12 Toddler Literacy Activities for Budding Bookworms

Dr. Seuss once said, 'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.' Reading is power and kids can start learning literacy skills the day they are born simply by being read to. Once your baby becomes a big toddler and even bigger preschooler, though, reading can become something even more transformative. Here are a few literacy activities for toddlers that help little bookworms build skills…as well as a lifelong love for the written word. 

Phonics Basket Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via The Imagination Tree

Kids can start to learn that each letter has its own sound with this simple sorting game. Create baskets for a few letters and then have your child sort the corresponding household items or toys.

Rainbow Salt Writing Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Raising Dragons

Before your child puts pen to paper, have them put fingertips to sand! Salt writing is a great literacy activity for toddlers that will get your budding author comfortable with writing shapes, then letters, and eventually words. They can start with fingers and then graduate to brushes and sticks as they prepare to hold a pencil.

Sight Word Lego Literacy Activity for Preschoolers

Image & activity via The Printable Princess

Grab some old building blocks and a permanent marker and voila! You have created a sight word game that will give your kids the chance to flex their new reading skills. Challenge your kids by giving them a new word to practice every day.

Feed the Dog Literacy Activity for Kids

Image & activity via Totschooling

Kids will love feeding the dog in this sight word game that asks tykes to read words out loud. Challenge them by adding in some big words…or even their names! 

Toss the Balloon Sight Word Literacy Activity for Kids

Image & activity via Gift of Curiosity

For kids with the wiggles, this sight word literacy activity is a perfect way to keep littles learning and moving all at the same time.

Alphabet Swat Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Kindergarten Connection

Kids will get a kick out of this hilarious literacy activity for toddlers that asks them to use a fly swatter to 'catch' letters. When reading games are fun, kids will learn that reading is a worthy activity to pursue. The original version lets kids swat letters all over the house, but for more quiet play, try the tabletop version.

Magic Letters Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Mas & Pas 

Blend art and letters with this fun literacy activity for toddlers. Kids can really sit with a letter and learn all about it while they try their hand at painting in this magical letter art game. 

Goldfish Cracker Tracing Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Totschooling

Kids can get a chance to learn how to write their letters with this fun literacy activity that combines a lesson with snack time.

Letter Animal Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Learn, Create, Love 

Here is a fun literacy activity for toddlers that teaches the letters of the alphabet…and sparks creativity! Each letter becomes an animal that your child can colour and cut out then display on the fridge. These printables are open-ended enough to let kids explore…but also give busy parents a tangible tool to use.

Hop-to-It Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via 123 Homeschool 4 Me

This action-packed literacy activity for toddlers invites kids to help a frog jump to the right lily pad by matching lowercase to uppercase letters.  

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt Literacy Activity for Toddlers

Image & activity via Play Party Plan

Turn learning the alphabet into a fun scavenger hunt for household objects. Make a big list of items that each start with each letter from the alphabet and have your child race around the house to find them all.

Alphabet Poem Literacy Activity for Preschoolers

Image & activity via Krazy for Kindyland

Silly poems are fun for toddlers to hear and recite out loud…and they are a fab way to start learning letter recognition and letter sounds. Find a few goofy alphabet inspired poems and turn your living room into a slam poetry party.

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