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For many reasons, including the need for a sensory & language activity, I ordered these:
The packaging was quite impressive. Indeed the container looked like it held a lot of letters and numbers but, let me tell you, once the kids tore open the container and dumped the letters and numbers everywhere, I KNEW there were in fact 1500 pieces. Wow.
Easy Sensory & Early Language Activity with Foam Letters
My first suggestion: by pure luck, my 2.5 year old dumped the container out onto a blanket. This blanket served two purposes:
- I was able to introduce the Montessori concept of the “work space” or “work mat“.
- The blanket helped pick up BIG TIME. Simply fold it up and dump into a container. I transferred the letters into a bigger storage container mainly for sensory purposes but also for pick up purposed.
Here are a few things we did with these foam letters, definitely inspired by but perhaps more importantly driven by my 2.5 year old:
- “Close your eyes and pick out a letter or number” – Simple. Whatever letter or number he chose I had him seek that number of objects or an object that began with that letter.
- Simple sensory. Let your child put his hands into the container and experience the feeling of foam. His little fingers worked hard.
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- We grabbed our Melissa & Doug United States puzzle, picked letters from the container and then found a state that begins with that letter.
- Practical Life – have your child help with the pick up by putting rogue foam letters and numbers into the container, shut the container and fold up his “work mat” (or blanket in this case)
- Simple Sorting – By color, by letters, by numbers
- Simple Math – Find two numbers, add them and find the total
- Create the alphabet – start with “A” and end with “Z”
- Alphabet Soup – My sons cannot get enough of kitchen pretend play
- Read a book, pick out a word and create it with the letters – This exercise was a huge success.
Thanks for visiting!
Marnie