I've often talked about my obsession with abecedarios, or alphabet books. So when some new titles landed on my desk recently and wanted to share them with you. I know many of you love them as much as I do!

The following links are affiliate links.

¡Todos al Rodeo! A Vaquero Alphabet Book
by Ma. Alma González Pérez

What an absolutely fabulous book! With full text in both English and Spanish, this alphabet book takes the readers on an in-depth look at the history of el vaquero. Children will LOVE the subject matter, as well as the images used to represent each word (and letter) of the alphabet.

From arena to lazo/lasso to rodeo, the author focuses on Spanish words that have been absorbed/adopted by the English language in the tradition of linguistic borrowing. I think your children will be fascinated to read about the origins of so many words associated with cowboy culture.

As I mentioned, this book doesn't have illustrations, but instead uses actual photographs that feature Hispanic influence. And the back of the book also contains a picture glossary and a list of Mexican and U.S. rodeo events. 

This is the third alphabet book in a series by the author.

ABC: Discover Critters from A to Z 
by Rosa C. Lopez

I follow artist Rosa C. Lopez on Instagram. She's the illustrator of the Martín y Pepe book series, which I absolutely love! So when I saw she had a new book out, I bought it. 

ABC: Discover Critters from A to Z is such a sweet book for helping children learn their alphabet. Rosa's warm and whimsical illustrations are engaging for children. Each letter of the alphabet includes an animal that begins with the letter, and few words about what each one is doing. 

It's important to note that the book only shows capital letters, so keep that in mind if you are looking for one that shows both upper and lowercase.

My 3yo enjoys the illustrations and the simple storyline. And at the back of the book, there are a few pages to allow children to practice writing their letters. 

Olinguito, from A to Z! ~ ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!
by Lulu Delacre

Olinguito, from A to Z! ~ ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! is a rare glimpse into the heart of a cloud forest. We're there on a mission: to help the zookeeper from Washington, D.C. find the elusive olingo. Along the way we discover beautiful treasures. There is a richness to the illustrations that captures the reader. You can read about the whole process of creating the layered illustrations here on Lee & Low's website and here on the author's website.

Each page of this book is filled with the flora and fauna that are unique to cloud forests. Lulu's attention to detail makes this book especially remarkable. You'll find plant and animals that few people in this part of the world have seen in the wild, such as orchids and bromeliads and Collared Inca Hummingbirds and Spectacled Bears.

The best part of the book is the full text in both English and Spanish. And it should be obvious to any bilingual speaker that the book was originally written in Spanish and then translated into English. Not that the latter is poor in any way, but simply because the Spanish is so well done.

Free Download: Bilingual Alphabet Pages

Many parents are opting to preschool their children at home. So much has happened in recent years -- maybe too much for some of us. They/we are taking the extra time to spend with their little ones and keep them safe while learning those important skills and concepts that preschoolers need to master. One thing I had started working on before Covid-19 burst upon the scene and took over our lives was this set of bilingual alphabet pages for my toddler. He's still young, so it is an introduction for him. And hopefully, a way to keep him engaged while I am helping his older brother with school.

Printable Bilingual Alphabet Worksheets

This set of alphabet pages is unique because I chose images of items that all start with the same letter in both English and Spanish. So you can choose whichever language you prefer to use with your child. Just print the letter you are looking for and share it with your child. 

Ways to Use Them

These pages are versatile and may be used any way you want. But if you are looking for some suggestions, here's what I recommend:

• Choose the language you want to use (English or Spanish).
• Give your child the page and let them color the images.
• Ask them if they know what letter is on the page.
• Point to the letter and say its name, then say the sound it makes. Start with the capital letter and then repeat with the lowercase letter.
• Point to the images at the top of the page and say their names. Be sure to emphasize the beginning sound of each one (ex., ah-ah-aguacate or ah-ah-avocado).
• Have them practice writing the letters on the lines at the bottom of the page.

How to Add Variety

Some children love repetition. They enjoy the security of knowing what to expect. In this instance, following the same routine with these alphabet pages is important. 

But some children (like my youngest) love the unexpected. I change things up for him this way: Depending on the letter, we decorate it a totally different way each time. Here are some different ways to "color" a letter:

• use crayons
• use markers
• use colored pencils
• use play-dough to fill in the letters 
• use dot markers
• use Q-tips dipped in washable paint
• use fingerpaints (washable!!!)
• use watercolors
• use chalk
• use stickers to fill the letters
• use stamps to fill
• dip a pencil eraser into paint or stamp ink and fill the letters with dots
• glue yarn inside the letters
• glue pasta to them
• glue buttons in them
• glue pompoms in them
• fill the letters with beans
• fill the letters with rice
• fill the letters with Cheerios
• fill with water bottle caps
• place miniature figures (dinosaurs, horses, etc.) inside the letters
• use Legos to fill them
• cover the letter shape with sticky notes
  
  

There is no limit. Use your imagination!

Great Activity to Keep Younger Children Busy

It's been hard to keep my oldest son focused on his school work. And my preschooler is getting into everything and demanding our attention when I'm trying to help his older brother. So these pages are one activity that makes him feel like he's also doing school with his brother. And they also keep him occupied while I teach my older child.

If you are also in the same boat with little ones underfoot making school time difficult, I hope these  help you as much as they help me! 

Just print and go.

Click here to download

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