literacy | A Play Filled Life

6 Hands-on, Play-based activities for Kids

A Tray Full of Play: 6 Hands-On Learning Activities for Kids Grab this week’s A Tray Full of Play printable pack for $4 HERE. A little prep. A whole lot of play! Welcome to A Tray Full of Play, a weekly series with six hands-on activities to help your little one explore phonics, math, and motor skills through play. Think scooping, squeezing, counting, matching, building, and making marks. Simple materials, playful invitations, and plenty of opportunities for little hands to g

Oct 3

11 Playful Name Writing Activities for Preschoolers

Looking for name writing activities for preschoolers that feel like play? Start with materials your child can touch, move, build, and explore. A cotton swab, a few blocks, or a ball of play dough can turn name practice into a meaningful invitation to learn. There is something pretty special about learning to write your own name. Those letters belong to YOU! But getting there takes practice, and there are so many playful ways to begin. Bring out the blocks, grab the dot sticke

Oct 2

Multi-Sensory Writing Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Learning to write begins long before a child can form perfect letters on paper. For toddlers and preschoolers, writing is a full-body learning experience! When children can see, touch, move, and explore letters in playful ways, they build stronger connections in the brain and develop the fine motor skills needed for future handwriting success. That is why multi-sensory writing activities are so powerful. Instead of only practicing with a pencil and worksheet, children use the

May 25

Post-it Alphabet Hunt (An Easy Movement-Based Literacy Activity for Kids)

Need a simple learning activity that gets your kids moving and practicing early literacy skills? This one is always a hit in our house. Today’s activity is a Post-it Letter Hunt—a playful, low-prep alphabet game that combines movement, letter recognition, and problem-solving all in one. It's easy to set-up, can be differentiated so many ways and is fun for all ages! Why We Love This Literacy Activity This activity is simple, engaging, and easy to customize based on your child

May 2

Letter of the Week Curriculum: Alphabet Lessons You Can Do at Home with Kids

Welcome to Letter of the Week Wednesday— your new weekly series for hands-on, play-based, sensory-driven activities to help your child learn the alphabet at home. I’ve spent over 20 years in education and have worked with thousands of children. Teaching at home can be FUN and manageable! Join us for our Letter of the Week series—starting with S. Each week builds essential early reading skills, along with fine motor development and early math foundations. It’s casual, simple,

Jan 31