Creating the Alphabet with Building Blocks
One of the most effective ways to help your child learn the letters is through play. Creating the alphabet with building blocks, such as Lego, is a fun way for preschoolers to become more familiar with letters.
Our free download includes letter templates and instructions for using this activity to encourage letter recognition. Let’s get building!
Instructions for Creating the Alphabet with Building Blocks
It’s easy as can be! After three simple steps, your child will be ready to start building.
- Print, cut, and laminate the letter cards.
- If desired, laminate your cards to provide many more hours of alphabet play.
- Punch a hole in one corner of each card and store your cards on a large key ring.
Playing with the Alphabet and Your Building Blocks
Are you ready for fun? There are so many engaging ways that you can use this activity with your child to introduce and reinforce letter knowledge skills—so let’s explore!
Some children like to build the letters by following the templates, carefully matching up each building block to the template to ensure that their creation is just like the model.
Other children prefer to create their own versions of each letter.
Your child may enjoy this challenge: say the name of a letter and have your child find the corresponding card and build the letter. Or you can work on matching uppercase and lowercase letters, too. Just show your child a lowercase letter, then have her find the uppercase letter card and build the letter.
The most important thing to remember is that these letter recognition activities should be fun!
Did your preschooler enjoy this activity? You can find more great letter recognition activities here!
Ideas for Using Building Blocks, Recommended by Our Readers:
- I use various kinds of blocks with our fluency sheet practice. For each word read, my kid earns a block to add to his creation. He has fun getting the blocks he needs to fuel his creativity! (Recommended by @sarahannhow, via Instagram)
- We use Duplo to create shapes and then “measure” the area by counting the blocks. (Recommended by @thrivehomeschooling, via Instagram)
- Another fun idea is to see how tall you can work together to build a structure in 2 minutes. (Recommended by @thrivehomeschooling, via Instagram)
- Use building blocks to make patterns (math reasoning and patterning). (Recommended by @thrivehomeschooling, via Instagram)
- Use building blocks to teach counting (and number recognition). Show your child a number and have him stack that many pieces. (Recommended by Daniela P., via blog comment)
- Use building blocks to help learn about symmetry. (Recommended by Karen, via blog comment)
- For older children, print the cards with four pages to a sheet. They will print as flashcards and are small enough to use with regular Legos. (Recommended by Kayla via blog comment)
Omolara Fasina
says:This is lovely.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Omolara.
Ewa
says:Thanks a lot!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Ewa!
Laura A
says:Wonderful idea, love it
Suzanna
says:thank you for the info, its quite useful
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Suzanna! ?
Mary E. Hines
says:Thank you so much.
Elodia Spray
says:These are amazing, thanks so much!
Carlene
says:Awesome !! my kids will love them.
Thank you.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Carlene!
Brendan
says:These Rock!
Donna Depner
says:awesome idea Thanks
D Newby
says:I got to try this with my kids!
CHER
says:Great idea for older kids needing to solidify the alphabet into their memory. My boys re 11,9 & 7. They love legos and this doesn’t look too “babyish”. A win win all around. Has anyone tries using smaller legos?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCher,
If you don’t care if the cards and the Lego pieces aren’t the same size, then the cards will work fine with standard Lego bricks. However, if you want them to be able to lay the Lego pieces on the cards and have it be the same size, you’ll need to print them at a reduced size. 60% seems to be about right.
Mary
says:Cool!
Rachel
says:Great idea.
Debra Ann Bennett
says:This is such a fun and creative method of exploring the alphabet. I have some preschoolers who are so into construction and this works so well for them.
Thank you for sharing and your program is wonderful. I am pro active early literacy and have been teaching for close to forty years in my home-based preschool…the importance of incorporating early literacy skills from a young age. Thanks for all that you do in making the love of learning a fascinating journey for many!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Debra Ann! You and your preschoolers might also enjoy our other letter recognition printables and activities as well.
Mabel
says:My son who loves playing withhis lego is never been happier to learn his alphabet using these=)
Nicole D.
says:Great tips. My son is just starting to read and I”m always looking for new ideas.
Charlotte Brandhorst
says:I am using the pre-reading level with my 8 year old, reluctant reader. I think she will like these. I have printed them and plan to pull them out tomorrow.
Kayla
says:We don’t have Duplo Lego bricks, but we do have a bunch of small regular Legos. I printed the cards, 4 pages to a sheet. They came out as flashcards and small enough for regular Legos. My 6 year old autistic daughter really liked these and it was good for her fine motor practice too. Thanks!
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceKayla,
I wondered if this would work, and it’s great to hear it does! Thanks for trying this out and sharing it with us.
Elizabeth
says:We have been struggling with letter recognition. This is a great idea.
roslyn harris
says:My daughter would like this. She is only almost 3 and she is always asking to “do school” like her big brother. It is challanging to think up developmentally appropriate things to do with her.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceRoslyn,
I understand how this is. When my youngest was a preschooler, I found ideas for her with “tot trays”, “activities in a bag”, educational toys, and so on. I discovered that she was fine doing the same 2 or 3 activities every day for a week, and that I could then revisit the same or similar activity just a few weeks later. This activity would have been great to have in our rotation!
Anyway, I found the blogs 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of Homeschooler especially helpful.
Sarah Cylkowski
says:I’m excited to try these ideas with my son. He loves building, so I think this will go over great! I think we’ll try using tanagrams, too.
Launa
says:Looks fun! Another tool to add into our pre-reading repertoire!
Ana
says:My son was finally able to complete the letter formation just this week. It is amazing when the moment it all makes sense and is able to do it. Plus the complete joy they feel afterwards.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceAna,
This is great to hear! I can imagine the joy. Thanks for the update.
Tyra
says:Great idea! Will definitely be trying it with my two youngest.
Sara
says:This is great! I’m excited to use this with my 4 year old!
Sharon Pine
says:I hope we win this; Jazzy will be done with Level 1 by April and we will be ready then for Level 2. That would be a blessing. It’s the first thing that’s really helped her with her spelling, and she is in grade 4, so it was getting to be frustrating. Now, she is doing so much better.
Erin
says:Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Rachelle
says:I have never thought of doing this! I bet my 3 year old would love it though!
swapna
says:This is interesting. I had a similar busy bag with legos & pattern cards. This is even better. Pls do share at the practical mondays link up too:)
Mary
says:Great work for today’s many tactile learners!