Treasure Letters Reading Activity

Grab your pail and shovel and set out on a sand-digging, brain-building adventure! This activity will allow your child to see, touch and PLAY with letters, which helps him connect the shape of each letter of the alphabet to the sight of that letter. So let's dig for letters!
What you need:

• Magnetic letters or Scrabble tiles
• A sandbox, a big bowl of rice or a sandy spot at the beach (Yes, you can take this challenge to the shore!)
• Pirate costume (optional)

How to do it:

• Hide the letters in the sand or rice.
• For little learners: Start small: Hide a few letters and have your child call out the name of each letter as she finds it. Maybe even start with the letters in your child's name (unless it's something long like Costanza-Marie!).
• Then have your child dig for those letters like he's digging for buried treasures.
• Keep adding letters to the treasure trove until your child can recognize and name all 26 letters.
• For older children: If your child can write her letters, have her draw the letter in the sand with her finger.
  

Brain Building Bonus: Pick a word and hide just those letters in the sand. Once your child finds all of the letters, have her rearrange the letters to figure out the word, a la Scrabble.
How this builds brain: Children tend to learn best when they experience something through multiple senses, and this activity allows them to touch, hear and play with the letters, and recognize each letter's unique shape. By letting your kid discover the keys to the world of words, you're already on your way to making your child a better reader and writer!
Get more brain-building activities for your kid! Check out our Brain Building Boot Camp with Dr. Christine Ricci.